Efficient task management in Microsoft Teams (free)

Create new task lists 

Shared task lists are tasks that you or others have created in group and one-to-one chats. You can create as many task lists as you like to cover every aspect of your business from administrative tasks to ongoing projects.  

1. In a chat, select Add a tab   at the top of the chat window. If you don’t have a chat going, it’s easy to start one. Just select Chat > New chat and invite someone.

2. In Add a tab, select Tasks.

3. Type the name of the new task list in the Tab name field and select Save.

Add tasks

Now that you’ve got a task list or two, it’s time to add tasks to them. You can assign tasks to others (or yourself) and set priorities and due dates as you create them or add this info later. This way, you can work on a list of tasks until they are ready to go.

1. Choose a tasks list and then do either of the following: 
   
   ► If you’re adding your first task to a new or empty task list, enter a name for the task in the New task field and select Create task .  
   
   ► If you’re adding another task to an established task list, select Add a task, enter a name for the task, and then select Create task . Repeat this for each additional task.

2. When you’re done adding tasks, select the Chat tab. The task list will be shared with everyone in the chat. Also, anyone who’s assigned a task will receive an alert in their activity feed.

Manage tasks

Creating tasks is just the start. From there, each task can be assigned, scheduled, tracked, and so on.  
 
Choose the task list tab that you want to manage at the top of a chat. Then either choose the action at the top of the task list or select More actions  in the task that you want to update.  
Actions include: 
 
  Set progress to Not started or Completed 
 Assign the task to one or more people 
 Set the task’s priority to Important or Medium 
 Add or update a due date for the task 
 Delete task

View active or completed tasks and filter tasks by keyword

• To view all active or completed tasks, go to the All Active/Completed drop-down arrow  at the right of the task lists tab. Change the option if it’s not currently set to the view that you want.

• To filter and sort tasks by keyword and preset values, select the Filter drop-down arrow  at the right of the task lists tab. In the drop-down menu, enter a keyword (optional) and choose as many of the preset values as you want to filter tasks. Remove a preset value by choosing it again from the Filter menu or select Clear to remove them all.

Mark tasks as complete 

Select the task list tab at the top of a chat, then choose the radio button next to the completed task. But don’t worry, you can always view completed tasks again. This way, you can keep a running list of completed tasks as well as active ones. Tasks remain visible until they’re actually deleted.  

Manage your business with task lists 

Business projects are often manageable through business cases in the form of curated task lists. These typically include the process or steps, each role in the process, or who is responsible for completing each task—just to name a few. 

Tips to help manage your business by using task lists and tasks:

• Add multiple tasks list tabs in any chat with custom names for each tab. You can create as many tasks lists as you wish.

• Name each tasks list tab by role, project, department, due dates, vendor, and so on.

• Anyone can create tasks and task lists and assign them to others or themselves.

• Tasks don’t need to be assigned to anyone. They can be used as a checklist or for others to choose from.

Related links

Add, edit, delete, and complete tasks

Create a new task list