Every couple of months, I’ll see people ask questions like “What’s the best Project Management Software” and you’ll find a bunch of people offering up their solutions. I’m always amazed by the new software out there. It never fails. There’s always some new web app or some I’ve never heard of. Being a productivity junkie, I love checking them out.

The result however is not always satisfactory. This confirms my long held belief that project management tools are highly personal choices. No matter how many people swear by that software, it isn’t the best or even any good unless it really suits your work style. This is also the reason why (I believe) there are so many project management software out there. Because we all have certain work methods where we perform better.

Some software aim to change your work style. To use it, you need to re-wire everything including how you view project management. That is not entirely bad. It can be a good thing if…

• You don’t have good work habits to begin with
• You haven’t established a working method where you are highly productive
• Other methods just haven’t worked well for you and you’re still looking
• You have outgrown your methods and need something new

But if you already have a good rhythm, all you need is a tool to help you manage that and keep the music playing. Which means the software should suit you, not the other way around. That is why the ‘best’ software out there – according to others – doesn’t matter at all because no matter how good people say it is, if you’re not or can’t get comfortable using it, you’re not going to make the best use of it and your productivity suffers instead of improving.