ClickUp is a powerful project management tool that can help teams stay organized and manage their tasks effectively. However, many teams struggle to use it efficiently, which often leads to frustration.
It’s important to note that ClickUp itself isn’t the problem; rather, it’s often the way people use the tool that creates inefficiencies.
When used correctly, ClickUp can be an incredibly useful tool for managing projects and tasks, boosting productivity, and ensuring smooth workflow. If you are a ClickUp user looking to improve efficiency and get the most out of this tool, these ClickUp tips will help you execute more with less.
Essential ClickUp Tips to Boost Your Team’s Productivity
ClickUp is a powerful project management tool, but using it effectively requires more than just logging tasks. Many teams struggle not because of ClickUp itself, but because they don’t know the best way to organize tasks, manage ideas, and use its features efficiently.
These ClickUp tips will help you streamline your workflow, reduce confusion, and execute more with less. Follow them today to make the most out of ClickUp and keep your team aligned and productive.
Tip#1: Focus on "Ease of Access of Data"
According to a study, an average employee spends 3.6 hours daily searching for required information.
This number spikes when teams focus on the ease of storing data instead of being focused on the retrieval speed.
If you use ClickUp, you likely know about its hierarchy feature for organizing task-related data.
Typically, comments are used to update tasks, or the description section of the task is used.
We recommend using comments, as it allows you to assign team members and track who added a comment.
If you want to keep tasks related data easily accessible, follow these simple steps while storing the data in ClickUp, or else your team will be spending up to 3 hours every single day hunting the required data.
Plan for the Future
Don’t focus on the ease of storing data. Instead, think about the ease of retrieval of the information when required.
It may be easy to create tasks directly through email than manually creating and updating tasks, but remember, easy isn’t always the best!
Divide and Rule
When you add all the details in a singular list or tasks, you have to scroll a long way to find what you are looking for.
Keep the trail short, create separate tasks for every single client or a separate list for every department within the organization.
Write for Goldfish
You may not remember the context in the future, so write every necessary detail that might help you get the flashback. Think like your memory vanishes every 3 seconds.
with this three-step approach, you can save your team from spending 3+ hours every day digging for information.
Tip#2: No due dates for non-executable tasks
One of the most common mistakes that ClickUp users make is to add due dates and assignees to every single task they create.
While this may seem like a good idea in theory, it can actually hurt productivity in the long run.
To understand why, it’s important to understand ClickUp’s structure.
Tasks are at the bottom of the hierarchy in ClickUp, which means that everything you want to manage in ClickUp needs to be created as a task.
When it comes to executable tasks, such as those related to projects or deadlines, assigning due dates and relevant team members is critical to ensuring they don’t go unnoticed or untracked.
However, when it comes to “non-executable” tasks, such as ideas, tools, or personal to-dos, assigning due dates and assignees can actually hurt productivity and distract from the important tasks at hand.
These types of tasks are best managed by simply organizing them into lists or folders.
For example: If you have an idea for a new project, instead of creating a task with a due date and assigned team members, you could simply add it to an “Ideas” list or folder.
The same goes for your personal to-dos or daily journal entries. By keeping these types of tasks separate from your executable tasks, you can reduce distractions and keep your focus on the tasks that really matter.
So, what’s the takeaway here?
While assigning due dates and assignees is important for executable tasks, it can actually hurt productivity when it comes to non-executable tasks.
By keeping these tasks separate and organizing them into lists or folders, you can reduce distractions and keep your focus on the important tasks that will help you and your team succeed.
Tip#3: Standardize the use of ClickUp features
As a ClickUp user, it can be overwhelming to manage all the different features within the platform.
One common difficulty that users face is differentiating between comments, assigned comments, and subtasks.
Here we will dive into the differences between these features and provide tips on how to use them efficiently.
Comments
Comments are essential information that you may need to refer to when you view a task in the future.
You can use comments to keep track of the progress that may not be mapped within the statuses or custom fields.
For example, you can use comments to document a conversation with a team member, jot down an idea, or ask a question.
Assigned Comments
Assigned comments are instructions that are relevant to a specific member of your team.
They are different from regular comments as they are directed at a particular person rather than being general information.
For example, you can use assigned comments to delegate a specific task to a team member or provide instructions on how to complete a particular task.
Subtasks
Subtasks are similar to assigned tasks, but they are typically used for instruction and feedback that may take significant time to complete.
Subtasks allow you to break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.
This can be useful when you need to track progress, collaborate with team members, or delegate tasks.
For example, If you have a project that requires several steps, you can create a subtask for each step and assign it to the appropriate team members.
Standardization of Features
It is important to standardize the use of comments, assigned comments, and subtasks throughout your team. You can define clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the use of each feature.
For example, you can use a time limit to determine when to use assigned comments and subtasks.
If a task requires less than a certain amount of time, say 10 minutes, it may be better to use an assigned comment.
If it requires more than 10 minutes, creating a subtask for it may be more appropriate.
Standardizing the use of these features throughout your team is also crucial to ensure everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goal.
Tip#4: Separate ideas from tasks
Tip#4: Separate ideas from tasks
Have you ever wondered how many thoughts cross your mind every day?
According to a study conducted by Nature, 6.5 new thoughts pop up every single minute in our brains. That adds up to over 6,000 thoughts per day!
However, not every thought deserves our attention.
As a ClickUp user, we cannot create or manage 6,000 tasks every single day. So, how can we manage our thoughts and ideas without compromising our productivity?
To answer this question and make the process of storing ideas in ClickUp, we have prepared a checklist that will act as a guide for you.
Create a Separate list of Ideas
The first tip is to create a separate list of ideas.
This is especially important when you have a lot of ideas but you are not sure which ones are worth pursuing.
By creating a separate list for ideas, you can dump all your thoughts in one place without affecting the ongoing tasks.
It will also help you organize your ideas better and prioritize them based on their potential.
Filter Tasks from Thoughts
The second tip is to filter tasks from thoughts.
When you have a lot of ideas, it’s important to filter them to determine which ones are worth pursuing.
Not all ideas are equal, and not all ideas are worth executing.
By filtering tasks from thoughts, you can identify the most important and valuable ideas that deserve your attention.
Assign Due Dates to Tasks
The third tip is to assign due dates to tasks.
Once you have identified the most important tasks, it’s essential to assign due dates to them.
Due dates create a sense of urgency and accountability, which helps you stay focused and on track. It also helps you prioritize your tasks based on their importance and deadlines.
No Due Dates for Ideas
The fourth tip is to avoid assigning due dates to ideas. Ideas are not tasks, and they don’t require a specific deadline.
However, it’s important to review your idea list regularly and move the workable ideas into the execution list.
You can set a monthly reminder to have a look at the idea list and turn it into reality.
By following these ClickUp tips, you can transform the way your team manages tasks, organizes ideas, and executes projects. Remember, the key is not just using ClickUp, but using it smartly—keeping important tasks prioritized, ideas separated, and workflows standardized.
Implementing these strategies will save time, reduce confusion, and help your team execute more with less effort. Start applying these ClickUp tips today and see your productivity soar!
At ReadyLogic, we help businesses optimize their workflows and get the most out of project management tools like ClickUp. If you want to streamline your processes and empower your team, get in touch with us for expert guidance and support.