On May 14th, we hosted the 9th session of our Virtual Classroom via the GOAT platform, and this time, we zoomed in on a super relevant topic for youth work: Project Management Skills for Small Teams. The session was led by our amazing Greek partners from HIGGS, with Anna and Alexandre sharing practical tools, strategies, and insights for running projects smoothly—even when resources are tight.

Project Management Made Simple (and Useful!)

Anna and Alexandre walked us through the essentials of managing projects with small teams. They covered the full project life cycle—from starting an idea (initiation), to planning, getting things done (execution), tracking progress (monitoring), and wrapping things up (closing). They reminded us of the importance of having clear goals, defining who’s doing what, and breaking the work into manageable chunks to avoid confusion and overload.

Tools That Actually Help

You don’t need expensive software to manage a project well. Anna highlighted easy-to-use tools like Trello, Asana, Google Calendar, Notion, Google Docs, and Gantt charts. These tools help with task tracking, setting deadlines, and keeping everyone aligned—so there are fewer surprises and better results!

Time, Tasks & Teamwork

We dove into smart ways to prioritize tasks using methods like the MoSCoW and ABCDE techniques. The goal? Focus on what really matters, ditch what doesn’t, and reduce stress. Anna also encouraged us to delegate and question tasks that don’t serve our project’s purpose.

We also tackled time management techniques, like Pomodoro (short bursts of focused work) and time blocking (scheduling chunks of your day), which are especially useful when juggling multiple tasks or team roles.

Facing Challenges Head-On

From scope creep to unrealistic expectations, Anna shared common challenges in project work and offered tips to overcome them:

• Set clear expectations early
• Use milestones to keep momentum
• Spot risks and plan for them
• Use collaboration tools to stay connected
• Ask for feedback and keep communication flowing

Interactive & Fun

To make things interactive, Anna shared a fun project management style quiz, which participants could access via QR code. It was a great way to reflect on our personal work styles and see how diverse our approaches can be.

To wrap it up, Anna thanked everyone for their energy and participation and let us know the presentation would be shared for future reference—because learning doesn’t stop when the session ends!

Takeaway: Whether you’re planning a local youth project or organizing a big international event, project management is your secret superpower. With the right mindset and a few simple tools, even the smallest teams can make a huge impact!