Boost Your Productivity with Slack Lists: A Game-Changer

Slack Lists serve as a valuable tool for teams looking to enhance project management and improve transparency. This feature allows for organized tracking without the need for extra integrations. Discover how Slack Lists can elevate your productivity levels.

1. Consolidate Your Work in One Platform

Many productivity-boosting tools integrate with Slack, but frequently, they require you to exit the application for a comprehensive view. In contrast, Lists provide a seamless experience within Slack itself.

One of the standout benefits of Slack Lists is keeping all tasks centralized. I’ve noticed that my productivity severely declines when I have to pivot between different applications; however, this challenge diminishes when I’m able to stay within a single app.

Accessing a List is as simple as navigating to its specific tab in the relevant channel.

2. Easily Prioritize Your Key Tasks

Over time, I’ve realized that true productivity isn’t about overwhelming yourself with a long to-do list each day. It’s much more effective to identify your core tasks and manage or delegate other responsibilities. As a writer, my primary objectives revolve around writing, editing, and pitching, while other tasks take a back seat.

Whether it’s for short-term endeavors or long-term projects, Slack Lists allow me to prioritize tasks effortlessly. I utilize a star rating system to highlight priority items, empowering me to delegate based on my team’s expertise.

I suggest a five-star system for prioritization, as it facilitates clearer task segmentation—three stars often feels too restrictive.

3. Monitor Team Project Progress Effectively

Effective teamwork demands trust and transparency, especially when navigating substantial projects. In my time as a Content Manager, I collaborated closely with colleagues to gather design elements, conduct keyword research, and fulfill various responsibilities.

Being aware of the progress of each task simplifies organization and assists in establishing realistic deadlines. Slack Lists enhance this process by displaying the status of each assignment, along with the assigned team member.

For larger projects, consider integrating Lists with Slack Canvases, which are great for storing vital related documents.

4. Utilize Templates to Save Time

Overall, Slack is user-friendly, featuring numerous helpful commands and an intuitive interface for easy navigation. The Slack Lists feature is similarly straightforward, enabling me to create custom templates within the app.

Although it requires some initial time investment to set up templates, the long-term time savings are significant. Additionally, Slack provides several pre-built list templates for convenience.

To create a template, start by clicking on the three-dot icon and choosing Templates.

You’ll find a Build a template button in the top-right corner; click on it.

Then, expand the Add a template section and select List.

You can choose the type of list—be it deal-tracking, quarterly planning, or backlogs—then select Add to template.

On the following page, give your template a name and description, then hit Save template.

Next, create a new channel, adjust visibility settings, and then click Create.

To view and modify your list, navigate to the dedicated tab at the top of your newly created channel.

5. Fully Customize Slack Lists to Suit Your Needs

I often customize various aspects of my Slack lists, including status labels and the prioritization stars. Of course, I also tailor the tasks to ensure their relevance to my current projects.

Slack Lists offer the flexibility to create custom fields, allowing you to map out your projects exactly how you require. If you prefer not to install and manage separate Slack apps, this offers a convenient alternative.

Moreover, I appreciate the ability to customize the channel to which each task is assigned. Additionally, you can choose between different layouts, including table and board views, facilitating a straightforward approach to data visualization.

Mastering Slack Lists is a breeze, and once you’re familiar, you’ll find it much easier to manage all your projects within one application. Collaborating with teammates becomes effortless, and you can tailor everything to meet your specific requirements. This functionality might influence your choice when deciding between Slack and Microsoft Teams.

Image credits: Canva. All screenshots by Danny Maiorca.

Author: Egor Kostenko

My goal is to make complex technical topics simple and accessible. On this site, I gather unique and useful content that not only solves users’ problems but also helps them better understand the capabilities of Windows.