How to Use Google Calendar as a Project Management Tool
Using Google Calendar as a project management tool can be time-efficient and productive for your overall team effort.
It has lots of flexible features such as creating remote team events, scheduling appointments and meetings, managing tasks on time, etc.
So, it’s the right time to utilize Google Calendar to manage your projects and strengthen teamwork. For that purpose, we are going to discuss how you can use Google Calendar as a project management tool. So, let’s explore them properly.
What's Inside
Benefits of Using Google Calendar for Project Management
Google Calendar is a free, flexible tool that can make project management much easier.
It may not have all the features of a professional project management tool, but it certainly has features that’ll be useful to small teams, freelancers, and even large organizations.
So, here are the top benefits of Google Calendar as a project management tool with real examples.
1. Free and Accessible Across Devices
The only cost of using Google Calendar is the time you put into it. The only requirement is to have a Google account, which most people actually have. You’ll have no charge to begin, no trial cap, and no monthly fees.
If that isn’t good enough, you can view your calendar on any device (smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop). Simply install the Google Calendar app or sign in via your browser. Your calendar automatically stays in sync.
Example:
You click on a laptop, you add a project deadline. While you’re outside, you receive a reminder on your phone.
2. Stable Integration with Other Google Workspace Apps
One of the best features of Google Calendar is how it integrates with other Google tools. It works perfectly with:
- Gmail: Automatically add things from your emails (like meeting invites or travel plans)
- Google Meet: Quickly start a virtual meeting by adding a Google Meet video link to calendar events.
- Google Tasks: Generate to-do lists and associate them with particular dates on your calendar.
- Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides: You can attach relevant documents directly to calendar events so they’re easily accessible during meetings.
Example:
You are working on a marketing campaign. You create the calendar event for the campaign launch meeting and attach your Google Docs campaign plan to that event, adding a Google Meet link for the remote team to join.
This helps save some time and keeps everything linked and neat.
3. Simple, Intuitive Interface
Google Calendar is very user-friendly and makes it easy to gain messages.
- You can click anywhere on the calendar to quickly create an event.
- Rearrange your program by dragging and dropping tasks or meetings.
- Shows day, week, month, and schedule views.
- Create start and end times, locations, and notes.
Even if you’ve never used project management tools before, you can immediately start using Google Calendar without needing guidance or tutorials.
Example:
You’re organizing a product launch with five colleagues. You set up a project-specific calendar with scheduled weekly check-ins and color-coded each team member’s tasks for quick visual reference.
4. Real-Time Collaboration and Sharing
Most projects are not one-person deals. Google Calendar is a great way to share your calendar easily with others.
- It will give view-only or edit access for team collaboration.
- Share your whole calendar or individual events.
- Use the “Find a Time” feature to see when members of your team are free.
It helps your team remain aligned instead of alternating messages back and forth.
Example:
For example, you have a shared team calendar for a website redesign project. All team members add what they need to do and what meetings they have. All are able to see what is going on, avoid schedule conflicts, and review progress in real time.
5. Customizable Notifications and Reminders
Managing deadlines is very important in project management. Google Calendar allows for personal reminders and alerts for any task or event.
- You will receive alerts by pop-up and/or email.
- Have several reminders on one event (i.e., 1 day previous, 10 min previous)
- Decide the timing and frequency of your alerts.
Example:
You have a client pitch next week. You create a 2 days before reminder (to prepare the slide deck) and a 1 hour before reminder (to join the call on time). Never miss an important deadline again.
Managing a Project with Google Calendar (Step-by-Step Process)
Creating projects on Google Calendar is easier than using other project management tools. You already know that Google has the most flexible and user-friendly tools.
Let’s explore the entire process of managing projects on Google Calendar. Specifically, if you are a virtual assistant agent, you can use it to manage your calendar.
- First, go to Google Calendar from your web browser through this link: https://calendar.google.com/
- You must be logged on to your Google account to access the calendar.
This is the interface of the Google Calendar. Here, you can create multiple events, tasks, and appointments for managing the projects easily.
Create New Calendar on Google Platform
- Tap the “Settings” button from the upper right section of the menu. Navigate to the following path – General > Add Calendar > Create New Calendar.
- It will show you the interface for creating the calendar.
- Provide a specific name for your new calendar and include the description.
- Also, you can set up the calendar time zone. Google Calendar has options for creating calendars for specific Gmail users.
- After filling in all the necessary information, click on the “Create Calendar”
- Well, after creating the calendar, there are multiple options available for customizing it, such as auto-accepting invitations, access permissions for events, sharing with, event notifications, integrating calendar, etc.
- Along with that, you can also export the calendar to another account by clicking the export calendar button.
- From the access permissions options, you can easily maintain the privacy of the calendar and make it private for the security purposes.
Schedule an Appointment for a Team and Client Meeting
- To create the appointment, click on the create button from the right button from the upper right section of the calendar interface.
- It will show you the option called “Appointment Schedule”. Tap on this menu from here.
- Here, you can customize the appointment according to your preference, such as appointment title and title.
- You can change the preferred time zone to deal specifically with international clients or teams. It’s often beneficial for the virtual assistant service providers who work with calendar management tasks and scheduling appointments.
Organize the Project Management Tasks with Google Calendar
In the calendar, you can easily organize project management tasks effectively with accurate data and time.
Now we will create a specific task on a preferred date. For that purpose, click on your preferred date.
- After selecting the date, provide the task time and description here. You can also categorize the tasks based on your preference.
Manage the Remote Events with Google Calendar
Through the help of Google Calendar, you can easily manage your entire team’s events remotely without any hassle. In this part, we will show you the proper process.
First, go to your Google Calendar and tap the “Create” button in the upper right section of the page. It will show you the “Event” menu. Now click on it to create a new event.
- First, choose the date and time for the remote event.
- Then, you have to fill in the necessary information about the event, such as the title, guests (your team members), Google Meet link, event location, and any other descriptions or attachments.
- Click on the “More options” button for more customization.
- As you can see, there are more options available for event customization. Make the necessary changes and tap the save button.
Conclusion
So, in the end, we can say that the Google Calendar can be the most effective tool for doing your project management tasks. Because it has lots of customizable features for users, they can easily complete their project-related tasks properly.
That’s why we have discussed the core benefits of Google Calendar in the area of project management. Also, we have discussed how you can use it properly to make the best out of it and improve your project management team’s performance.
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