# Asana Author | Sarah Laoyan > Sarah Laoyan is a work management expert who shares her expertise with the Asana team. Team Asana includes work management experts from around the world. Source: https://asana.com/author/sarah-laoyan ### Writer Sarah Laoyan is a work management expert who shares her expertise with the Asana team. Team Asana includes work management experts from around the world. No matter where they’re located, every writer shares one thing in common: a passion for helping leaders—and everyday employees—work smarter. Using first-hand experience, our writers help organizations break down silos, align teams to goals, and get more done with streamlined workflows. - [How to solve problems using the design thinking process](/resources/design-thinking-process) Project planning Collaboration #### Writer We all face problems every day. But how often do we find solutions that truly put people's needs first?That's where the design thinking process comes in. Developed at Stanford's d ... - [How to use a gap analysis to achieve business goals](/resources/gap-analysis) Project planning Goals #### Writer Imagine your team is preparing for next year's strategic planning but is unsure where to begin. What steps should you take?A gap analysis, or needs analysis, compares your current ... - [Why you should measure your team’s sprint velocity](/resources/sprint-velocity) Agile Project management Project planning #### Writer Sprint velocity is a common tool used in Agile project management. It measures how much an Agile team produces during their normal sprint cycle. In this article, we cover what spr ... - [The basics of critical chain project management](/resources/critical-chain-project-management) Project management Project planning #### Writer When you're managing complex projects, resource constraints can quickly become your biggest challenge. Teams get stretched across multiple initiatives, timelines slip, and even we ... - [Why you should eat the frog first](/resources/eat-the-frog) Productivity #### Writer When your to-do list feels overwhelming, it's hard to know where to start. The eat the frog method offers a simple solution: identify your most challenging task and tackle it firs ... - [Understanding the Pareto principle (The 80/20 rule)](/resources/pareto-principle-80-20-rule) Productivity #### Writer When you get into the office in the morning, what's the first thing you do? Most people grab their caffeinated beverage of choice, check their email, and prioritize their tasks fo ... - [7 types of process improvement methodologies](/resources/process-improvement-methodologies) Project management #### Writer If businesses consistently stayed the same over time, many of them would collapse. Innovation requires change, and if businesses don't change to meet customer demands, they won't ... - [7 important steps in the decision making process](/resources/decision-making-process) Leadership Collaboration Project planning #### Writer We make decisions every day, from small choices like what to have for breakfast to complex business decisions that affect entire teams. While simple choices come naturally, challe ... - [Everything you need to know about creating a RAID log](/resources/raid-log) Project management #### Writer Project management is simple when everything goes smoothly. But that's not always the case. When things get rough, it's important to document the changes that happen in the projec ... - [Democratic leadership style: What you need to know](/resources/democratic-leadership-style) Leadership #### Writer One of the most challenging parts about being a leader is trying to take everyone's opinion into account. Are you being fair to everyone on your team? When is the right time to co ... - [What is Agile methodology? (A beginner’s guide)](/resources/agile-methodology) Agile Project planning Project management #### Writer Scrum, Kanban, waterfall, Agile. There are many project management frameworks to choose from, but traditional methods like waterfall don’t always work well for software teams, whe ... - [Strategy vs. tactics: What's the difference?](/resources/strategy-vs-tactics) Goals #### Writer Chess grandmasters don't blindly go into the game, moving pieces around randomly. They have well-thought-out and precise moves to gain the upper hand against their opponent.Chess ... - [What are the stages of group development?](/resources/stages-of-team-development) Inspire & Impact Collection Collaboration #### Writer As a team leader, your goal is to support and empower your team to get their highest-impact work done. When your team members feel comfortable with one another, it's easier to col ... - [9 tips for taking better meeting notes](/resources/meeting-notes-tips) Project management Collaboration #### Writer Meetings are an important part of projects, serving as the space where decisions are made and team members connect. While meetings are a key step to making good decisions, where d ... - [4 tips for overcoming analysis paralysis](/resources/analysis-paralysis) Productivity #### Writer Your alarm goes off in the morning, and it's time to get ready for work. What do you decide to wear that day? Do you wear a sweater or a jacket? What if it's too hot for a jacket? ... - [Understanding the 4 Agile ceremonies](/resources/agile-scrum-ceremonies) Agile #### Writer Traditional ceremonies mark key milestones, from graduations to weddings. Agile ceremonies borrow from this concept, but rather than celebrations, they serve as consistent checkpo ... - [What is the PRINCE2 project management methodology?](/resources/prince2-methodology) Project management #### Writer PRINCE2 is one of the most widely recognized project management methodologies in the world, practiced in over 150 countries with more than a million certified practitioners. Wheth ... - [6 steps for a successful project postmortem meeting](/resources/project-post-mortem-tips) Project management #### Writer One of the most satisfying feelings in the project management process is to complete the project itself. You and your team worked hard to get to this point, and before you move fo ... - [20 types of marketing you should know about](/resources/types-of-marketing) Marketing #### Writer Marketing is not just billboards and advertisements; it's a strategy companies use to communicate their products or services to their target market. There are many different marke ... - [The importance of setting short-term goals (with examples)](/resources/short-term-goals) Goals Project planning #### Writer We all have goals, both at work and in our personal lives. Buy a house, start a new company, manage a team, the list could go on. Now consider those above statements: Are they act ... - [Understanding dependencies in project management](/resources/project-dependencies) Project management Leadership Project planning #### Writer Much like a relay race, projects are often completed by passing tasks from one team member to the next. Unlike a relay race, some project tasks require other tasks to move forward ... - [Everything you need to know about waterfall project management](/resources/waterfall-project-management-methodology) Project management #### Writer Project managers have many project management methodologies to choose from. There's Agile project management, Kanban project management, Scrum, and many more iterative processes t ... - [How to run more effective stand-up meetings](/resources/stand-up-meeting) Agile Collaboration Project planning #### Writer If you're on a software development team, chances are you've been to a stand-up meeting. Common in Agile methodologies, stand-up meetings are a quick way for team members to share ... - [Setting business goals: The first step to a successful business](/resources/business-goals-examples) Goals #### Writer Establishing company goals is a standard business practice, and for good reason. Setting clear business goals influences motivation and increases performance. Whether you work at ... - [How to use the Hoshin Kanri method for strategic planning](/resources/hoshin-kanri) Business strategy Project planning #### Writer Quick note: We've included a graphic PDF template below to help you visualize the Hoshin Kanri Method as a strategic planning option. And while you can use Asana to follow this me ... - [The importance of sprint planning in Agile methodologies](/resources/sprint-planning-meeting) Agile Project planning Productivity #### Writer Sprint planning is an important process for Agile methodologies. If product owners or Scrum masters don't take the time to schedule out upcoming work, team members may have a hard ... - [What is capacity planning? Tips to apply the right strategy](/resources/capacity-planning) Project planning #### Writer Before you bake a cake, you need to check that you have all the right ingredients. Missing an egg or a bit of sugar can make your cake taste off.The same idea applies to big proje ... - [Fast tracking and crashing: Compress your project schedule](/resources/fast-tracking-vs-crashing) Project management #### Writer Your project deadline is coming up fast, and after reviewing your progress, you see that your team won't meet the objectives if things continue as they are. This situation can be ... - [6 techniques for accurate project estimation](/resources/project-estimation) Project planning Project management #### Writer Estimating how long tasks will take is an essential part of project management. Whether you're launching a new product, building a website, or planning a marketing campaign, your ... - [How task batching can increase your productivity at work](/resources/task-batching) Productivity Inspire & Impact Collection #### Writer Imagine opening your email on Monday morning and seeing a cluttered inbox, a stack of pending approvals, and feeling unsure about where to begin.If this sounds familiar, you’re no ... - [4 steps of the PEST analysis process](/resources/pest-analysis) Project planning #### Writer Change can feel intimidating. One of the best ways to handle it is by understanding what’s happening. If you break down the reasons behind unexpected changes and their possible ef ... - [How to create crystal clear action items](/resources/action-items) Project management Project planning Productivity #### Writer It's the end of a successful project kickoff meeting, and your team members are ready to carry out everything that was decided. But how do you know exactly what to do once the mee ... - [Marketing vs. advertising: What’s the difference?](/resources/marketing-vs-advertising-difference) Marketing #### Writer Marketing and advertising are both essential for any business, but people often mix them up. They both aim to connect your company with customers, but they work in different ways. ... - [6 strategies to make group decisions quickly](/resources/group-decision-making) Collaboration Productivity Business strategy #### Writer Making a decision for a group of people can be a major undertaking. Things get even more complicated when you’re making crucial business decisions and have to consider finances, i ... - [4 easy steps for creating an effective knowledge base](/resources/knowledge-base) Collaboration Productivity #### Writer When you’re looking to purchase a new product, what are the things you look for? A well-made product? Functionality that fits your needs? What about customer service?If you provid ... - [Videoconferencing fatigue: 4 tips for combatting video exhaustion](/resources/videoconferencing-fatigue) Hybrid and remote work Productivity #### Writer It’s 3:00pm on a Thursday, your head is pulsing, your eyes hurt, and you have one more meeting before your day is over—but you just feel like you can’t do it anymore. After back-t ... - [What is procurement management and why is it so important?](/resources/procurement-management) Business strategy #### Writer When you have a small team, choosing tools that you want to use for your day-to-day is as easy as knowing what you want and then purchasing it. But when companies start to grow, t ... - [How knowledge management helps your team stay organized](/resources/knowledge-management) Project management Collaboration Productivity Business strategy #### Writer Every day, you process new information that eventually turns into knowledge. You probably don’t think of the fact that you need to “manage” this knowledge—for most of us, that’s s ... - [Building the perfect construction punch list](/resources/punch-list) Project management #### Writer Imagine you're nearing the end of a project, but there are still a lot of loose ends you need to tie up before officially completing your work. Keeping track of all those smaller ... - [Scrumban: The best of two Agile methodologies](/resources/scrumban) Agile #### Writer Dramedy. Motel. Spork. All of these things started as two separate entities that combined to create something completely new. This is the basic idea of the newer Agile methodology ... - [5 tips to establish a knowledge sharing culture](/resources/knowledge-sharing) Collaboration #### Writer Sharing information is something we do every day. A quick text, a conversation over coffee, or even a phone call are all examples of knowledge sharing. Knowledge sharing in the wo ... - [Six Sigma: All you need to know about the lean methodology](/resources/six-sigma) Project management #### Writer Imagine your development team is in the process of putting the final touches together for a big product launch. When the product gets to the testing stage, the team catches severa ... - [Value streams: Provide customers value with every step](/resources/value-streams) Business strategy Project planning #### Writer Your customers are your greatest asset, and to keep them happy, you have to provide them with value. Understanding how different portions of your business provide value for your c ... - [Do more with less: How to improve operational efficiency](/resources/operational-efficiency) Project management #### Writer Consider this: what does it look like when you “do work”? Do you have a set process or order of doing things? Was this process set by your manager? Is how you do things the most e ... - [How to become a project manager: 4 steps to start your career](/resources/become-a-project-manager) Project management #### Writer If you're looking for a new job, you may have seen a couple of postings that require good project management skills. But what does that mean exactly? Do you need to get a project ... - [27 business success metrics you should be tracking](/resources/success-metrics-examples) Goals #### Writer When you implement a new business strategy, how do you know whether or not your strategy is working? The most common way to ensure that your strategy is working is to identify suc ... - [How to start fresh with business process reengineering](/resources/business-process-reengineering-bpr) Business strategy #### Writer If it’s not broken, don’t fix it—right? But if something isn’t working as efficiently as it could, sometimes the only way to make it better is to take it all apart and put it back ... - [How team morale impacts employee performance](/resources/team-morale-tips) Inspire & Impact Collection #### Writer When you're building a team, you're looking for team members with the right skills to help your organization achieve its objectives. Part of helping your team achieve their full p ... - [7 tips to help manage your distributed team](/resources/managing-distributed-teams) Hybrid and remote work Leadership #### Writer With an increasingly global economy comes the need for global teams to serve customer wherever they are. This type of team—with team members in different locations and time zones— ... - [6 ways digital transformation can improve your business](/resources/what-is-digital-transformation) Business strategy #### Writer Technological improvements are a way of life—things are optimized and improved for efficiency or ease of use. This type of improvement also happens digitally. Software can help es ... - [Turn your team into skilled problem solvers with these strategies](/resources/problem-solving-strategies) Collaboration #### Writer Picture this: you're handling your daily tasks at work, and your boss calls you in and says, "We have a problem." Unfortunately, we don't live in a world in which problems are ins ... - [4 tips to create the best weekly work plan](/resources/weekly-work-plan) Productivity Project management Hybrid and remote work #### Writer Oh, the dreaded Mondays. The bane of existence for many working professionals and lasagna-eating tabby cats. One of the reasons why people dread heading into work on Mondays is be ... - [5 ways to stop losing track of time at work](/resources/losing-track-time) Productivity Hybrid and remote work #### Writer Before you leave your house, you check your pockets for everything you need: phone, wallet, keys. If you can’t find one of those items, you retrace your steps until you find it. L ... - [Organizational silos: 4 common issues and how to prevent them](/resources/organizational-silos) Collaboration Leadership #### Writer Enterprises are often organized by specific team function. This is known as an organizational structure, and it isn't necessarily a bad thing. Without the proper tools and integra ... - [6 tips for breaking down business silos](/resources/breaking-down-silos) Collaboration Productivity #### Writer The most important business initiatives are cross-functional ones that involve a variety of departments. But it’s often challenging for different departments to work together beca ... - [Planning poker: The all-in strategy for Agile estimation](/resources/planning-poker) Agile Project planning #### Writer Imagine you bought a house and you’re planning to remodel the kitchen. You ask a contractor for an estimate on how long the remodel will take and approximately how much it will co ... - [Backlog refinement: 3 tips to keep your sprint organized](/resources/backlog-refinement) Agile #### Writer Picture yourself in the kitchen, about to make dinner. You open the fridge and realize you're missing some key ingredients because you didn't check ahead of time. Now, making dinn ... - [Continuous improvement in business: Tips to apply kaizen](/resources/continuous-improvement) Agile Project management #### Writer Think about your daily life, whether that's work, school, home, or your social life. Are there any aspects of your life that can be improved? While you may be content with how you ... - [Organizational development: A holistic view of your organization](/resources/organizational-development) Business strategy #### Writer Think of a company that’s been around for a long time. In their heyday, they were extremely successful, and products were flying off the shelf. Nowadays, they’re struggling. The t ... - [Uncovering the secrets behind operations management](/resources/operations-management) Operations Collaboration Project management #### Writer If you have a business, it has to operate somehow. This is nothing new. In fact, records of historical businesses, such as inventory lists, transactions and ledgers have been trac ... - [Cross-functional work: The secret to a collaborative workplace](/resources/cross-functional-collaboration-work) Collaboration Productivity #### Writer Imagine your team just launched a successful marketing campaign—think about all the different teams that helped to make this campaign a success. All of this work that happened bet ... - [A deep-dive into project management maturity models](/resources/project-management-maturity-model) Project management #### Writer Look back to what you were like in elementary school. Did you have a mature way of looking at the world? What about when you were in high school? What do your opinions and viewpoi ...