Category Archives: Productivity

Become the best leader: 3 tips to manage your team successfully

There is no golden rulebook for how to get the best out of your team, but luckily DropTask is here to help. A good leader knows how to set deadlines, when to ask for updates and how to communicate effectively with their team. With DropTask, you’ll be able to maintain good team relationships, acknowledge great work and delegate tasks to those who have strengths in certain areas.

With DropTask, we make it easy for you to lead a happy and productive team. Read on to learn how.

Set realistic deadlines
Deadlines. Some people love them, others dread them. But we need deadlines to get things done, managers included. The next time you assign a task to a member of your team, ensure you make expectations clear on when it needs to be completed using Start and Due Dates. In DropTask, select the task deadline from the Start and Due Date picker. Once assigned, the task’s deadline will automatically appear in their Calendar. With an overview of their workload, you’ll be able to spot if deadlines and priorities need to shift and move them accordingly. Simple drag and drop the task’s deadline to a new date in the Calendar and feel rest assured that your team has a realistic deadline to work towards.

Keep track, without micromanaging
There’s a fine line between checking up on progress and constantly nudging for updates. Micromanagers will never get the full potential out of the people they manage. If you want an update on a shared project without interrupting your team, head to the Project Browser to see how things are getting on. Here, you can see what tasks have been started, placed on hold, fallen overdue and completed. This gives you the higher-level overview that a manager needs to map out the best next steps for your team project and offer support wherever it is needed.

Have some fun
According to ‘301 Ways to Have Fun at Work’, there’s a direct link between employees who have fun at work and those who are highly productive. DropTask helps to highlight those team achievements that deserve to be celebrated. Taking the time to recognize hard work keeps team morale and motivation high. And it’s not just big project milestones that deserve recognition and praise. With DropTask’s Congratulations feature, you can send your team a fun animation when they complete any task. What might seem like no-big-deal to some, could be a huge personal achievement to another, and as a manager, it’s crucial to acknowledge this.

How do you inspire your team to go the extra mile? Use DropTask as the go-to tool for a happy productive team. Sign up today for FREE.

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Springtime projects: How to keep track, stay ahead and get things done

With spring being the season of new beginnings, it’s important that we take care of the projects that have been growing over the past few months. Have you got any projects that need more focus? Are you looking to prioritize your weekly tasks? Or, are you looking to inject a little more color into your current and future workload? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you’ve come to the right place. DropTask’s unique views help you to work at your best. Keep track of your projects, stay ahead and get things done.

If you’re looking to refresh your workload and supercharge your productivity, then take a look at our 3 tips below to find out how DropTask can help.

Switch up your style
Dull, mundane and linear projects only repel us from getting things done. Luckily, DropTask has a view to suit all styles of working, and makes tackling our workload a breeze. From the intuitive and colorful circles in the Canvas View, to clear visibility in the Workflow View and unique icons in Urgency Lists, your work will be far from boring. Plus, there’s no need to worry about changing views. Your work will be carried across so you won’t lose any tasks when you swap. Plus, depending on your project or mood, you can alternate between all views. There really is a view for everyone.

Focus on your priorities
Studies have shown that workplace productivity drops 20% during the spring and summer months. With the lighter evenings already in full swing, trying to focus on getting work done is sometimes easier said than done. “What was I doing again?” is a regular thought of ours when we can’t concentrate on the task at hand. To help combat this and to avoid getting overwhelmed, use Filters to narrow down on what’s in front of you. Filter by Importance, Urgency, Attachments, Tags plus much more. With fewer things on display, you’ll be able to hone in, fight through distractions and focus on your priorities.

Give yourself a pat on the back
The most important point, yet the one we’re all too used to forgetting about. We all know the positive effect that good vibes bring. That’s why we want to say well done to you. When we’re bogged down with work, we often forget to give ourselves a pat on the back. In DropTask, your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. When you reach productivity milestones, the celebratory Achievement feature will appear. This will not only give you a digital high-five, but spur you on to keep achieving great things. Plus, if you’re looking for a mid-week motivator, view your latest DropTask Achievement available now in the main menu.

Stay ahead of your work this spring with DropTask. Why not give it a go today? Click here to sign up today for FREE.

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Here’s what’s wrong with your to-do list

To-do lists can feel soul destroying. There are days where we can tick off all of our to-dos before lunch, but other days our to-do list grows, endlessly creeping further down the page. We’ve all been there. Even with the best laid plans, unexpected tasks can disrupt our attention for the majority of the day and that growing list becomes overwhelming. Without a clear path, your time lacks focus and it’s hard to know where to begin tackling that dreaded list, leaving our productivity to grind to a halt.

With DropTask, we’re letting you in on our top tips to improve your productivity and drive the tasks that lay ahead of you over the finish line. Make sense of your to-dos and tackle shifting priorities with DropTask. Read on to find out how:

What’s really important?
When we have a long list of tasks, it’s sometimes difficult to identify what’s urgent. In DropTask, use the Urgency Lists to sort all of your current tasks into an order of your priorities. In Urgency Lists, you can set tasks as Normal, Urgent and Very Urgent. This view gives you the ability to see your main priorities at a glance. Adjusting to unexpected changes becomes easy. By clicking and dragging your tasks around your workspace, you’ll effortlessly be able to rearrange as your priorities change. By pivoting when needed, your workload will never become outdated again. It really is that simple.

Get with the times
We’re all busy. But the key to getting through that to-do list is focus. If you’re working through your list without any deadlines, it’s time to make a change. Did you know, when a deadline is assigned to a task we’re more likely to action it? Assign Start and Due Dates to every task you create in DropTask. When dates are assigned, they also act as a visual reminder on your Canvas, so your time is spent wisely. By adding an element of time to your projects, you’ll find yourself able to squeeze extra hours of productivity out of every day.

Keep it simple with DropTask
When it comes to managing your to-do list, the key is to keep things simple. With DropTask, we pride ourselves on simplistic, visual task management that makes it easy for individuals and teams to achieve more. In a fast-paced world, we know how quickly regular lists and project plans can become outdated and redundant. That’s why we created DropTask. With a simple, central hub to manage your day, you can make instant updates, see who’s working on what, and check team schedules to ensure everyone is on track to achieve their goals. Use DropTask for a simple, stress-free route to success.

Keep your daily to-dos on track with DropTask. Sign up today for FREE.

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Your morning routine for better productivity

Are you an early bird or a late riser? Do you take advantage of those “golden hours” to get stuff done? Or do you let your productivity peak pass you by? At DropTask, we want you to enhance your productivity right from the get-go. Think about your current morning routine. Are you making the most of those crucial hours? If not, we’re here to help. Today, we’ve noted down our top tips for a more productive morning ritual to help you get the most out of your day. See below how DropTask can help you.

Eat your frog – no, really!
Start your day by getting that daunting task out of the way. Trust us, you’ll feel better once it’s done. Take the Brian Tracy ‘Eat That Frog’ approach for example. By ‘eating your frog’ first thing in the morning, the rest of your day will be a little easier to tackle. If you’re unsure what your ‘frog’ task is, it’s the one that you’ve been dreading to start (we all have them). Assign an Urgency icon to your frog task so that it’s visible in your workload. With a visual reminder placed on the task, there’ll be no getting away from it. So, the next time you grab your morning coffee, ensure you eat your frog too! It’ll be the best thing you do all day.

Mark your progress
When we’re unsure what’s been completed and what’s still in progress, we’re delayed and unable to get to work. At the beginning of your day, take a look at your workload to see what’s ahead. Completed one of your Checklist items? Simply hit the tick icon to remind yourself, and others, that this action has been taken. If you’re 50% of the way through your task, use the Progress Percentage bar to mark how far you’ve got left to go. By doing this, your task circle will instantly update to show that you’re halfway there – go you! By eliminating what’s been Completed, and what needs a little more work, you’ll be able to assess your priorities and set a focus for the day.

Get a head start
When we’re busy, important things get missed. With DropTask’s built-in Calendar, forgotten to-dos will be a thing of the past. Assign Start and Due Dates to tasks so that you’re certain when they’re approaching. With dates assigned, they’ll be automatically scheduled in your personalised Calendar. When you’re ready to start the day, check your Calendar so that you’re aware of what’s coming up that week, the week after, or further into the future. By doing this, you’ll be able to plan your time accordingly for all of those important dates that are in the pipeline.

Get your morning productivity in order with DropTask. Sign up today for FREE.

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How to get the most out of your day

It can sometimes be a task in itself thinking about how to tackle a to-do list. Why are we less productive on certain days of the week? Everyone is different. Luckily, DropTask is on hand to ensure every day is a productive one. It will help you to make progress towards your goals, one step at a time. Plus, with brand-new features such as Emoji Reactions, Achievements and Congratulations injecting some fun into your work, it will feel less daunting to complete. See below how DropTask can help you to get the most out of your day.

Be strategic with your inbox
Emails can hinder us from getting stuff done. Whether we’re reading them, replying to them or writing them, how often do you get trapped in your inbox? Think about it, as you spend time writing responses, more emails are going to come your way. Instead of getting sucked into an endless amount of emails, you can create a DropTask Project for those tasks that need your urgent attention. If an email pops into your inbox that requires action, use the Email into DropTask feature. This will transform your emails into actionable to-do’s in your very own DropTask project. Wasting time in your inbox will be a thing of the past. With everything stored in one workspace, you’ll save time jumping back and forth and be able to concentrate on getting the job done.

Lift team spirit
Steve Jobs said “Great things in business are never done by one person; they are done by a team of people.” Teams who encourage one another accomplish great things. Being able to work alone is a must for most job roles. But the ability to be a team player and step up to the plate is a desired quality of any employee. If a team member has gone the extra mile to help you get stuff done, give them a digital high five with the Congratulations feature. With the click of a button, your colleague will be showered with confetti on their DropTask workspace. Pretty cool, right? This show of gratification will let them know that you’re appreciative of their work. This will lift their mood and make them more likely to give you a helping hand next time.

Set deadlines to work towards
Whether you want to achieve a personal goal or complete a project at work, it’s important to set deadlines. Why? Well, when deadlines are assigned to a goal or task, we’re more likely to act upon them. In DropTask, use the Start and Due Dates feature to assign important dates to your task. By doing this, a visual reminder will appear around the task circle. Tasks that have a date assigned to them will automatically be slotted into your Calendar, a great feature if you’re wanting to assess your schedule over the new few weeks or months. And, better yet, when a task falls overdue your set date will turn red. If you were lacking motivation before, you’ll soon be determined to get to work.

Get the most out of your day with DropTask. Sign up for free today!

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Fight those daily distractions for a successful spring

Many use the arrival of spring to declutter the home and create a cleaner, simpler environment where they can relax and not feel overwhelmed. But, whilst at work, the fight against distractions can be tough. In a working day, a lot can shout for our attention. So, how do you remain focused on the work that’s ahead of you? We’ve got three quick tips that will arm you in the daily battle against procrastination. Stay focused on your priorities and stay on track towards your goals with DropTask.

Declutter
In DropTask, create tasks for all of the things that you need to get done. Ever feel overwhelmed by the work that’s in front of you? Get rid of the things that you no longer need on your desk, and Create Tasks for those important to-do’s. Group tasks together which have similar connections by using Categories, and use the Filter to hide things on the Canvas that don’t require your immediate attention. Whether it’s stacked on your desk or hidden within documents on your laptop, when we have a lot of clutter around it, it hinders us from getting things done. Use your Canvas as a ‘brain dump’ and feel at ease in knowing that everything can be taken care of in one place.

Take a break
No, really. It’s been proven that when we take a break from our work it has a positive effect on our productivity and concentration levels. Grab a coffee with a colleague or go for a walk. Don’t confuse this break as a distraction. This quick brain break will recharge your energy levels. When you return to your desk, you’ll be rearing to get back to work. There’ll be no need to worry about picking up where you left off. Before you leave, pop a quick Reminder on a task with a personalized message to ensure you can pick up right where you left off. Go on, try it!

Stick to your priorities
In DropTask, there’ll be no need to worry about forgetting urgent to-do’s. Visualize your priorities in the all-new Urgency Lists View and identify your Urgent and Very Urgent tasks at a single glance. With vibrant colored lightning bolts placed directly on the task, your eyes will be instantly drawn to your priorities. Block-out time, or even take on the Pomodoro approach, to action these tasks. With all of your priorities laid out in front of you, you’ll be sure to not let ‘busy-work’ get in the way, again.

Fight those daily distractions with DropTask, and take your productivity to the next level. Sign up to DropTask today for FREE.

Boost workplace happiness with NEW Emoji Reactions & Congratulations features

Let’s face it, we all love receiving positive feedback. Even a simple 🙂 can lift our mood and spur us on to achieve more. At DropTask, we know how important it is to maintain good vibes in the office, and receiving a pat on the back makes the job more worthwhile. This got us thinking. With projects moving fast and teams spread across the globe, we don’t always get the chance to give someone the high-fives they deserve. So, you can now show your appreciation to your team for getting over that final hurdle as it happens, right here in DropTask. Sometimes, the road to a project finish-line is long and tough. But our latest update makes it easy to inject a bit of cheerful encouragement into your working day. So, to really kick-start your #MondayMotivation, we’re excited to introduce our brand NEW Emoji Reactions and Congratulations features to the app. Instantly celebrate success and cheer on your team with our exciting new update. Read on to learn how Emoji Reactions and our Congratulations feature will boost team happiness and inject a little bit of fun into your working day.

Emoji Reactions in DropTask

Like it, love it or even hate it? Share your thoughts with Emoji Reactions

When it comes to teamwork, effective communication is key. Emoji Reactions* are a quick and fun way for the whole team to have their say, without really saying anything. Agree with a comment a team member has made? Now you have the ability to give it a ‘thumbs up’ or maybe even a ‘trophy’. With a huge library of familiar emojis, you can react to comments in any way you see fit. Emojis are more than just smiley faces and hearts. They help teams communicate better and enable people to make more personal connections at work. They make our thoughts and feedback more engaging and can even soften the blow of critique. Some team members are quieter than others, and may not give their opinion in words or person. Emoji Reactions are a laid back way to get thoughts from everyone on the team. With a wider range of options inputted into the project, you’re bound to see exciting improvements in end results. Set a more friendly tone in your workplace and let your true company culture shine through with DropTask Emoji Reactions. Change your workplace the tone from stuffy to friendly and help your team members feel good about the message you’re sending out. So what’re you waiting for? Start adding reactions to comments today.

Show your team some appreciation with new Congratulations

Positive energy is contagious and we all love that feeling when we’re able to tick off tasks. When you and your team are working hard on a project, it’s important to keep motivation high by celebrating even small wins. Now available in DropTask, celebrate Completed Tasks with the all-new Congratulations feature. If you’ve been working on a task with others or assigned a task to a team member, you’ll get a notification when it’s been carried over the final hurdle. Send an instant Congratulations straight through to your hard-working colleagues. By doing this, they’ll be greeted with a feel-good animation which will be sure to motivate them for their next task. At DropTask, we know the importance of showing praise to other members of the team. The benefits speak for themselves. Congratulating team members not only boosts their self-esteem but encourages workplace productivity. Promote a positive teamwork culture and show your colleagues you don’t take their hard work for granted with DropTask’s new Congratulations feature today.

Eager to try out our latest update? Sign up now to DropTask and let us know your reactions to our latest features on Twitter @droptask. Tweet us using the hashtag #MondayMotivation to let us know how our new updates are encouraging you to go the extra mile.

*Emoji Reactions are a DropTask for Business feature. View our Business plans here.
© EmojiOne Inc. 2018, All Rights Reserved.

Looking for some end of week motivation? You’ve come to the right place

Well done, you’ve conquered the mid-week hump. Not only is the weekend within touching distance, but Monday has already been long forgotten about. So, how do you remain positive and productive for the final few days of the week? DropTask is on hand to give you a little boost of motivation to help end this week on a productive note and put you in a better position for the following week.

To help you make the most of your Thursday, we’ve noted down our top tips for remaining motivated to get you through to the end of this week.

Do something different

Do something different
Sometimes, when we get stuck in the same routine, our motivation takes a serious hit. The same goes for our work too. Instead of structuring your work in a mundane fashion, use DropTask’s visual and intuitive Canvas to help brighten your workload and make everyday information more enticing . Inject some color into your working day and personalize tasks with Cover Images. Did you know visuals act as a motivational tool? Our brains are more inclined to absorb the information that’s being displayed when they’re used. Plus, even when you switch to block-shaped tasks in the Workflow, Calendar and Urgency Lists views, your Cover Images remain right where you left them. Try it for yourself, and reignite your interest in whatever you’ve got left to do.

Take a break with DropTask

Take a break
It really is that simple. If you’ve hit a slump, take 5 minutes away from your desk to recharge your energy levels. The great thing about taking breaks is that they help restore your productivity. When you work for long periods of time without taking the time to pause, you are more likely to burnout from exhaustion – and that will do nothing for your long-term goals. Grab a coffee, go for a walk outside or catch-up with a colleague. Whatever you need to do to renew your focus, do it! And don’t worry about your work disappearing while you’re away. Before you head off, add a Progress indicator to your task so that when you return, you can pick up exactly where you left off. DropTask keeps all important files, dates and conversations in one secure place, so they can be easily retrieved wherever you are and whenever you need it.

Regain your focus

Refocus
When our motivation is wavering, we’re more likely to become distracted from our work. We’ve all been there. Jumping between tasks, getting lost in email threads and not really getting anywhere. No matter how busy we feel, in reality, this only makes us less productive. In DropTask, cut through the noise and use Filters to hone in on your priorities. See only the things you need to see and Filter by Urgency Level to see what requires your attention right now.

Keep your productivity, energy and motivation high for every working day with DropTask. Sign up today for free.

3 simple hacks to preserve your productivity

We’re now deep into February, and those goals that we set at the start of last month are well underway. The weather may be bleak (at least for most of us!), making us feel unmotivated and uninspired, but luckily DropTask’s new updates have arrived to reignite your productivity and ensure your goals stay on track.

Below, we’re letting you in on 3 DropTask tricks that are guaranteed to help you maintain your productivity peak, whatever the weather. In addition, we’ll be giving you a sneak preview of what else is coming soon.

Hack 1: Make room for enhanced productivity

Smarter Layouts

Let’s start big! The best way to keep your motivation high and your goals on track is to never lose sight of them. We’ve refreshed the way that tasks are laid out in the DropTask Calendar, Completed Tasks, Urgency Lists and Workflow views, so you can always keep an eye on the bigger picture. How so? Enter new block-shaped tasks. They’re neatly stacked, giving you a condensed overview of your workload and greater visibility of what you need to get done.

Switch from Canvas View to Workflow View and watch your circular tasks transform into rectangular blocks. With complete control over your tasks, you can easily rearrange them in a way that works for you. Plus, for all you Kanban fans, you’re able to build customized boards for your tasks. Simply rename your categories, edit their colors, and drag and drop tasks between boards for ultimate flexibility.

Without deadlines, the chances of your goals falling by the wayside is pretty much certain. Luckily, having a clear overview of your tasks in the Urgency Lists View makes setting their urgency levels quick and easy, so you can focus on what needs to be done and when. If unexpected changes crop up, fear not. With the new layout, updating task Urgency levels is seamless. At a glance you can see how your priorities have changed and impacted the rest of your to-do list.

Chances are you have multiple projects on the go. DropTask’s Calendar, which outlines your tasks that need to be completed today, tomorrow or sometime in the future across all of your projects, has also undergone a refreshed makeover. Thanks to block-shaped tasks and its new, smarter layout, you can see your deadlines from within all of your ongoing projects, without feeling overwhelmed. With a bird’s eye view of your entire schedule, you can now manage your time better than ever before.

"DropTask has developed into the ultimate #projectmanagement and collaboration tool!" – Gerald Frohlich

Hack 2: Take control of your workload

Completed Tasks

There’s no better feeling than ticking off your completed tasks. Wherever you see the new block-shaped tasks, the tick button allows you to instantly mark them as done in just one click. These tasks are instantly sent to Completed Tasks View – head there to see how much you’ve accomplished for a quick motivational boost!

To help you work at your productive best, we’re giving you total control over what happens to your tasks once you mark them as complete. Depending on what way you work best, you can now decide whether you want your tasks to disappear from your project as soon as they’re marked as done, or stay there for up to a week. Many of you enjoy the instant satisfaction you get from seeing a project clear of finished tasks, allowing you to focus on only what’s left. On the other hand, some of you like to see what tasks you’ve completed alongside what’s left to be done, to spur you on to the finish line.

"Well done and keep up the good work!!" – Olivia Raymond

Hack 3: Spare some time to celebrate successes

Achievements

How often do you stop to take stock of your achievements? Not enough, no doubt. You’re probably too busy moving on to the next thing. The thing is, there’s no better way to boost your morale than to celebrate your accomplishments. This is why we’ve introduced new Achievements. Like a digital pat on the back, Achievements will congratulate you when you hit major milestones of productivity. As you complete more and more tasks, you’ll move closer to your next celebration. Staying motivated has never been so fun.

Better yet, Achievements are sure to boost team morale. Share your productivity milestones with your friends, family, colleagues and followers on Facebook or Twitter and encourage others to take their productivity up a notch.

"Love it… Love it… Love it!" – Angel Minnis

Most goals set at the start of a new year fizzle out after January. Don’t let your productivity dwindle. DropTask is on hand to keep your motivation high and help you keep your goals on track for personal and professional success. At DropTask, we’ve had a massive start to the year and have already revealed a bunch of new updates that will power-up your productivity. Stay tuned as we’ll soon be announcing even more new features that will inject some fun into your work, help you celebrate your accomplishments and ensure clarity across your projects, whether you’re working individually or in a team.

Keep an eye on our blog and our Twitter and Facebook accounts for the latest news. In the meantime, sign up to DropTask to give your productivity an instant boost!

More control of Completed Task visibility and brand-new Achievements

You spend your days working hard, so it’s important to take a moment to appreciate what you’re achieving. If you’re not taking the time to review progress and celebrate wins – no matter what size – you’re more likely to fall out of love with your work. With nearly 70% of the US workforce feeling disengaged in their job*, our latest update is here to make your working day as motivating and enjoyable as possible.

We know you want more control over your project’s Completed Tasks, so our most recent update is giving you exactly that. Plus, it’s time to level-up your productivity with our brand new Achievements. Read on to hear how our latest features will show you the appreciation you deserve for the great work you’re doing.

More control of your Completed Tasks

You spoke, we listened. Depending on the way you want to work, you can now choose whether the tasks you complete will disappear from your project as soon as they’re done or stay there for up to a week. Lots of you love the instant gratification you get from seeing your project clear of completed tasks, inspiring you to focus only on what’s remaining. But, some of you would prefer your completed tasks to stay put for longer. This would give you enough time to review progress so far and see what’s left to do alongside what’s already done, before focusing solely on what lies ahead. Thanks to DropTask’s most recent update, you can now toggle between these two options. We’re giving you total control and the flexibility to work your own way, because that’s how you work best.

To choose your prefered Completed Task visibility, head to your app settings by clicking the cog at the bottom of our dropdown Menu. From here, you can select the number of days you would like to show completed tasks. Learn more about this feature here.

Whichever option you choose, you can always find a library of past successes in Completed Tasks View. Sometimes the road to your end goal can feel long. Looking back over what you’ve accomplished so far will keep your motivation high, your focus sharp and show how your efforts are pushing your project towards completion.

Celebrate success with new Achievements

Everyone has work to do, so we want to inject some fun into getting stuff done. Our brand new Achievements will congratulate you when you hit major milestones of productivity. The more tasks you complete, the closer you get to reaching your next celebration. They’re the high-fives you need to stay driven, determined and deserving of some positive recognition.

New Achievements are a fun way to boost morale. When you’re working as part of a team, they are bound to spark that natural instinct of competition. Every Achievement shared will unify your team around a positive outcome and encourage the celebration of wins of any size. You can share the milestones you’ve reached with your friends, family and followers at any time on Facebook or Twitter and inspire others to level-up their own productivity.

These new features in our latest update have been created to keep you feeling motivated by what you’ve accomplished and inspired to achieve even more.

Head to your DropTask account now or sign up for free to celebrate the great work that you do, every day…

*www.nydailynews.com: Unhappy in America: Nearly 70% of U.S. employees miserable at work, study finds