Managing projects with Workplace
Create a central space for all of your project needs with Workplace groups.
Using email for project communications can get messy. Information gets lost in multiple email threads, and it can be hard to keep everyone up to date and on the same page.
That's where Workplace groups come in. Your project group can centralize all of your project communications in one place. It makes key project goals and resources easily accessible, so they're always top of mind for you and your team. And with file sharing, chat, action items and more, you can be sure everyone is up to date and informed on progress and jobs to be done.
1. Create a project group1. Create a project group
Create a central place for you and your team to communicate and keep each other up-to-date on what you're working on. In Workplace, this place is called a project group, and creating one is simple. To create your team group:
- In the panel to the left of your News Feed, click Create Group. You may need to click See More first.
- Fill in the group name and select the privacy setting. For a project group, we recommend a secret or closed group.
- Type in the names of your team members one-by-one to add them to your group.
- Make sure chat is toggled on.
- Click Create Group.
Your team group comes equipped with a Files tab, where you'll be able to find any file that's been shared in your group. Groups with 250 members or less can also have chat, which you can use for instant messaging or audio and video calling.
You can learn more about groups by watching the video below.
2. Pin a post
Write a post that outlines your project goals, available resources, deadlines, and any other important project information. Pin this post to the top of the group page so people can refer to it easily.
3. Share and collaborate on files
Use Workplace to share files and gather feedback from your team. Go to the post composer to add files from your computer or from the file-sharing integrations that have been enabled by your company's system admin.
If you don't see the file sharing tools you need, check the Integrations tab. If you've created your project group you're the group admin. Being group admin means you have the ability to add approved integrations for your group members to use.
Don't waste time scrolling through your group feed to find a file shared by a coworker. Every group has a Files tab, where you'll find all the files ever shared in your group, so nothing gets lost.
4. Keep everyone up to date
Ask your team to post weekly updates in the group. Weekly updates keep everyone informed on progress, priorities and any outstanding issues that need to be resolved.
When you need to share a lengthy update, such as reporting on project results or research findings, try creating a Note directly in Workplace. Add a cover photo to make it stand out in the group feed, and make it a living document by selecting “Allow group members to edit this document”.
5. Communicate in Workplace Chat5. Communicate in Workplace Chat
Chat is best when you need an answer fast or just want to have a casual conversation with your team. You can start a chat with one person or a group of people and share files, photos, videos, GIFs and more. Or, jump on a quick audio or video call to make decisions faster. Watch the video below to see a quick overview of what Chat can do.
Make sure your direct reports understand when to use chat and when to use posts. If you notice people using chat for sharing important resources, encourage them to share a post instead.
Here are some Workplace Chat tips and tricks:
- Save a chat message to come back to it later
- Set reminders for time-sensitive chat messages
- Pin important messages to the top of your chat so you can refer back to them easily
- Pin chat conversations so they always appear at the top of your inbox
6. Use video calling or Live video for your meeting
You can start a video or audio call from any group or one-on-one chat by clicking on the icons at the top right hand corner of your screen.
To record your meeting, try going Live with other hosts. Live video will broacast your meeting to your team group in real-time. Once the broadcast ends, a recording will automatically post to the group so people in other timezones and anyone else who couldn't make the meeting can catch up later.
7. Share notes and action items4. Keep everyone up to date7. Share notes and action items
After the team meeting, make sure you post meeting notes and next steps to your team group. You can add notes as text to your post and use action items to document jobs to be done. @mention people in an action item so they receive a notification. They'll be able to check items off as they're completed.
