How to Get Your Team to Actually Use a Project Management Tool
I Have Implemented Software for Years, and Guess What?
It is rare—RARE—to introduce a new tool and hear the sweet, sweet sound of a team happily adopting it without complaints.
If you insist, I’ll admit that in the past, I too have been… let’s say, less than enthusiastic about change. But if I can adapt, so can we all.
So why does this happen?
(P.S. This isn’t just a software issue—operations processes face the same resistance too.)
You’ve Introduced a Productivity Revolution! 🚀
You’ve done everything right. You researched, picked the perfect tool (Asana, ClickUp, Monday, HubSpot, Notion... it could be anything really), and rolled it out with the best of intentions.
And yet…
🔹 Some team members refuse to use it.
🔹 Others kind of use it but still default to their old ways.
🔹 You’re STILL chasing updates across five different channels.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone—I feel you, I’m here for you.
By now, you already know: Software is only as good as the process behind it. But once it’s live, it’s only as good as the people using it. If your team isn’t fully on board, it’s just another piece of software collecting digital dust.
So, why do teams resist new tools? And more importantly—how do you fix it?
🚧 Why Do Teams Resist Using Project Management Software?
It’s not that people hate productivity (well, most of them). But change? Change is the enemy.
Here are the top reasons teams push back. I see three main categories:
🚫 The "I Don’t Have Time" Excuses
1️⃣ “It’s extra work.”
They see updating tasks as admin overhead rather than a time-saving system.
2️⃣ “We’ve always done it this way.”
The classic resistance to change—comfortable inefficiency at its finest.
3️⃣ “I don’t have time to learn a new tool.”
Too busy putting out fires to build fire-resistant systems.
4️⃣ No clear process for HOW to use it.
If no one establishes best practices, everyone does their own thing—or nothing at all.
⚠️ The Biggest Adoption Killer: Lack of Leadership Buy-In
5️⃣ If the boss isn’t using it, no one else will.
If leadership is still sending emails instead of using the tool, employees follow suit. Full stop.
🔍 My Secret Insight: The Fear Factor
6️⃣ Big Brother is Watching 👀
For some, using a project management tool means accountability. Suddenly, their productivity (or lack thereof) is visible. For those who thrive on looking busy while doing… less, this is a nightmare.
🛠️ How to Get Your Team to Actually Use a PM Tool
Now that we know why teams resist, let’s fix it.
✅ 1. Get Leadership Buy-In First
The fastest way to ensure adoption? Lead by example.
If managers, team leads, and execs aren’t actively using the tool, no one else will.
👉 Action Tip:
✔ Assign leadership tasks in the tool, not via email.
✔ Run team meetings directly from the PM tool—no more outside notes.
✔ Make it a rule: If it’s not in the tool, it didn’t happen.
📌 At one company, the mantra (my mantra <ahem>… one I happily inflicted on everybody 😉) was: “If it didn’t happen in Asana, it didn’t happen.” During 1-2-1s and Annual Reviews, I expected people to show me their work via Asana. If it wasn’t there… yikes.
📢 Bonus Tip: You need team champions—people in each department who promote (and dare I say, evangelize?) the tool.
✅ 2. Show How It Makes Life Easier (Not Harder)
People resist tools that feel like extra work. Show them how it actually saves time.
👉 Action Tip:
✔ Highlight automation features—automatic task assignments, reminders, and status updates.
✔ Show how it eliminates unnecessary meetings (fewer status updates = more actual work).
✔ Demonstrate how reports & dashboards replace manual tracking—saving them from Excel hell.
✅ 3. Train (and Retrain) Your Team
You wouldn’t expect someone to just figure out Excel formulas or Photoshop, right? PM tools are the same.
👉 Action Tip:
✔ Run interactive training sessions (not just a boring walkthrough).
✔ Provide quick video guides for common tasks.
✔ Offer follow-up support as they get used to it.
📢 Secret Weapon: I found that daily drop-in sessions for a month after a new rollout worked wonders. No idea why (they could always ask me questions!), but somehow, a set time every day was a magic call-to-action.
✅ 4. Set Non-Negotiable Guidelines
🚨 If people can still get work assigned in Slack or email, they’ll never fully commit to the tool.
Action Tip:
✔ Standardize processes (e.g., all tasks must have owners, deadlines, and updates).
✔ Lock in tool-based communication (no project updates via email—ever).
✔ Enforce accountability (leaders check the tool, not chase updates manually).
📌 And I’ll say it again: “If it didn’t happen in Asana, it didn’t happen.” (Or ClickUp. Or Monday. Or whatever tool you use.)
✅ 5. Celebrate Small Wins & Keep Reinforcing Use
Change doesn’t happen overnight. Make it a positive experience.
👉 Action Tip:
✔ Shout out success stories (“Look how much time we saved tracking approvals in ClickUp!”).
✔ Make it fun—Gamify adoption (leaderboards, friendly competition, etc.).
✔ Track adoption rates and share progress with the team.
Personally, I like a bit of naming and shaming, but HR has opinions about that. So maybe just some… gentle ribbing?
🔑 The Bottom Line
A project management tool only works if everyone actually uses it.
It’s not just about having the right tool—it’s about creating the right habits, processes, and accountability to make it work.
So, before blaming the software, ask yourself: Have we actually committed to using it properly?
☎️ Need help setting up your tool for real adoption? Let’s talk.
📚 Want to Learn More?
Explore the rest of this blog series:
📖 Why Your Software Isn’t Solving Your Problems
→ Tools don’t fix broken processes. Here’s why your software isn’t the magic solution you expected.
📖 What is Operations Management (and Why Should You Care?)
→ Operations and project management go hand in hand—if you want smoother projects, you need strong operations.
🟢 How to Get Your Team to Actually Use a PM Tool
→ Introducing a tool is easy; getting people to use it is the hard part. Here’s how to drive adoption.
📖 The Cost of Poor Resource Management (and How to Fix It)
→ Missed deadlines, burnout, and inefficiencies—all signs of poor resource management. Here’s how to get it right.
📖 Why Your Project Timelines Keep Slipping (and How to Fix It)
→ Unrealistic deadlines, hidden blockers, and wishful thinking—learn why projects fall behind and how to prevent it.
📖 What Is Scope Creep (and Why Is It So Dangerous)?
→ One "small tweak" at a time, your project doubles in size. Learn how to stay flexible without derailing everything.
📖 Project Risk Management: How to Keep Projects on Track
→ Every project has risks—smart teams plan for them. Here’s how to identify, track, and mitigate risks before they derail success.