Tools for Success: Staying on Task in Microsoft Teams – Tech Tip for October 20, 2020

This week, as part of our monthly theme of highlighting various scheduling tools and discussing their use and benefits, we are focusing on Microsoft Tasks. Microsoft Tasks brings together the features of Microsoft Planner and Microsoft To Do as well as Outlook Tasks into one app. Microsoft Tasks will allow users to create plans using cards and manage team plans. In addition, it will allow users to manage individual tasks and to-do lists all within Microsoft Teams.

The roll out for Microsoft Tasks is a bit confusing. Microsoft has begun rolling out the new Tasks experience in Teams desktop. The app name will initially remain as Planner, then change to Tasks by Planner and To Do, and then change to Tasks. This means that for now, you’ll still access the Tasks app from the Planner icon in Teams. However, mobile users will always see the app name as Tasks.

When to Use Microsoft Tasks

There are several reasons for using Tasks:

• Keep track of your tasks in one place with intelligence that helps you collect, prioritize, and accomplish more.
• Create tasks assigned to individual coworkers and then track progress against the assigned tasks.
• Share Plans with Teams.
• Use @mentions within comments in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to create and assign tasks.

Learn More About Tasks

Microsoft has integrated Tasks functionality throughout Microsoft 365 apps. Use this functionality to create tasks from emails, flag messages as tasks, or drag and drop tasks from My Day to your Outlook Calendar. You can also manage all your tasks with Microsoft Planner.

Here is a short introductory video:

And, here is a more detailed “how to” video for Tasks:

For additional help using the Tasks app in Microsoft Teams, check out this article from Microsoft support.