How to Use Trello to Manage Your Small Team

Are you struggling to keep track of tasks and assignments within your small team? Looking for a way to streamline communication and organization? Try out Trello, the popular project management tool trusted by millions of teams worldwide.

In short, Trello is a super helpful tool for managing small teams.

Let’s see why I recommend it in the very early stage of your entrepreneurship journey.

What Trello offers as a visual project management tool?

Trello can help you stay on top of things, whether you’re managing personal tasks, collaborating with a team, or organizing a complex event.

• Perfect for first-timers: It offers intuitive navigation and information hierarchy. Your organization starts from workspace > board > list (column) > card. You can quickly manage each card’s description, attachments, and related activities.
• Budget-friendly: It’s free to start, and the free plan allows you to create up to 10 boards with an unlimited number of members.
• Multi-device supported: Unlike note-taking apps like Evernote, which limits you to 2 logged-in devices at a time, Trello doesn’t force such limitations. You and your members can update Trello cards from any device, such as mobile apps, MacOS apps, Windows desktop apps, or web browsers.

Navigating Trello

Now that you know, Trello offers a centralized space to take notes and manage your team resources. Within Trello, you can add further links to external work-in-progress online workplaces:

• Google Drive – The suite for all work things.
• Notion – All-in-one database and management calendar to drive projects forward.
• Dropbox Paper – Google Docs alternative, designed for creative work.
• Playbook – Creative space for designers, artists, photographers & marketers.

Just remember, Trello is the place where you head to see signs of progress, not for lengthy feedback or continuous revisions.

Next, let’s take a look at how best you should start using it!

Getting started

• Sign up for a free account: Trello offers a free plan with basic features, perfect for getting acquainted with the platform.
• Create a board: Boards are the central hub of Trello, representing your project or initiative. You can create multiple boards for different needs.
• Add lists: Lists represent different stages of your project, such as “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.” You can customize list titles and add as many as needed.

Creating and managing cards

• Cards represent individual tasks or items within a list. Click “Add a card” within any list to create a new card.
• Add details to your card: Enter a title, description, and assign members. Attach files, images, or checklists to cards for additional information.
• Move cards between lists: Drag and drop cards between lists to reflect their progress through the project pipeline.
• Label and comment: Use labels to categorize cards and add comments for team discussions and updates.

In the screenshot below, we have specified these upcoming goals:

• Goal 1: Earn 100 first paying customers
• Goal 2: Reduce shipping cost by 15%
• And other completed goals

Advanced features

• Power-Ups: Trello offers a variety of Power-Ups that add additional functionalities, like calendar views, automation tools, and integrations with other apps.
• Members and permissions: Add team members to your boards and assign specific permissions to control their access and actions.
• Notifications: Stay informed about activities and updates through email and mobile app notifications.

Navigation tips

• Board menu: Access board settings, search options, and member lists from the board menu on the right side.
• Activity feed: View all activities and updates related to the board in the activity feed. These are recorded based on different time zones, ensuring a real-time internal connection for your team.
• Keyboard shortcuts: Utilize keyboard shortcuts for faster navigation and increased efficiency. To run a quick search through all of your boards, simply press the “/” slash key without having to point the cursor at the search box.

Refer to the screenshot below, once you run a search, you can jump directly to a card from the live search result box. They are all quick and responsive.

Showing activity details will display all comments, thoughts, and feedback submitted by all members.

Head for success management with Trello!

To increase productivity and workflow smoothness, keep these tasks as your daily chores:

• Keep your boards organized: Use clear and concise titles for cards and lists. Avoid overwhelming yourself with excessive titles.
• Collaborate effectively: Assign tasks, leave comments, and tag relevant members to keep communication flowing. Under the free plan, you’re not allowed to assign a member to each task in a checklist, but you can still tag them in the comment box.
• Utilize automation: Explore Power-Ups to automate repetitive tasks and streamline your workflow. This is a Trello premium-only feature.
• Interact kindly: Albeit sounding trivial, leaving a reaction at your members’ activities will help arouse some emotion and even make their days!

In this guide, we have included crucial knowledge to help you get started with Trello.

• What Trello offers as a visual project management tool?
• Navigating Trello
• Head for success management with Trello!

By following these beginner tips and exploring Trello’s features, you can harness its power to organize your projects, collaborate effectively, and achieve your goals efficiently.

So, dive into Trello and discover how it can transform your project management experience!