Share the agenda with your colleagues so that everyone can add their own topics and take note of the content.

Collaborative agendas 

Write up your minutes during the meeting and bring everyone up to date straight afterwards.


Transcription of discussions

This feature enables you to prepare your agenda in advance and automate its structure for future meetings. Topics to be reviewed or postponed are programmed.

Recurring topics

After a meeting, share and archive the minutes directly on WEDO.

Sharing minutes

WEDO enables you to digitally sign all your reports with legal validity. You can choose from 3 standards - SES, AES and QES (equivalent to handwritten signature).

Qualified electronic signature

Our Voting module makes it easy to collect votes and pass decisions at your meetings.

Digital voting

The decision block allows you to highlight decisions made at a meeting and quickly find them in the feed.

Decision follow-up

Delegate tasks to your team members, specifying deadlines, attaching files and any other relevant information.

Delegate tasks

Save checklist templates for your recurring processes, then track their progress in real time.

Checklist templates

The dependency between tasks determines the order in which activities need to be executed. It can be used to mark a task as blocking another task, or as being blocked by another task.

Task dependency

Convert your emails into tasks, so you can unclutter your inbox and deal efficiently with all the requests you receive.

Email to task

Create customized task filters for a clear, selective view.

Custom filters

Communicate with your colleagues in the right context thanks to comments in tasks.

Comments on tasks

Subtasks allow you to split up your tasks. You can assign individual steps to different members of your team.

Advanced subtasks

This feature provides a visual and temporal projection of your tasks, as well as the progress of the various activities that make up a project. 

Gantt chart

Collaborate with your customers and external service providers by inviting them to join your WEDO network, free of charge. 

External users

Manage your customer or project portfolio in a structured way. 

Project portfolio

Each workspace lets you share files with the relevant members.

File sharing

Add one or more tags to your files to distinguish their attributes and make them easier to find.

File tagging

WEDO manages conflicts between different versions of the same file. Versions can be downloaded, restored or deleted.

Versioning

Our experts will help you set up your network and provide training to help your team get to grips with WEDO.

Set-up & training

Create your own custom integrations using our public API.

Access to workspaces and meeting rights can be customized for each participant.

Roles and access management

Horizontal management: visualize the distribution of roles in your organization with the governance module.

Circles and Roles

WEDO is hosted by Exoscale, a Swiss-based hosting provider. The datacenters are located in Zurich and Geneva. They are ISO/IEC 27001 certified.

Hosted in Switzerland

Free : Chat support, tutorials, articles, videos and webinars.

Fast, personal support

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Asana

Trello

Decisions

Monday.com

eSéances

MS Teams

MS Planner

OneNote

Every day, we juggle a series of tasks, from answering emails and attending meetings all the way to cooking dinner or finally folding that pile of laundry staring us down for days. Task management is everywhere around us, whether we realize it or not. 

But here's the catch: managing tasks is more than checking boxes. It's making sure the right boxes are checked at the right time, by the right people.

For individuals, good task management can mean less stress and more time to spend on what matters most to them. For teams and organizations, it's the difference between controlled chaos and seamless collaboration. When done well, task management becomes a superpower, moving businesses toward growth and ensuring projects are delivered on time (and with fewer sleepless nights).

In this guide, we're going to explore strategies, tools, and best practices that turn task management into a fine-tuned system. Whether you're wrangling your own to-do list or leading a team toward big goals, this can be your roadmap to staying on top of your game. 

Let's get started!


The Ultimate Guide to Task Management: Strategies, Tools, and Best Practices

You’re five minutes into a meeting and already regretting it. Cameras are off, someone’s multitasking, and your question hangs in silence. No one responds. You check your notes… Didn’t this same conversation happen last week?

Welcome to the modern meeting problem: people show up, but they don’t show up.

It’s not that people don’t care. It’s that meetings often feel like something that happens to them, not something they’re part of. No clear direction, no energy, and no reason to speak up, so most don’t.

And yet, we keep scheduling them.

Staff meetings, team check-ins, virtual brainstorms, they eat up hours of the week, but too often, nothing sticks. No decisions. No real discussion. Just another placeholder on the calendar.

The problem isn’t meetings. The problem is disengaged meetings.

When people aren’t invited to contribute, when they don’t feel heard, needed, or even noticed, it shows. Ideas dry up. Momentum stalls. And the whole thing starts to feel like a formality instead of a space for real collaboration.

That’s why meeting engagement matters.

This article is for anyone who’s tired of meetings that go nowhere. We’ll break down smart, practical strategies to help you spark actual conversation, get more voices in the room (or on the call), and make meetings feel like a good use of time again. Whether your team’s in the office, fully remote, or somewhere in between, these tactics will help everyone stay focused, involved, and maybe even look forward to the next one.

## Why Engagement in Meetings Actually Matters

Meeting engagement isn’t just about making things more interactive. It directly affects what happens after the meeting ends.

When participants tune out, clarity suffers. People leave without knowing what’s expected. Tasks are misunderstood. Decisions are vague. That kind of confusion adds up and eventually slows everything down. Projects drift. Communication breaks down. Accountability fades.

On the other hand, [engaged meetings](https://wedo.com/features/meetings) create alignment. Team members contribute early, spot issues before they grow, and leave with a clear sense of direction. Instead of circling back with follow-up emails or side conversations, people move forward with confidence.

It also impacts team culture. Employees who feel heard are more likely to stay involved, ask better questions, and support each other’s work. You get better outcomes because more perspectives are included in the discussion.

This becomes even more important when people aren’t sitting in the same room. For remote teams, meetings are often the only time everyone connects. If that time isn’t used well, it creates distance, both literal and relational.

Effective engagement keeps things moving. It builds clarity, trust, and forward momentum. It’s not an extra step. It’s the foundation for everything else.

![boost-meeting-engagement-what-to-do-before-during-and-after-en.png](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/boost_meeting_engagement_what_to_do_before_during_and_after_en_2a3c041400.png)

## Before the Meeting: Set the Stage for Real Participation

Now that we’re on the same page about why *meeting engagement* matters, let’s talk about how to make it happen. It starts before the meeting even begins.

You don’t need elaborate planning. You just need to give people a reason to show up and a way to contribute once they do.

### Send an agenda that’s actually helpful

Not a five-paragraph essay. Not a vague bullet list. Just a simple outline that tells people what the meeting is for, what you’ll cover, and what kind of input you’re looking for.

If you need a decision, say that. If you want feedback, let them know which part they should focus on. Bonus points if you keep it under five items and stick to what’s essential.

### Give people time to think

Nobody likes being put on the spot. If you want input, don’t wait until everyone’s on the call to ask for it. Send a prompt or quick question ahead of time. Ask for ideas in advance, or a few notes they can bring in.

Even five minutes of pre-work helps people show up with something to say.

### Assign roles so things don’t drift

You don’t need a full production crew, but you do need someone to keep the meeting on track. Assign a facilitator, a note-taker, and someone to watch the time. Rotate the roles if you meet regularly, especially in team meetings.

This keeps people involved and keeps things moving.

### Invite people who have something to add

If someone doesn’t need to be there, they probably shouldn’t be. It’s not about cutting people out. It’s about making space for the right voices. You’ll usually get better discussion in a smaller group, and no one likes sitting through a meeting that has nothing to do with their work.

### Make it clear why this meeting matters

Don’t just send a calendar invite and hope people take it seriously. Let them know why it’s worth showing up and what you need from them. That doesn’t mean writing a novel. Just include a quick sentence in the invite or agenda that answers: “Why now?” and “Why them?”

It’s a simple shift, but it changes how people walk into the room.

## During the Meeting: Get People Talking (Without Forcing It)

Once you’ve got the right people in the room (or on the call) it’s time to actually involve them.

This is where most meetings lose steam. People show up, but no one’s sure when to speak, how to contribute, or if their input is even needed. That’s your job to fix. Not by calling people out, but by creating the kind of space where it feels natural to jump in.

Here’s how to make that happen.

### Start with something that pulls people in

You don’t need a cheesy icebreaker. A quick check-in question or a fast round of wins and blockers can be enough. Keep it light, keep it short. The point is to shift people out of passive mode.

Even asking, “What’s something we need to leave this meeting knowing?” can change the tone right away. It doesn’t need to be deep. It just needs to remind everyone they’re not here to sit quietly and listen, they’re part of the conversation.

### Use real-time tools so it’s not just talk

Try a shared doc, a live poll, or a quick brainstorm board. It gives people something to interact with and creates a record of the conversation. You’ll also get more input from quieter team members who might not jump into a freeform discussion.

Visuals help too. A simple diagram or sketch can keep people focused and give abstract ideas something to stick to.

If you’re using a tool like WEDO, you can pull up the meeting agenda, take notes collaboratively, and assign follow-ups in real time—without bouncing between apps. Everything stays visible, which keeps the conversation grounded and the outcomes clear.

### Ask better questions

The quickest way to kill momentum is asking, “Any thoughts?” Better prompts lead to better discussion. Try:

- What’s missing from this plan?
- What’s one thing we should rethink?
- What’s one risk we haven’t talked about?
- Where do you see potential pushback?

When you ask specific questions, people don’t have to guess what kind of answer you’re looking for.

### Break things up if energy dips

Give a question or challenge to each one. Then come back and compare notes.

This works just as well on Zoom as it does in person. And it gives everyone a smaller space to speak before coming back to the bigger group.

### Make space for quieter voices

Every team has a few strong talkers. If the same voices always lead the conversation, pause and invite others to share their ideas. It’s not about cutting people off, it’s about keeping space open. Try something like, “Let’s hear from someone who hasn’t spoken yet” or “Any other angles we should consider?”

It’s a simple way to make room for new input without putting anyone on the spot.

## Tips for Facilitating Meetings That Actually Work

Even with a solid agenda and the right people in the room, meetings can fall flat without good facilitation. The facilitator doesn’t need to be the loudest person or the team lead. They just need to keep things clear, moving, and on track.

Here’s how to do that without overcomplicating it.

![facilitator-cheat-sheet-keep-meetings-focused-and-productive-en.png](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/facilitator_cheat_sheet_keep_meetings_focused_and_productive_en_0c7c495bc6.png)

### Keep the meeting anchored

Remind everyone of the goal at the start. Something as simple as “By the end of this meeting, we need to decide on X” helps people stay focused. If things start drifting, bring it back. You don’t need to shut down side discussions, just park them for later and stay on course.

### Watch the time without rushing

You don’t need to be a stopwatch, but you do need to be aware of the clock. If a single topic starts eating up the meeting, decide whether it’s worth continuing or if it should be taken offline. Running over time regularly is a fast way to lose trust in the process.

### Call out contributions by name

When someone shares a useful insight or asks a thoughtful question, name it. “That’s a great point, Ravi” or “Thanks for flagging that, Jordan” helps reinforce engagement. It also encourages others to jump in without fear of being overlooked.

### Rotate the role

If you’re leading every single meeting, stop. Rotate facilitation duties. Give different team members a chance to run the meeting and shape the discussion. It builds confidence, improves listening, and keeps things from feeling top-down.

### Stay neutral when needed

Facilitating isn’t the same as directing. You don’t need to have the answers. Your job is to guide the conversation, not steer it toward a decision you’ve already made. Let the team shape the outcome whenever possible.

## Keep Remote and Hybrid Teams Engaged

Running a good meeting is hard enough. Doing it when no one’s in the same room? Even trickier.

Remote and hybrid teams don’t have hallway chats or eye contact to fall back on. That’s why *meeting engagement* needs to be built into how you run the call, not something you hope just happens.

Here’s a quick look at what helps and what gets in the way:

### **Do:**

- **Use visual structure.** Share the agenda on screen or in a doc everyone can access. Tools like [WEDO](https://wedo.com/features) make this easy to manage in real time.
- **Call on people by name.** Not to put them on the spot, but to make space: “Jordan, what’s your take before we move on?”
- **Give breathing room.** Leave space after asking a question. A few seconds of silence isn’t awkward, it’s processing time.
- **Make decisions visible.** Capture next steps, task owners, and questions live while people are watching. It builds trust and clarity.

### **Don’t:**

- **Default to silent mode.** If everyone’s muted with cameras off, you’re hosting a podcast, not a meeting.
- **Rush through awkward silences.** Resist the urge to jump in. Let people unmute, think, or type.
- **Save all clarity for the follow-up.** If decisions aren’t clear during the call, they usually don’t get clearer after.
- **Treat remote calls like in-person meetings.** Engagement tools, pacing, and structure need to be tailored, not copied.

Remote meetings can still be [collaborative and effective](https://wedo.com/blog/master-collaborative-task-management-for-remote-teams). You just need to make participation easier and more visible. A shared workspace like WEDO helps keep everything aligned, whether your team is across the building or across the world.

## How WEDO Helps You Run More Engaging Meetings

You can have the best intentions, the clearest agenda, and a great team, and still end up with scattered notes, missed follow-ups, and “what did we decide again?” messages two days later.

That’s where [WEDO](https://wedo.com/features) makes a difference.

It’s built to support everything this article covers: planning, participation, follow-through, and visibility. All in one place.

Here’s how it helps:

**Plan smarter**

Create structured meeting agendas your team can see and contribute to in advance. Assign roles like facilitator or timekeeper before the call starts, so everyone knows their part.

**Keep people engaged during the meeting**

With WEDO, the agenda stays visible, notes are captured live, and action items are created in real time. No switching between docs or trying to remember who said what. Everyone stays on the same page, literally.

**Track what happens after**

[Assign tasks during the meeting](https://wedo.com/features/tasks) and follow up later without sending five emails or setting up another call. WEDO makes it easy to hold people accountable without micromanaging.

**One tool, one flow**

No more juggling separate tools for planning, video calls, notes, and [task management](https://wedo.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-task-management-tool-for-your-team). WEDO keeps it all together, which means your team can stay focused instead of chasing details.

If your meetings feel disjointed, slow, or just too frequent, maybe it’s not the people, but the system. [WEDO](https://wedo.com/features) gives you a better one. [Try WEDO free today](https://wedo.com/signup) and see what it feels like when meetings actually move things forward.

Clear tactics to improve meeting engagement, encourage participation, and keep momentum going across your team.

How to keep everyone focused and involved during a meeting, with a calendar icon on a red background

27-how-to-keep-everyone-focused-and-involved-during-a-meeting.png

Meeting Engagement Strategies: Keep Everyone Focused and Involved

Sometimes, you don’t need more tools to manage your work. You just need a better way to see it.

That’s the problem the Kanban board was designed to solve. It gives teams a clear view of what needs to be done, what’s in progress, and what’s already finished, without juggling endless checklists or buried updates.
Originally developed in manufacturing, the Kanban method is now one of the simplest and most effective ways to manage projects across software, marketing, operations, and more.

In this guide, we’ll explain what a Kanban board is, how it compares to Scrum, where it works best, and how to make it part of your workflow using the right tools.

## What Is a Kanban Board?
Let’s start from the beginning. A Kanban board is a visual way to organize work, track progress, and see what’s getting done, without digging through spreadsheets or inboxes.

At its core, it’s simple. You have columns that represent different stages of work, like “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.” Tasks live on cards that move across the board as the work moves forward.

Most Kanban board apps follow this format, with features like due dates, checklists, tags, and assignees layered on top to help teams stay organized.

The idea comes from the original Kanban method, developed by Toyota to manage workflows on factory floors. Over time, it’s evolved into one of the most widely used techniques in modern project management, especially for teams that need flexibility and real-time visibility.

Whether you're managing a solo project or working with a full development team, the board’s purpose stays the same: make the work visible, limit what’s being worked on at once, and keep everything moving in the right direction.

And the best part? You don’t need a complicated setup to get started. A few columns, a few cards, and you’re already using a system that scales as your workflow grows.

## Kanban vs Scrum: What’s the Difference?
Kanban and Scrum are both popular frameworks within agile methodology, but they take different approaches to organizing work. If you’ve used task boards before, chances are you’ve encountered both, even if you didn’t realize it.

Let’s break it down.

![Image comparing Kanban and Scrum. Kanban is based on continuous flow, flexibility, work-in-progress (WIP) limits, and evolving priorities. Scrum relies on a structured approach with defined roles (Scrum Master, Product Owner), time-boxed sprints, and sprint planning with fixed deliverables.](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Kanban_vs_Scrum_Whats_the_Difference_en_6aedc0dd6f.png)

Scrum works in time-based sprints. Teams commit to a fixed set of tasks every two to four weeks, with structured roles like product owner, scrum master, and development team. It’s great for teams building toward a clear, deadline-driven release. The rhythm is tight, with regular planning and review sessions baked into the cycle.

Kanban, on the other hand, is continuous. Work doesn’t wait for a sprint to start or finish. Instead, tasks move fluidly through a kanban board, giving teams more flexibility to adjust as priorities shift. It’s ideal for handling a steady stream of work, whether that’s support tasks, internal projects, or content pipelines, without needing to reset everything every few weeks.

Where Scrum locks the sprint, Kanban teams focus on keeping things flowing. They often use limits on how much can be worked on at once (called the limit work in progress) to prevent overload and reduce blockers. And instead of sprint retros, they make small, regular improvements based on what’s actually happening in the workflow.

However, the two approaches aren’t opposites; many teams combine them. You might plan in sprints and track in Kanban. [WEDO](https://wedo.com/features) supports both ways of working, but its flexible task board setup makes it especially useful for teams who want real-time visibility and the ability to adjust as things change.

If your projects evolve quickly, involve cross-functional input, or don’t follow a strict sprint cycle, Kanban project management might be a better fit and easier to manage in a tool that’s built for flexible collaboration.

## How a Kanban Board Actually Works
A [Kanban board](https://kanban.university/kanban-guide/) turns a list of tasks into something you can see and move. The structure is simple: columns represent stages of work, and cards represent individual tasks. As a task progresses, its card moves from one column to the next, usually from “To Do” to “In Progress” to “Done.”

That movement isn’t just for show. It’s a way to visualize workflows, track real progress, and keep everyone on the same page without needing a meeting to check in.

Here’s what you’ll find on most digital kanban board apps:

- **Columns:** These are customizable, so they can match your actual process. A content team might use “Draft,” “Review,” and “Published.” A software development team might use “Backlog,” “In Progress,” “QA,” and “Released.”
- **Cards:** These represent tasks, user stories, or individual items of work. They often include a title, description, assignee, due date, and status.
- **Movement:** Cards move across the board as work happens. This is how teams get real-time updates on what’s active, what’s stuck, and what’s finished.

The board view creates clarity. Team members can see what needs attention without scanning through a long task list. When used consistently, a Kanban board helps spot bottlenecks early, like when too many tasks pile up in the “In Progress” column, so teams can refocus and rebalance.

One of the key principles behind the Kanban method is to limit work in progress. That means only working on a few tasks at a time, instead of trying to tackle everything at once, which keeps quality high and context switching low.

The result? A more focused team, fewer dropped tasks, and a system that’s always up to date, and not just when someone remembers to update the status.

## Kanban Board Use Cases
The beauty of a Kanban board is how easily it adapts to different kinds of work. Whether you’re part of a software development team, managing internal operations, or running creative projects, the same simple board structure can help you keep track of tasks, reduce friction, and deliver work with more consistency.

Here are some of the most common ways teams use Kanban project management to stay organized.

### Software Development and IT
Engineering teams often rely on Kanban for ongoing, fast-moving work, like bug fixes, support tasks, and feature rollouts. Each card might represent a user story, issue, or task, moving through stages like “Backlog,” “In Progress,” “Code Review,” and “Released.”

It’s especially useful when paired with Agile practices or as a flexible alternative for teams that don’t work in strict sprints. Software development teams also use visualization tools to spot bottlenecks, limit blockers, and review throughput over time.

### Product Teams
From roadmap planning to feature delivery, Kanban helps product managers and cross-functional teams keep track of priorities without losing momentum. Cards often include specs, mockups, or links to related documentation. The product owner can quickly see what’s in progress and whether any tasks are stuck or overdue.

### Marketing and Creative
Campaigns, content pipelines, and design requests all flow better with a board. A marketing team might set up columns like “Ideas,” “In Progress,” “Client Review,” and “Published.” Each card can have assignees, a due date, checklists, and file attachments, and the team gets a clear board view of progress at a glance.

### Operations, HR, and Admin
Kanban is not just for technical or creative teams. HR might track employee onboarding steps using a Kanban board. Operations teams can manage recurring tasks like inventory restocking or compliance reviews. Any team that needs to manage projects with repeatable stages can benefit from a Kanban board template that maps their workflow.

### Agile or Hybrid Teams
For teams that follow agile methodology, Kanban can complement or even replace Scrum processes. A scrum team might use a board to visualize the sprint backlog and progress during daily standups. Hybrid approaches like Scrumban blend the flexibility of Kanban with Scrum’s structure, giving teams the best of both systems.

Whether your team is co-located or remote, Kanban helps team members stay aligned without micromanagement. It simplifies coordination, improves visibility, and works for just about any kind of project.

## Choosing the Right Kanban Tools
If you want to get the most out of a Kanban board, the tool you use matters. Some apps keep it simple, while others add more structure for teams working across multiple projects. The best setup is one that matches how your team already works.
Here are a few things to look for when comparing Kanban board apps and project management tools.

### Customizable workflows
Your tool should let you create a board that [matches how your team actually works](https://wedo.com/features/tasks). That includes the ability to rename columns, change their order, and organize tasks based on the structure that makes sense for your project.

### Shared views that keep everyone aligned
A clear board view helps team members see what’s being worked on, what’s blocked, and what’s done. Everyone should be able to access the same task list and make updates in real time, without needing separate check-ins to stay in sync.

### Built-in task details
You’ll want a board that lets you assign work, set due dates, and add context to each card. This makes it easier to follow up, especially when multiple people are involved in a task or when deadlines are important.

### Real-time visibility
Updates should show up as they happen. A board that reflects changes in real time makes it easier to manage work without extra messages or duplicated effort. It also helps teams spot delays early, before they become actual blockers.

### Ties into how your team already works
A board is most useful when it’s part of your overall workflow. That means choosing a project management tool that doesn’t just show cards on a screen, but also supports how tasks are created, assigned, and completed, ideally without needing to switch platforms.

## Using a Kanban Board in WEDO
If your team already tracks tasks in WEDO, setting up a [Kanban board](https://wedo.com/tag/kanban-2) doesn’t require a new tool or extra steps; it’s already built into the way the platform works.

Each workspace in [WEDO](https://wedo.com/features) gives you a column-style board view, where tasks are organized by section. You can structure those sections to reflect your team’s actual process, whether that’s “To Do / In Progress / Done” or something more specific like “Planning / Approval / Launch.”

As work progresses, tasks can be moved across columns with a simple drag and drop. You’ll always have a clear visual of what’s active, what’s finished, and what might be waiting on input from others.

Every task card in WEDO can be assigned to one or more team members, with a clear due date, notes, and optional status updates. You can filter views by deadline, status, or assignee, which helps surface what needs attention without scanning the full board.

What makes WEDO especially useful is how your Kanban board connects with the rest of your work. Tasks created during meetings or added to a shared project space are automatically visible to the team, which means fewer things fall through the cracks.
You don’t need to manually copy notes or build separate task lists; everything stays in one place, updated in real time, and easy to follow.

![Video demo showing how the Kanban view works in WEDO: create, move, and track tasks across columns for clear team coordination.](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/kanban_en_22cee3a3d5.gif)

Whether you’re managing a full project or just want to keep your daily work more organized, WEDO gives your team a Kanban-style setup that’s simple to use and flexible enough to grow with your workflow.

## Conclusion
A Kanban board does more than organize tasks. It helps teams see their work clearly, stay focused, and make steady progress. Whether you’re working in product, operations, marketing, or development, the Kanban method gives you a system that’s easy to understand and easy to stick with.

WEDO makes it simple to bring this approach into your team’s daily workflow. You can create tasks during meetings, organize them in a clear board view, and keep everything moving, without needing a separate tool just to stay on track.

Ready to manage projects with more clarity and less friction? Start your [WEDO free trial](https://wedo.com/signup) today.

Learn how Kanban boards work, how they compare to Scrum, and how to use them across teams with real-time visibility in WEDO.

Illustration with the text "What Is a Kanban Board?" on the left and task card icons arranged in a grid on the right, on a blue background.

26-what-is-a-kanban-board.png

What Is a Kanban Board? Tools, Apps, and Project Use Cases Explained

In the fast-paced world of administrative management, executive assistants play a crucial role. The Swiss army knives of any organization juggle many tasks and deadlines while supervising those of others. Faced with these challenges, they often find themselves overwhelmed by routine, repetitive responsibilities. We immersed ourselves in the daily lives of 6 executive assistants who use the WEDO platform to understand the workings of their organization, the challenges they face, and the tools they have put in place to facilitate their management.

According to our study, the most time-consuming tasks for executive assistants revolve mainly around administrative functions. These activities, while necessary, tend to monopolize a significant proportion of their working time, preventing them from concentrating fully on more crucial aspects of their role, such as operational and strategic development.

Among the most time-consuming tasks in their job descriptions, the executive assistants surveyed identify the following:

**1. Meeting preparation:** preparing agendas and presentation documents, taking and sharing minutes, following up on decisions and tasks delegated at meetings,

**2. Diary management and meeting organization:** planning and coordination of appointments, team meetings, and conferences, taking care to avoid scheduling conflicts,
**3. Document preparation and management:** drafting, proofreading, and organizing important documents such as reports, presentations, correspondence and contracts,

**4. Project coordination:** managing and following up on specific projects, liaising between different departments, and meeting deadlines.

Internal and external communications, administrative support, and human resources management closely follow those.

## How to lighten the administrative load for an executive assistant?

When asked what tools were used to monitor collaboration before WEDO was integrated, the most common programs were Outlook, Word (for taking minutes), and Excel. However, these tools had significant limitations. Respondents reported difficulties related to the cross-functionality of information between different team members. For example, these tools were not conducive to **active, real-time collaboration when taking PVs**, making this task often cumbersome and time-consuming, and necessitating numerous round-trips. The systematic use of e-mail to distribute these documents wasted considerable time without guaranteeing effective communication.

Furthermore, the limited nature of these tools prevented efficient tracking of tasks and projects. Users faced significant challenges maintaining a clear, up-to-date overview of projects. In short, although these tools are widespread and familiar, their use in team collaboration and project management needs to be improved.

This situation underlines the importance of cross-functional tools and solutions to lighten the administrative workload. With the implementation of WEDO, the executive assistants surveyed were able to optimize their administrative processes.

### 1. Meeting preparation and management

![computerized agenda for real-time note-taking](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/reunion_ENEN_aad2ef7f0e.png)

One of the most time-consuming aspects of the job is the preparation of meetings. With WEDO, executive assistants benefit from automated management and considerable time savings in preparation and follow-up. The platform enables uniform management of minutes, clear distribution of post-meeting tasks, and automatic tracking of topics from one session to the next. Users report an average time saving of 55% for these tasks.

![save time spent on meetings](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/55_ENEN_83c8604c19.png)

WEDO's meeting module lets you integrate blocks of paragraphs, tasks, file attachments, personal notes, votes and signatures, among others.

![testimonial Regula Oberdorfer](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Regula_Oberdorfer_ENEN_1a54d3c30f.png)

### 2. Project management and task tracking

![efficient task management](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/tasks_ENEN_be99588a59.png)

Project management and tracking represent another major challenge. WEDO simplifies this task by offering clear delegation possibilities, the creation of checklist templates to standardize processes, and real-time task tracking. This leads to better prioritization and more efficient day-to-day management.

![testimonials Aline Volery and Nicole Thalmann](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/testimonials_Aline_et_Nicole_ENEN_11a8dc6cff.png)

### Use case: facilitating HR processes and the transmission of specifications

When executive assistants are involved in HR processes, the integration of WEDO proves to be a major asset. The platform makes it possible to standardize on-boarding and off-boarding procedures by means of specific checklists. These checklists, drawn up for each stage of the process, automatically assign the relevant tasks to the team members concerned. This method ensures structured, efficient management of personnel transitions, eliminating the operational uncertainties often associated with the question "What steps should I take?".

By simplifying these processes, WEDO not only eases the workload for HR managers, but also contributes to a clear, documented handover of tasks and knowledge from one employee to the next.

![simplified hr processes](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Modeles_checklists_ENEN_fdf58af70f.png)

One of the decisive advantages of WEDO, highlighted by our management assistants, is the ease with which recruitment interviews can be documented in real time. Each exchange can be recorded directly in a standardized (and customized if required) agenda, enabling these interactions to be saved methodically and instantaneously.

### 4. Transmission of information

WEDO lets you link documents to tasks or meetings, ensuring that all the necessary information is in the right place. Global search makes it easy to retrieve documents, and to find a specific file based on a keyword found in the PDF file.

In terms of communication, WEDO users particularly appreciate the immediate visibility of entries and the ability to restrict access to certain information.

![Alexandra Locher](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Alexandra_locher_ENEN_e53527e95c.png)

**We asked our users to rate the platform on a scale of 1 to 10, to qualify the positive impact WEDO has on their daily tasks.**

![Best collaborative software for executive assistant productivity and organizations](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/preparation_reunion_note_ENEN_1_d92c7629a1.png)

![Alicia Aubert](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Alicia_Aubert_ENEN_5d3644b8f7.png)

Executive assistants can greatly ease their workload by equipping themselves with a collaborative platform. Do you have any questions or doubts about WEDO's compatibility with your needs? We'll be happy to give you a short 30-minute demonstration.

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In the fast-paced world of administrative management, executive assistants play a crucial role. The Swiss army knives of any organization juggle many tasks and deadlines while supervising those of others

An executive assistant speaking on the phone with colleagues blurred in the background, overlaid with the text “How to make an executive assistant’s daily life easier” and “Use case”

1-making-daily-life-easier-for-executive-assistants.png

Making daily life easier for executive assistants

Held once a month, quarter, or half-year, as required, these privileged meetings provide a confidential and open communication space, encouraging in-depth discussion of individual and collective objectives. They create a valuable opportunity to discuss each employee's specific challenges and needs, fostering better mutual understanding. Moreover, these meetings provide a framework for recognizing individual achievements and contributions, reinforcing a sense of accomplishment and belonging to the team. Thanks to these personalized exchanges, bilateral meetings contribute to more effective personnel management, more focused professional growth, and solid, fulfilling working relationships.

## Key topics for a bilateral meeting

During a bilateral meeting between a team leader and an employee, several key topics must be addressed to ensure effective communication and optimal management. Here are some of these topics:

### 1. Ongoing assessment
Discuss objectives for the current period and assess progress and results achieved. Identify successes and areas requiring further attention.

### 2. Professional Development
Explore opportunities for employee development, training, and professional growth. Identify skills to be strengthened and possible progression paths.

### 3. Feedback
Exchange constructive feedback on work performed, highlighting strengths and addressing areas for improvement. Encourage open dialogue to stimulate continuous learning.

### 4. Needs and Challenges
Allow employees to express their needs regarding resources, assistance, or support to accomplish their tasks. Discuss possible obstacles and find solutions together.

### 5. Work-Life Balance
Address workload-related issues, stress levels, and work-life balance. Identify measures to support employee well-being.

### 6. Projects and Initiatives
Discuss future projects, new initiatives, and potential employee contributions. Encourage active participation and creativity.

### 7. Management feedback
Offer employees the opportunity to share their feelings about management, work methods, and team communication. Foster an environment of trust and continuous improvement.

### 8. Focus on Vision
Ensure that the employee understands and adheres to the team or company's overall vision, values, and goals.

### 9. Resources and Support
Identify the resources required for the associate's success and ensure that he/she has the proper support to carry out his/her tasks.

### 10. Long-Term Planning
Examine longer-term perspectives and discuss the employee's career aspirations and how these align with team or organizational goals.

_"Enabling discussions in bilateral meetings, in a more intimate way and with a long-term vision, brings a notable benefit to the employee's career in the company. It makes them feel valued, heard and recognized above all. Setting clear, long-term objectives is a real motivator for them."_

**Marie Rudaz-Jaeggi**, *[AmbitionSuccess.ch](http://ambitionsuccess.ch/)* - MORGES

Team leaders and employees can establish fruitful collaboration, foster professional development, and maintain a positive working climate by addressing these topics regularly and in-depth at bilateral meetings.

## Use WEDO to keep track of your bilateral meetings!

![1_1 ENFR.png](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/1_1_ENFR_78b8a89537.png)

With WEDO, you can prepare your agenda jointly with your manager or colleague. In this way, each participant can prepare the questions or topics to be addressed.

Generally speaking, the agenda items for a bilateral meeting are recurrent. WEDO enables you to set the topics so that they recur from one time to the next to ensure that discussions are followed up and that objectives evolve.

Once completed, the minutes are locked and remain available to both participants for consultation.

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During a bilateral meeting between a team leader and an employee, several key topics must be addressed to ensure effective communication and optimal management.

A smiling person listening to their counterpart in a one-on-one meeting, overlaid with the text “Topics for a one-on-one meeting” and “Use case”

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