## 2019 retrospective

### Your work in WEDO

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2020_01_1_2019_chiffres_users_1_1024x1024_f3caf62c04.png)

### And on our side?

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2020_01_2_2019_chiffres_wedo_2_1024x576_ff99e74b7b.png)

### Many new features

In 2019, the WEDO team has worked on about twenty new features! We have created an update available to our users almost every month. The following computer graphic shows a review of all the innovations that have been developed during the past year. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2020_01_3_2019_nouvelles_fonctionnalites_1024x1024_200fc3f58c.png)

Our goal? To constantly improve our tool to make it more efficient and intuitive! Many of these innovations were created on the basis of the feedback we receive from our users. We are committed to providing a collaborative platform to our customers, that meets their needs and expectations. 

### And a new visual identity

WEDO has recently opted for a new visual identity. The idea was to update our logo by adding an icon that is easy to decline and that easily adapts to the different media we use. We hope to be easily recognizable and identifiable! 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2020_01_4_logo_avant_apres_1024x576_d8d4892578.png)

## 2020, our anniversary year

This year WEDO will celebrate its 5th anniversary!

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2020_01_5_5_ans_wedo_3_1024x576_2b8466af2e.png)

WEDO is now a mature product that solves a real problem in companies. The quality of our solution and its ease of use make WEDO an intuitive solution capable of competing with market leading products from _Silicon Valley_.

The team is currently composed of 6 employees: two Sales Reps, two Software Developers, a Customer Success Executive and a Community Manager. For 2020, we want to surround ourselves with new collaborators to achieve our goals while ensuring quality customer service.

One of our missions for this coming year will be to extend our solution beyond the famous _Röstigraben_. WEDO has proven itself in the French-speaking swiss market, which is why we aim to replicate our success on the German-speaking side. Currently, we mainly have clients based in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, although our tool is available in German and English.

In 2020, we will continue to improve our tool to allow an increasing number of organizations to simplify their collaboration. We want to provide a tool that is efficient and intuitive. Therefore, the feedback we get from our users is essential and important to the efficient adjustment of our tool. Do not hesitate to give us feedback on your use of the platform and to communicate your expectations and needs regarding WEDO. Customer support remains at your disposal at all times. 

The whole WEDO team wishes you a happy 2020\. 

2019, a year of important change and new features for WEDO ! Throughout this article, let’s go over the highlights of the past year together and outline the goals of the upcoming year. 

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Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020

## Rights management in meetings

In order to make meeting access rights even more flexible, we have added an option that will allow you to choose the specific items to which an attendee can have access. Here are the different access rights that are available: 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_11_1_droits_dacces_2_1024x715_488919b57e.png)

### Manage rights for each item

When you select the purple option to manage rights specifically, you must define the attendee’s access rights for each item. 

In the following example, _Cécile Mayor,_ quality manager, has access to most of the items in read-only mode and can edit items 3 and 5\. However, she will not be able to see the _Finance_ and _Human Resources_ items.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_11_3_gest1_1024x575_683ccc9ce0.png)

### Manage rights according to the meeting status 

You can also set the access rights according to the status of the meeting. By default, those having editing rights (green icon) can modify the items in each step. For instance, _Christiane Pittet_ can modify the content of the meeting regardless of its status:

1. Meeting agenda in preparation
2. Meeting agenda validated
3. Meeting minutes currently written
4. Meeting minutes in review

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_11_4_gestion_des_droits_par_etape_1024x575_e231624190.png)

However, if you do not want _Christiane_ to be able to edit the meeting agenda once it has been validated, you can modify the access rights according to the status of the meeting. Hence, attendees will only have reader rights once the meeting agenda has been validated.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_11_5_gestion_des_droits_par_etape_1024x575_906a13b44a.png)

For attendees who have reader rights only, you can prevent them from seeing the meeting agenda at certain steps. This can be useful if you wish that the draft steps (1 and 4) cannot be seen by other attendees. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_11_6_gestion_des_droits_par_etape_1024x575_ed356b36db.png)

## Complete tasks

From now on, complete your tasks by selecting the check boxes that precede them. Please note that you can always prioritize your tasks : the option to define a priority has simply been moved to the end of the line. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_11_7_terminer_des_taches_1024x575_ea695332f7.png)

Rights management in meetings has been revised to allow you to choose precisely who can see and modify the items of the meeting agenda. Another new feature: the version 40 of WEDO allows you to complete your tasks with just one click. 

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> 4% of new employees leave after a disastrous first day, while 22% of staff turnover takes place during the first 45 days\*

There are many issues at stake when welcoming a new employee. Indeed, this last phase of the recruitment process is a crucial step that is supposed to ensure a good start in the working relationship. It involves creating a special bond between the company and the new employee by giving them confidence and integrating them into the new team. The ultimate goal is to build loyalty by passing on the culture and values of your organization. For all these reasons, it is important to take care of your onboarding process from A to Z, and to update it from time to time to ensure its effectiveness. So what are the important steps to a successful onboarding? We will look at three fundamental phases: 

* The definition of the tasks involved in the onboarding process
* Designation of the persons concerned by the process
* The planning of the different deadlines surrounding _onboarding_

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_11_giphy_2_b054478200.gif)

\* According to a [report proposed by LinkedIn](https://business.linkedin.com/content/dam/business/talent-solutions/regional/fr%5FFR/site/pdf/tipsheets/onboarding-in-a-box-fr-fr.pdf). Figures from the study by [Bersin by Deloitte](https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/human-capital/topics/bersin-insights-and-services-for-hr.html): _Onboarding Software Solutions 2014: On-ramp for Employee Success._

## List the tasks involved in the onboarding of your employees

To begin, you need to define all the steps that make up the onboarding procedure by listing them. This involves respecting the order in which the various tasks must be carried out. Make your to-do list according to the three moments of the onboarding process:

* What needs to be done before the employee takes up the job
* What to do on the employee's first day
* What needs to be done after the employee has taken up his job

The idea is to create a template with a predefined to-do list so that it can be applied to each new employee's onboarding. This method will save you precious time and the procedure will be carried out in a systematic way. If your onboarding differs from department to department, you can create a template for each sector. Below is a template of predefined tasks for you to download. This is a non-exhaustive list and is a good basis for anyone who wants to implement an onboarding process in their organisation. 

::button-primary[Download the onboarding checklist template]{link="https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/wedo_modele_de_checklists_accueil_collaborateur_773115f78b.xlsx"}

However, you may have a good predefined task model and fail to achieve effective integration. With standard IT tools, you will write a list of tasks in _Excel_ format. This will then have to be passed on to all the employees concerned so that they carry out the tasks for which they are responsible. It is obvious that this practice can only be partially effective because it does not provide an overview for all participants. To manage your recurring procedures, opt for a collaborative tool!

With WEDO, you can track the progress of your checklists in real time: save templates and then launch checklists from them. This way, everyone involved in the process will be able to access a global view and see the progress of the checklists in progress in order to collaborate on their completion. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_11_1_modele_de_checklists_4069c1364e.png)

## Define the persons responsible for the onboarding procedure

The onboarding process of a new employee necessarily involves several people in the company: members of the management, executives, employees in a specific sector, HR, IT managers, secretaries or receptionists. All these people affiliated to different departments will have to work together to ensure the success of the onboarding process. Many people in charge as well as many tasks to be carried out: the onboarding process is getting more complicated! It is therefore difficult to ensure effective follow-up. 

With WEDO, you can define the different people responsible for the tasks directly in the template. Thus, each time you launch a checklist, users will receive the tasks that concern them directly in their personal space. Employees are automatically operational because they are informed of what they have to do and when. In addition, they will be able to follow the progress of each checklist and get an overview of their evolution in real time. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_11_2_resp1_1024x575_994aa405b7.png)

## Scheduling tasks 

Carrying out an onboarding process may require a relative planning of your tasks. What is relative planning? According to a reference date, to be defined each time a checklist is launched, tasks will have to be carried out:

* Before the reference date (D-30)
* On the reference date (in this case the date on which the employee took up the job)
* After the reference date (D+90)

### Before the employee takes up his job

Notifying all employees, signing the employment contract and specifications, creating computer access, preparing the workplace and equipment are all tasks that need to be done before the arrival of your new employee.

With the usual IT tools, it seems very complicated to automate this process. With WEDO, you have the possibility to set up a relative planning of tasks. For example, you can define that the task of _signing the employment contract_ must be completed 30 days before the arrival of the new employee. When the checklist is launched, the person in charge of this task will receive it directly with the correct scheduled date in his personal space.

### The day the employee is welcomed

Schedule some of the tasks in the model on the reference date. These are the tasks that will be to be completed on the day of the employee's arrival. After this first day, the employees in charge of the reception will be able to make a first assessment of the situation. 

### After the employee has taken up his job

The integration period generally lasts a few months. Do not lose sight of the tasks to be carried out over the long term. A good integration requires quality follow-up. Schedule tasks in your model that will remind you, for example, to make an appointment for an evaluation at the end of the trial period.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_11_3_sect1_1024x575_13a0334087.png)

## Launch a checklist from your model

Next month, you will welcome _Pierre Dupont_, the new technical manager of your organization. You wish to prepare his integration by launching a checklist based on the _Employee onboarding_ model previously created. The checklist will contain the employee's name and the reference date will correspond to the date he took up his position. All the generated tasks will be scheduled according to this date. After launching the checklist, the people who collaborate around this procedure will receive the tasks for which they are responsible. They will thus be able to prepare for _Pierre_'s smooth integration!

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_11_4_lanc1_1024x575_6b76ff3258.png)

In the digital age, there are tools that make it possible to centralize information in a single place accessible to all. WEDO allows you to easily collaborate around recurring procedures that concern several employees from different departments. If you want to know where you stand in the onboarding process for your employees, just click on _Employee onboarding_ to see that you have five checklists in progress. In each checklist, you can see in real time, which tasks have been completed and who is taking care of the tasks in progress and by when.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_11_6_vue_globale_checklists_en_cours_1_1024x575_d5522ad7bc.png)

 Here is an overview of the current checklists for the onboarding of new employees 

If your organization works with WEDO and you would like to set up an _Employee onboarding_ checklist template, you can do so in a few steps:

1. Download the [Employee onboarding checklist template](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/wedo_modele_de_checklists_accueil_collaborateur_773115f78b.xlsx)
2. Adapt it according to your internal procedure
3. See the article in our Help Center to create [a checklist template in WEDO](https://help.wedo.swiss/fr/articles/2614161-creer-un-modele-de-checklists)

Want to manage your recurring procedures using WEDO?

::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}



There are many issues at stake when welcoming an employee. Through this article, discover the methods and best practices that will help you integrate your new employees.

Two people shaking hands welcoming new team members, overlaid with the text “Improve your onboarding procedure for employees” and “Use case”

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Improve your employee onboarding process

## Terminology changes

Our terminology has been adapted. **Paragraphs** allow you to add a text box visible to all the attendees of a meeting. **Notes** are private and only visible to the user who adds them. An easy way to distinguish them is by their yellow background.

## Private notes

From now on, it is possible to add private notes to the items of your meeting agenda. This allows you to prepare your interventions for the upcoming meeting or to add private notes during the meeting. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_1_notes_privees_1024x575_a6cdb0cb62.png)

## Converting elements

If you wish to share your private note with the other attendees, you can simply convert it into a paragraph. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_2_convertir_note_en_paragraphe_1024x575_a92c2a02b7.png)

To save valuable time, you can also convert most of the other elements: 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_3_conversion_d_elements_1_1024x329_220931708f.png)

Please note that it is not possible to convert a task into another element! 

## Ordering items

It is possible to order all the items of the meeting. Simply drag and drop an item to reorder it. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_4_ordre_de_elements_1024x575_124c4c92c0.png)

## Option « Table of attendees »

If you wish to have a detailed contact list of the meeting attendees, there is an option accessible through the settings of a meeting. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_5_parametres_dune_reunion_1024x575_6ea65fc9df.png)

By selecting « extended table view » in the settings of the meeting, the table will appear in steps 2, 4 and 5\. The coordinates of the attendees are listed according to the information of each user’s profile. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_6_tableau_des_participants_1024x575_ac91837cea.png)

During the editing steps, the meeting agenda in preparation and the drafting of the meeting minutes, you can manually edit an attendee’s contact information. It is also possible to change an attendee’s function for a specific meeting. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_7_editer_un_participant_1024x575_ce2682d04e.png)

## Link between a task and a meeting 

Tasks created in a meeting have a link in their details pane that allows you to easily access an item of the meeting agenda. This will allow you to view the task in its context of creation. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_8_lien_tache_reunion_1024x575_19c86d6606.png)

## General ergonomics

### Use the new + button to easily create content. 

You can create your **Workspaces**, **Checklist templates**, **Teams** and **Users** from the + button which is found in the heading at the top of the page.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_9_bouton_plus_1024x575_be06c4f954.png)

### Take advantage of the shortcuts in the main menu

Three buttons have been added to the menu for an easy access to the **Workspaces** and **Checklist templates** to which you have access, as well as to the **Users** page.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_10_raccourcis_menu_principal_1024x575_983d87326b.png)

The main menu has been redesigned for simplicity and efficiency; and presents a new palette of colors. 

Private notes allow you to prepare your interventions confidentially during meetings. This latest update includes a new platform design and new functionalities described in the following article. 

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Add private notes to your meetings

## 1 - Choose the density when exporting a report

More flexibility in the layout of your reports! Choose now the density of the exported document. Three densities are offered during configuration: compact, normal or wide. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_08_1_choisir_la_densite_1024x575_dff2e5545b.png)

## 2 - Assigning a logo to a team or workspace 

Until now, the logo of your organization chosen via the network settings was included in the header of all documents exported from WEDO. So that you can customize your exports - task lists or meeting minutes - you can now: assign a logo to a team and/or assign a logo to a workspace.

The choice of the logo is made from the parameters. Please refer to the following two articles to discover the functionality in detail :

[Team settings](https://help.wedo.swiss/fr/articles/3284167-parametres-d-une-equipe)

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_08_2_prametres_equipe_logo_1024x575_738ea1db00.png)

[Workspace settings](https://help.wedo.swiss/fr/articles/2576110-parametres-d-un-espace-de-travail)

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_08_3_prametres_espace_logo_1024x575_0929b05e02.png)

## 3 - Duplicating a workspace

With this update, you can now [duplicate a workspace](https://help.wedo.swiss/fr/articles/3284132-dupliquer-un-espace-de-travail). Duplication allows you to create a new workspace and take over all tasks and the contents of their detail panes. Completed tasks are also resumed.

### What are the benefits of this feature?

When setting up the network, you will save valuable time by duplicating workspaces that have a similar structure. It will not be necessary to set them up manually one by one! 

Another use case: in your network, many workspaces represent projects. Duplicate a workspace to plan a new project based on a previous one.

In the example below, the _Renovation Building A_ workspace is duplicated for a new, similar project.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_08_4_dupliquer_un_espace_de_travail_1024x575_75d7006620.png)

## 4 - Duplicating a checklist template

You can also [duplicate a checklist template](https://help.wedo.swiss/fr/articles/3284149-dupliquer-un-modele-de-checklists). Duplication allows you to create a new template and take over all tasks and the contents of their detail panes. Completed tasks are also resumed.

### What is the major advantage of this feature?

In your organization, you need to maintain procedures that have a similar structure and content. Duplicate a checklist template to save time and then link the duplicates to the teams involved in the procedure!

In the example below, the template _Onboarding collaborator_ is duplicated in order to be linked to the _Administration_ team.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_08_5_dupliquer_un_modele_de_checklists_1024x575_16101c1580.png)

## 5 - Delegating a task using a user's initials

To delegate a task to a colleague, simply enter their initials in the field provided. 

The procedure is the same for all places that have a field to search for a user: you only have to enter the initials of the person concerned to find him/her quickly!

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_08_6_recherche_utilisateur_par_initiales_1024x575_0b243fbce9.png)

## 6 - Instant search

Search indexing is now instantaneous! For example, if you create a task, it is directly accessible via the search tool. The same goes for searching through meetings, decisions or files. In the search results, WEDO shows you the number of hits found.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_08_7_recherche_instantane_1024x575_5243339e50.png)

Multiple new features for version 38 of WEDO: change the density of exported documents, assign a logo to your teams and workspaces, duplicate your checklist spaces and templates, and take advantage of the improvements made to the search tool. 

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WEDO V38: 6 improvements to discover

## Revision of the Files tab

The Files tab, present in each workspace, works now like a folder. What are the major changes compared to the previous version? No more need to add the same file several times! Files added to the workspace can now be taken back in the future to be attached to a task or agenda item without having to go back to your computer folders. Want to rename, replace or delete a file? All this is now possible at From the Files tab!

In the tab, the files are categorized according to the element to which they are linked :

* Files in the space - those added to the Files tab
* Files attached to tasks in the workspace
* Files attached to meetings in the workspace

### Adding a file to a workspace

You can now directly add a file to a workspace. To do so, go to the Files tab and click on the **Add File button**.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_1_ajouter_un_fichier_dans_un_espace_de_travail_8be8c9bcec.png)

A window opens and offers two options for adding: drag and drop the file or choose it from the button provided for this purpose. 

**New**: you can add several files at the same time.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_2_ajouter_un_fichier_dans_un_espace_de_travail_2_fd12f3ab24.png)

### Files from workspace

Files added to the workspace are now displayed in this category. These are files that are relevant to workspace members without necessarily being linked to a task or meeting. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_3_les_fichiers_de_lespace_ae8873b9f7.png)

### Modification of basic operation

In this new version, files attached to tasks or meetings are no longer added to the default workspace. However, they can be added to the default workspace with a single click. To do so, click **Add to...** via the file information pane.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_4_ajouter_a_lespace_de_travail_a14e0721fe.png)

### Files attached to tasks

By clicking on the funnel button, you first find the **Attached to tasks** filter.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_5_filtre_joints_aux_taches_bc07d34956.png)

Here are only the files attached to the space tasks. When you click on the file, the information pane opens: a link provides direct access to the task to which the file is attached.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_6_volet_informations_lien_vers_la_tache_7d921bfb6c.png)

### Files attached to Meeting

By clicking on the funnel button, you will then find the **Attached to meetings** filter.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_7_filtre_joints_aux_reunions_bf523484c0.png)

Here are only the files attached to the workspace meetings. When you click on the file, the information pane opens, with a link to the meeting containing the file. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_8_volet_informations_lien_vers_la_reunion_f832f4c896.png)

### All files in the workspace

By clicking on the funnel button, you finally find the **All** filter.

This category includes all files in the workspace:

* Files added to the workspace
* Files attached to tasks in the workspace
* Files attached to meetings in the workspace

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_9_filtre_tous_les_fichiers_de_lespace_4e2d0955a8.png)

### Information section

When you click on a file in the tab, an information pane opens on the right side of the screen. It shows the file name, format, location, date and time of addition, file size, user who added it, and links to the items to which the file is linked. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_10_volet_dinformations_fichier_b6bd2b78cd.png)

### Version management 

WEDO now handles conflicts between different versions of the same file. When a file of the same format and name is added to the workspace, WEDO informs you and gives you two options for handling the conflict:

* Replace the existing file with the newly added version
* Keeping both versions of the file in the workspace

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_11_gestion_des_conflits_entre_fichiers_451bf3618c.png)

**Info** : if you wish to keep both versions, a suffix with the version number will automatically complete the name of the added file (ex :\_2 ; \_3 ;\_4 ; etc.).

For each file, you can consult the version history by clicking on the relevant tab. Note that it is possible to download, restore or delete a version.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_12_onglet_versions_fichier_9f2d59107d.png)

### Search through files

A search tool has been integrated into the tab to save you time. The search is only done through the selected filter. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_13_rechercher_un_fichier_dans_longlet_af5ca9ebff.png)

Each user can also search through the files of all the workspaces of which he or she is a member. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_14_rechercher_un_fichier_a_travers_tous_les_espaces_6f59b7d902.png)

## Adding files to tasks and meetings

Whether for tasks or meetings, you can now add multiple files at once. At the addition level, two options are offered to you. 

### Attach a file from disk

First case: the file has never been added to the platform. You therefore want to access the folders on your computer in order to select it. Then click on the option **From disk** and choose the files.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_15_joindre_un_fichier_depuis_le_disque_7ff765ed8b.png)

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_16_joindre_un_fichier_depuis_le_disque_2_abc56b5423.png)

### Attach a file from WEDO

Second case: the file to be attached is a file linked to a workspace of which you are a member. Click on the **From WEDO** option. A window that shows the tree structure of your network opens and allows you to access the right workspace.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_17_joindre_un_fichier_depuis_wedo_f6958ea713.png)

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_18_joindre_un_fichier_depuis_wedo_2_52a75bbd75.png)

## Quick overview of PDF files and images

The **Open** option gives access to a preview of the contents of PDF files and images.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_19_ouvrir_apercu_pdf_6cc6367c30.png)

You can browse the document using the navigation.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_20_apercu_pdf_3a00d6c3de.png)

## Also to be discovered in this version

An improvement for user management: Administrators can now choose which teams users should be affiliated to when creating new accounts.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_21_creer_un_utilisateur_3b483fe7df.png)

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_07_22_ajouter_un_utilisateur_dans_une_equipe_c842e6a6e4.png)

**Any additional questions about file management? Check out the articles in our help center!**

::button-primary[Go to the Help Center]{link="https://help.wedo.swiss/en/collections/1464220-files"}

File management has been completely redesigned! The new structure brought by this update is a first step in the future development of the Files module. Through this article, discover the functionalities offered by the new online version. 

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To prepare and conduct your meetings, WEDO guides you in 5 steps: 

* **Before the meeting – Steps 1 and 2** : preparation of the agenda as a team. The writer or facilitator adds the meeting, establishes the list of items to be discussed and then invites participants to complete the agenda.
* **During the meeting - Step 3 :** the writer writes the minutes in real time. All participants can attend live note-taking.
* **Post-meeting - Steps 4 and 5 :** the writer and participants review, edit and validate the meeting minutes.

Through this article, discover some tips to conduct your meetings with WEDO taking into account the 5 proposed steps. You will see that at each step, it is possible to keep the participants informed and make them aware of their role in the preparation and follow-up of the meeting. To give substance to our explanations, we propose a concrete case study:

### The preparation and follow-up of an Executive Committee by Agathe Rost[^1], Executive Assistant 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_1_agathe_rost_assistante_de_direction_1_28994aba97.png)

## Step 1: Meeting agenda in preparation

Agathe Rost, Executive Assistant, decided to prepare the agenda for the next committee meeting in a week's time. The director of the organization, Bernard Macherel\*, sent her by email the list of topics to be discussed. Agathe goes to the workspace dedicated to the Executive Committee and adds a meeting. After entering the title, date, time, duration and location of the meeting, she focuses on the list of participants. The members of the Executive Committee workspace have been added automatically to save her precious time.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_2_etape_1_liste_des_participants_1_c9f6a790ca.png)

Agathe now wishes to manage the different access rights of the participants. For this meeting, Mathilde and Bernard have all the same rights as Agathe. The other participants will only be able to modify the agenda items in steps 1 and 3\. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_3_etape_1_fenetre_gestion_des_droits_dacces_1_ef9ce2fac2.png)

Next, Agathe wishes to add the items to the agenda. With a few clicks, she copies the list of topics previously listed by her director and pastes it into the input bar. The items are created automatically and now appear in the table of contents on the left side of the screen. Agathe can now schedule them as she pleases.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_4_ordre_du_jour_en_preparation_1_a8a936bb7b.png)

The outline of the meeting is ready. Agathe would like to inform participants to add their notes to the agenda items. To do so, she sends an email to participants directly from the platform by clicking on the **button with the envelope**.

The participants are listed as recipients. Agathe takes advantage of the predefined subject and message to save time and clicks directly on **Send by email**.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_5_etape_1_fenetre_envoi_email_1_f43b0491ca.png)

## Step 2: Meeting agenda validated

On the eve of the meeting, the agenda has been completed by all participants and is normally no longer subject to change. After a brief rereading, Agathe can validate the agenda and proceed to step 2 by clicking on **Meeting agenda is ready** in the red banner at the bottom of the screen.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_6_lordre_du_jour_est_pret_1_bf5d544104.png)

Agathe finally has to add a last minute information in one of the agenda items. From the orange banner at the bottom of the screen, she **edits the meeting agenda**.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_7_etape_2_editer_lordre_du_jour_1_fadc608e95.png)

## Step 3: Meeting minutes currently written

On D-Day, Agathe returns to the previously prepared meeting. The meeting is in step 2 - Meeting agenda validated. At the bottom left of the screen, she clicks on **Start Meeting**.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_8_commencer_la_reunion_019e71f2e5.png)

Agathe begins by completing the information about the participants. She checks off the absent and excused persons. She also adds the reason for the apology in the field provided. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_9_etape_3_controle_des_presences_58eb3b17f3.png)

The meeting begins: Agathe is ready to write up the minutes of the discussions. As she writes it, she navigates easily from point to point using the table of contents and adds notes, decisions and tasks to the various points discussed. At the end of the meeting, Agathe clicks on the **End Meeting** button in the yellow banner at the bottom of the screen.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_10_clore_la_reunion_fe0d06e165.png)

## Step 4: Meeting minutes in review

A few hours after the meeting, Agathe would like to review the minutes. She returns to the Executive Committee workspace, resumes the meeting in Step 4 - Meeting minutes in review. To make corrections, she clicks **Edit Minutes** in the purple banner at the bottom of the screen. Once the changes have been made, she clicks **Finish**.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_11_etape_4_editer_le_compte_rendu_6c73d6a8e7.png)

## Step 5: Meeting minutes locked

A few days after the meeting and after a final reading, Agathe can finally move on to the last step. In order to follow up from one meeting to the next, she decides to lock the minutes. The minutes can no longer be modified. 

To do this, she clicks the **Lock meeting minutes** button in the purple banner at the bottom of the screen and follows the procedure required for locking.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_12_verrouiller_le_compte_rendu_c71e61095f.png)

Finally, Agathe sends an email to participants to inform them that the minutes have been locked. They are invited to read it again in order to ensure a follow-up from one meeting to the next. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_13_etape_5_fenetre_envoi_email_775e9cddb1.png)

The 5 proposed steps frame the overall conduct of a meeting and allow users to situate themselves in the process. At each step, you have the possibility to inform the participants so that they can get involved in the preparation of the agenda and in the review of the minutes. WEDO allows you to improve the management of your meetings while reinforcing the collaborative aspect. 
[^1]: Fictional characters.

#### Would you like to facilitate the preparation and conduct of your meetings? 

::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}

Agathe Rost, Executive Assistant, is responsible for preparing the next committee meeting. Through this article, find out how she works with WEDO.

Four individuals in an executive committee meeting around a table, listening attentively and taking notes, overlaid with the text “Preparing and following up an Executive Committee” and “Use case”

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The preparation and follow-up of an Executive Committee

May 23, 2019: The daily newspaper from Geneva (AGEFI) and leading economic and financial media in French-speaking Switzerland, published an article about WEDO. The writer, Sophie Marenne, describes the characteristics of our collaborative tool and highlights one of its main goals: create a direct link between meetings and the tasks that result from them. She also writes about the implementation of the solution in many companies of all sizes and attached to different sectors of activity in French-speaking Switzerland. 

If you wish to learn more about our solution and discover the testimonies of the two co-founders of WEDO in their interview, read the newspaper article! 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_image_article_agefi_2_c3c0192222.png)

[Read article](https://bit.ly/2K0vdls)

The daily newspaper from Geneva (AGEFI), the leading economic and financial media in French-speaking Switzerland, published an article about WEDO. 

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WEDO boosts the efficiency of meetings


Meetings are an essential part of any organization’s workflow, and making them efficient can be challenging. With [WEDO](https://wedo.com/)’s new update, sending your meeting agenda and meeting minutes by email has become easier than ever. 

Now, meeting participants can access key information at the right time, ensuring everyone is prepared, tasks are assigned, and nothing falls through the cracks. These updates are designed to help you focus on important points and improve communication with your team members before, during, and after the meeting.

In this update, we’ll dive into the improved features, such as email templates, new meeting recaps, and a smoother agenda-sharing experience. Whether it’s a board meeting, a routine check-in, or an important project review, WEDO’s new features will help you streamline the process and ensure effective meetings.

### Why emailing your agenda and meeting minutes matters
Sending out the agenda items and meeting notes ahead of time can significantly enhance meeting effectiveness. Participants have the opportunity to review the agenda before the meeting and be well-prepared, ensuring that discussions are concise and to the point. This not only saves time but also ensures that all key topics and decisions made during the meeting are covered efficiently.

Moreover, sharing the meeting minutes post-meeting allows for accurate meeting recaps and a clear record of what happened. All tasks assigned are documented, and the decisions and action items are highlighted, ensuring there is no ambiguity about the next steps.

### New features: A step-by-step guide to sending agendas and meeting minutes by email

In this latest update, WEDO has made it incredibly simple to share both meeting agendas and meeting minutes via email. Here’s how it works:

#### Step 1: Prepare and send the meeting agenda 
After setting up the meeting, you can send the agenda to participants with just a few clicks. The agenda items will include all relevant details, such as meeting date, time, and objectives.

To send the agenda by email, follow these steps:

- Click on the **envelope icon** (1) at the top-right corner of the screen to access the email templates. This is available at each step of the meeting in the top right of the screen.


![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_05_slide1_2_81b9c299d3.png)

- A window will pop up where you can add or remove recipients. The default recipients are the selected attendees of the meeting. You can always **delete** (2) or **add other participants** (3) as necessary.

- Once the subject and message are completed, click **Send by email** (4). Recipients will get an email inviting them to access the meeting directly within WEDO.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_05_slide2_bebfc8763e.png)

By using this feature, attendees are invited to review the agenda items and add their notes or questions in advance. This encourages active participation and ensures that all team members are aligned and well-prepared before the meeting begins.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_05_slide3_2_6369d11577.png)

#### Step 2: Validating and sending the final agenda
After finalizing the agenda, it’s time to send it out to participants again, this time as the confirmed document. Here’s where this step makes a difference: it acts as a reminder to prepare for the meeting.
Once the agenda is validated, all meeting participants are prompted via email to read it carefully and prepare for the meeting. They can add their comments and insights directly within the platform, ensuring everyone has input before discussions begin.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_05_slide4_2_7cc229dc9a.png)

#### Step 3: Send meeting minutes in real-time 

The third step in this update is WEDO’s real-time meeting minutes feature. As the meeting progresses, participants can view and follow the key points covered and any decisions made in real-time. This eliminates the need to wait until the end of the meeting to review the minutes of meeting.

The meeting facilitator or secretary can keep the meeting notes updated, ensuring that nothing is missed. The feature is particularly useful for board meetings or critical discussions where decisions need to be tracked accurately.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_05_slide5_2_11e9eb917d.png)

#### Step 4: Reviewing the meeting minutes 
Once the meeting is over, the minutes enter review mode. At this stage, participants can access the minutes and provide feedback or suggest changes before they are finalized. This ensures that the key topics and decisions and action items are accurately reflected.

WEDO sends an automatic email reminder, inviting attendees to review and comment on the minutes. This step is particularly beneficial for ensuring that no details are overlooked, and that everyone has a chance to provide their input before the minutes are locked.


![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_05_slide6_2_93272c7927.png)

#### Step 5: Finalized meeting minutes 
After the review period, the meeting minutes are finalized and locked. WEDO sends another email to notify participants that the final minutes of the meeting are available for review. This ensures that there’s a clear record of the meeting, and everyone can follow up on their tasks assigned.

Participants can refer back to the meeting recaps and key points covered, making it easier to track progress from one meeting to the next. This step solidifies the decisions made during the meeting and ensures accountability.


![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_05_slide7_2_402fb5d148.png)

### Copying items from one meeting to another: Streamline your workflow
Another valuable feature in this update is the ability to copy agenda items or sub-items from one meeting to another. This feature saves time and helps connect the dots between related meetings, particularly when you're dealing with recurring board meetings or ongoing projects. Please note that the entire content of the item is copied, i.e. the notes, decisions, tasks and attached files.

To use this feature:
- Select the item you wish to copy and click on the **three vertical dots** (1).
- Choose **Copy to…** (2) from the dropdown menu.


![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_05_slide8_92aa996031.png)

- In the pop-up window, define which meeting the item should be copied to. You can also choose the workspace, and the location of the item within the meeting agenda (3).

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_05_slide9_945d57297a.png)

- Then click **Copy**(2).

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_05_slide10_9110ca02d1.png)

With this new tool, you can easily carry over decisions made or important points from one meeting to another, ensuring continuity in discussions and avoiding redundant rework.

### Practical benefits of the WEDO update
These [new features](https://wedo.com/features/meetings) in WEDO aren’t just about functionality—they’re designed to enhance your overall meeting experience and boost productivity. Here’s how:

- **Better preparation:** By sending the agenda in advance, participants have time to prepare for discussions and add their notes. This improves the effectiveness of the meeting and ensures that everyone is on the same page.
- **Efficient use of time:** Real-time meeting minutes help participants follow along, ensuring that all key topics are covered during the meeting. This makes discussions more concise and to the point, preventing unnecessary delays.
- **Clear follow-up:** With easy-to-access, locked meeting minutes, all tasks assigned and decisions made during the meeting are available for review. This ensures that the team follows through on commitments, leading to more effective meetings in the future.

## Conclusion
WEDO’s new features simplify the way you handle meetings, from sending agenda items to distributing meeting recaps and finalizing minutes of meetings. With email templates, real-time meeting notes, and the ability to copy items across meetings, you can ensure that every meeting runs smoothly.

By incorporating these tools into your meeting process, you’ll streamline communication, reduce misunderstandings, and improve overall meeting productivity. Make the most of your meetings with WEDO's latest features.


Discover WEDO's latest update and learn how email templates, real-time minutes, and agenda management improve meeting efficiency.

Screenshot of the WEDO meeting interface, more specifically of the recipient selection window for sending meeting minutes

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Sending the meeting agenda and minutes of your meeting by email

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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

Most teams aren’t missing deadlines because they’re not working hard. In fact, it’s usually the opposite, everyone’s busy, tasks are moving, and there’s a lot of activity. But somehow, the project still falls behind.

Often, it’s not a work ethic problem. It’s a visibility problem.

When you don’t have a clear system for tracking what’s being worked on, who’s responsible, and how things are progressing, even the most important tasks can slip through the cracks. That’s where solid project tracking comes in. It’s what connects your team’s effort to actual outcomes and keeps deadlines from becoming a moving target.

In this article, we’ll break down what effective project tracking really looks like, why so many teams get it wrong, and how [WEDO](https://wedo.com/features) helps you stay ahead of deadlines without losing control of your workflow.

## What Is Project Tracking, Really?

Project tracking means knowing what’s happening with your work: what’s done, what’s in motion, and what’s at risk of falling behind. It gives you a structured way to follow progress, spot issues early, and keep everything moving in the right direction.

At its core, project tracking helps you connect the dots across tasks, people, and timelines. It lets you see:

- Which tasks are completed
- What’s still in progress
- Who’s responsible for what
- Whether your team is on pace to meet upcoming deadlines

A long task list might look impressive, but without tracking, it’s just a collection of items with no clear path forward. You need to see more than just what needs to be done. You need to know how that work is unfolding across your team.

Project tracking gives structure to your task management process. It prevents important tasks from getting buried, ensures team members are aligned, and makes it easier to complete actual tasks rather than just check boxes.

Done well, project tracking creates transparency. Everyone knows what they’re working on, what’s coming next, and how it contributes to a shared outcome.

## Why Deadlines Get Missed (Even When Everyone’s Busy)

You’ve probably seen it before. A project kicks off with energy, tasks start moving, and updates are flying. But as the days go by, things start to slip. A few tasks go quiet. A handoff gets delayed. And then, out of nowhere, the deadline passes, and the project isn’t done.

This doesn’t usually happen because people aren’t working. It happens because no one has a clear view of what’s happening when.

Here are a few common reasons deadlines get missed:

![Infographic titled “Why Projects Miss Deadlines – Even When Everyone’s Working”. On the left: four reasons for delays (no clear task ownership, constant priority changes, scattered task lists, no real-time visibility). On the right: suggested solutions.](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/why_projects_miss_deadlines_en_d8ced546ac.png)

### 1. Task ownership is unclear

One of the fastest ways for work to stall is when it’s not clear who owns what. If a task is assigned to a group or left unassigned, no one feels fully responsible for it. It sits in the system, waiting.

Clear ownership is the foundation of successful task completion. Every task should have a specific team member accountable for moving it forward, not “the team” not “someone,” but a name. This avoids confusion, reduces follow-ups, and helps everyone stay focused.

### 2. Priorities keep shifting

Projects evolve, and that’s normal. But when priorities are constantly changing and there’s no way to clearly prioritize tasks, teams end up reacting instead of planning. Something important gets pushed aside for something louder, not necessarily more urgent.

Without a shared understanding of what matters most, even important tasks can get overlooked. That’s why [consistent prioritization](https://wedo.com/blog/guide-to-managing-and-prioritizing-your-daily-tasks), ideally visible to everyone, helps keep focus where it belongs.

### 3. The task list is scattered

When tasks are split across email threads, sticky notes, documents, and separate apps, it’s nearly impossible to track what’s really happening. Things fall through the cracks because no one can see the full picture.

Centralizing your task list in one place is critical for effective project tracking. It makes it easier to review progress, reassign work, and prevent overlap, especially when multiple people are involved.

### 4. Progress is hard to track

You might have [tasks with deadlines](https://wedo.com/blog/how-to-stay-on-top-of-task-deadlines-and-due-dates), but unless you’re tracking progress in real time, it’s hard to know if you’re actually on schedule. And by the time someone notices a task is behind, the deadline’s already blown.

That’s where active [task management](https://wedo.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-task-management-tool-for-your-team) comes in, not just assigning work, but keeping a live view of how things are progressing. You don’t need hourly updates, but you do need enough visibility to step in before things get off track.

## How to Build a Project Tracking System That Works — with Help from WEDO

Project tracking works best when it’s part of how your team already operates, not something you try to bolt on after the fact. When your tools support the way your team thinks, plans, and communicates, staying on top of projects becomes a whole lot easier.

Here’s a step-by-step approach to building that kind of system, with a look at how [WEDO](https://wedo.com/features) helps you make it happen.

### Step 1: Centralize your task list

If your team is juggling notes in one tool, tasks in another, and updates in a third, something’s going to fall through the cracks. A shared, structured task list keeps everyone looking in the same direction.

**How WEDO helps:**

![View of a WEDO meeting topic showing a description, task list, and suggestions to improve a Google Ads campaign, with icons for time management and checklists](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/screen_meeting_topic_en_9f74d74519.png)

WEDO brings your entire task list into one place, organized by workspace, project, or meeting. You can create tasks during planning sessions or live meetings and attach them directly to the conversation they came from. No scattered action items. No digging through emails. Just one source of truth your whole team can work from.

### Step 2: Assign every task to a specific team member

When a task doesn’t have a name next to it, it usually doesn’t move. Clear ownership prevents the “I thought someone else was on it” problem.

**How WEDO helps:**

Every task in WEDO has a clearly assigned team member, visible to everyone. You can set due dates, add instructions and attachments, and loop others into the task when needed. As updates are made, assignees get notified in real time, so there is no need to check in manually or guess where things stand.

### Step 3: Prioritize with intention

Without prioritization, everything starts to feel urgent and your team ends up reacting instead of focusing. A strong tracking system keeps the real priorities front and center.

**How WEDO helps:**

WEDO lets you prioritize tasks using customizable tags or sort tasks into the Eisenhower Matrix to separate important tasks from the noise. You can filter your view to focus only on top-priority items so your team isn’t wasting time on low-impact work.

### Step 4: Track progress before it becomes a problem

A task that’s late isn’t the problem; it’s the symptom. The earlier you catch slowdowns, the easier it is to fix them.

**How WEDO helps:**

With WEDO, you can see progress in real time. Overdue tasks automatically rise to the top of your workspace’s open task list, so nothing urgent gets buried. You can also view tasks by deadline and keep track of what’s moving, stalled, or done, all without waiting for a meeting or manual report. That makes it easier to catch bottlenecks before they become missed deadlines.

### Step 5: Use visual timelines to stay ahead of schedule shifts

Sometimes even with strong task tracking, timelines shift, a blocker delays one task, and suddenly everything downstream is affected. That’s where a visual planning tool like a Gantt chart can make a difference.

**How WEDO helps:**

![Screenshot of WEDO’s Gantt view showing a task hierarchy with durations and coloured bars tracking progress across quarters](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/screen_task_and_checklists_gantt_view_en_8061ab942b.png)

WEDO includes a built-in Gantt chart that gives you a real-time visual of your entire project timeline. You can [map task dependencies](https://wedo.com/features/tasks), track progress, and spot delays before they affect delivery.

You also get control over how date changes ripple through your plan, thanks to [three smart buffer options](https://wedo.com/features/project-management):

- **Maintain Buffer:** Keeps the gap between dependent tasks consistent
- **Consume Buffer:** Uses the built-in gap only when needed to absorb delays
- **Disable Automatic Shifting:** Lets you adjust one task without moving others

It’s a fast, flexible way to keep projects on track and your deadlines intact, even when plans evolve.

### Step 6: Keep updates where the work happens

If your team has to hunt down context in a Slack thread or email chain, momentum slows. Communication should be part of the work, not something that happens on the side.

**How WEDO helps:**

In WEDO, every task includes space for comments, notes, and file attachments. That means the full history of a task, from the original ask to the final outcome, stays in one place. It’s easier to ask follow-up questions, give feedback, or hand off work when everything is already there.

### Step 7: Make project tracking part of your weekly rhythm

It’s not enough to set things up once and hope for the best. Project tracking only works when it becomes a habit, something your team checks, updates, and trusts.

**How WEDO helps:**

WEDO makes that habit easier to stick to. You can review tasks from your own dashboard, filter by what’s due soon, or scan your workspace to see how things are moving. During weekly meetings, you can review projects live, update statuses as you talk, and create new tasks without switching tools.

When each of these steps becomes part of your everyday workflow and your tools are designed to support them, project tracking stops being an extra task and becomes the engine that drives your team forward.

## Conclusion

The most successful teams aren’t just organized; they’re aligned. They know what needs to be done, who’s doing it, and what’s getting in the way.

That level of clarity comes from having a system that supports real project tracking, making it easier to manage tasks, prioritize work, and adapt when things change.

[WEDO](https://wedo.com/features) gives your team that system. It connects the dots between planning and progress so you can deliver on time without the usual chaos.

Ready to stay on top of every task, project, and deadline? Start your [WEDO free trial today](https://wedo.com/signup).

Discover how to improve project tracking, manage tasks effectively, and meet deadlines with ease using WEDO’s collaborative work platform.

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Master Project Tracking Without Missing Deadlines

Most people don’t hate team meetings. What they hate is showing up for something that doesn’t seem to go anywhere.

We’ve all been there: a weekly check-in that turns into a rambling debate, a project sync that rehashes the same status updates, or a staff meeting where nothing gets decided and no one knows what happens next. And when that becomes the norm, meetings stop feeling productive and start feeling like, well, a waste of time.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. A well-run team meeting can help everyone share updates, unblock decisions, clarify priorities, and come away with clear action items. It can be a space for sharing ideas, not just ticking boxes. The difference comes down to a few simple things: preparation, structure, participation, and follow-through.

In this guide, we’ll break down what makes an effective team meeting, how to create a focused team meeting agenda, and what to do before, during, and after the meeting to make sure it actually leads to progress. Whether you’re managing a small team or running a cross-functional sync, these team meeting best practices will help you cut the clutter and get more out of every minute.

![Infographic about team meetings showing what works — clear purpose, structured agenda, on-time start and end, balanced participation, action items — and what wastes time — vague agenda, late starts, no decisions, lost follow-ups](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/team_meetings_what_works_what_doesnt_en_19bb37c330.png)

## What Makes a Team Meeting Worth It

Meetings should move work forward. That’s the simplest test.

A team meeting that helps people align, make decisions, and leave with clear next steps? Worth it. A meeting that eats up 45 minutes with scattered thoughts, untracked action items, and no real outcome? That’s where teams start checking out and questioning why they showed up at all.

An effective team meeting creates clarity. It gives team members a shared understanding of what’s happening, what needs to happen next, and who’s doing what. Even if not every problem gets solved in the moment, the meeting should lead to momentum: blockers surfaced, priorities adjusted, timelines refined.

But that only happens when meetings have a purpose beyond “just checking in.”

If your [team meetings](https://wedo.com/features/meetings) are mostly used for status updates, consider whether that information could be shared another way, like a shared doc, a Slack channel, or an async video update. Meetings are expensive. They’re a big chunk of time with smart people in one room (or Zoom), and that time should be reserved for work that actually benefits from live discussion: problem-solving, sharing ideas, making decisions, and asking questions that need a real-time back-and-forth.

Before scheduling or joining the next staff meeting, ask:

- What outcome are we aiming for?
- Do we need to meet live to get there?
- Who really needs to be in the room?

A successful team meeting isn’t measured by how long it lasted, it’s measured by whether anything changed after it ended.

## Plan Ahead with a Purposeful Team Meeting Agenda

If your meeting doesn’t have a solid plan before it starts, don’t be surprised when it goes off the rails. A clear meeting agenda helps teams show up prepared, stay aligned, and actually get something done.

The agenda sets expectations. It tells meeting participants why they’re there, what will be covered, and how they’re expected to contribute. That alone can shift the dynamic from passive attendance to active participation.

But not all agendas are created equal. A long list of vague talking points is no better than no agenda at all. Instead, aim for three things: relevance, clarity, and purpose. Every agenda item should earn its place.

Some best practices:

- Phrase agenda items as questions or outcomes (“Decide on Q3 hiring plan” instead of “Hiring”)
- List items in order of urgency or strategic value
- [Allocate time blocks](https://wedo.com/blog/how-time-blocking-helps-you-manage-your-daily-workload) if needed, and stick to them
- Note who owns each topic so there’s no confusion about who’s leading what

Even five minutes of prep can change the entire tone of a team meeting. Share the agenda in advance, not five minutes before go-time. That gives team members space to reflect, gather input, or prep updates without being put on the spot.

And if something doesn’t belong on the agenda? Cut it. One of the simplest ways to avoid wasting time in meetings is to avoid cramming them with items that could be handled elsewhere, via email, a comment thread, or an async check-in.

## Start and End Meetings on Time

It sounds simple, but consistently starting and ending your team meetings on time can completely shift how your team sees the value of meeting together.

People are more likely to [show up prepared and stay engaged](https://wedo.com/blog/meeting-engagement-strategies-keep-everyone-focused-and-involved) when they know the meeting won’t drag or start 20 minutes late. Start by opening on time or with a short grace period, no matter who’s missing. Waiting too long for late arrivals sends the message that showing up on time doesn’t matter. Instead, reward punctuality by starting promptly, even if it's just with a recap or quick check-in.

Then keep an eye on pacing. If you’ve set time blocks for agenda items, respect them. A quick heads-up like, “We’ve got five minutes left on this topic,” helps the group stay focused without cutting off discussion entirely. If the conversation still needs more time, table it for follow-up or move it to an async thread.

And yes, end on time, even if you haven’t covered everything. It encourages better prioritization next time and gives your team members a reliable boundary around their schedule. No one wants to walk into a “30-minute check-in” that always turns into an hour-long download.

Ending strong also means wrapping with clarity: restate any action items, confirm due dates, and make sure it’s clear who’s doing what. A minute or two for this recap helps prevent the classic “so what did we actually decide?” moment once people leave the call.

The more consistent you are about running meetings on time, the easier it becomes for your team to show up ready, speak up with purpose, and get back to work without feeling like their time was hijacked.

## Make Participation Easy and Purposeful

When meetings are dominated by just a few voices, it’s easy for other team members to check out, even when they have something valuable to contribute. Participation shouldn’t feel like a performance or a disruption. It should feel like a natural part of the process.

That doesn’t mean everyone needs to speak the same amount, but there should be intentional space for people to jump in, ask questions, or clarify something before it turns into confusion later. Sometimes that means calling on someone directly. Other times, it means building in pauses between agenda items so people don’t have to fight for airtime.

A few small tweaks can make a big difference: rotating who leads certain topics, using the chat for quick check-ins during hybrid calls, or doing a round of brief updates where each person has the floor for one minute or less. These touches help the team stay engaged and give quieter voices a chance to weigh in without adding pressure.

You can also create structure without being rigid. Assign someone to take meeting notes and track action items. Ask one person to keep an eye on time. Give someone else the job of flagging when a conversation is going off course. The goal isn’t more roles, it’s shared ownership.

Meetings feel more useful when people know their input matters, not just to check a box but to move things forward. And the more engaged people feel, the less likely they are to see the next team meeting as another block of time they’ll never get back.

## Don’t Just Talk, Track Action Items

Good conversation is great, but it doesn’t mean much if nothing happens afterward. One of the easiest ways to spot a failing meeting habit is when the same topics come up week after week, because no one actually did the thing they agreed to.

Every discussion should either lead to a decision, an open question to revisit, or a clear next step. If there’s no follow-up, the meeting becomes just another conversation that fades once the call ends.

The most effective teams don’t just talk through problems, they assign ownership. As topics wrap, make sure someone is writing down what needs to happen, who’s responsible, and when it’s due. Even better, say it out loud before moving on: “Sounds like Maria will draft the client summary by Friday. That right?”

Capturing this in your meeting notes isn’t micromanaging—it’s clarity. People walk away knowing what they’re supposed to do, without needing to scroll back through a chat thread or guess what was implied. It also makes follow-ups easier. If someone misses a due date, the team can check the notes and get back on track, fast.

It helps to link each action item back to the agenda item it came from. That way, context isn’t lost, and people understand not just *what* they need to do, but *why* it matters.

## Use the Right Tools to Keep Meetings Productive

![Infographic titled "5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Team Meetings" showing five key practices: share the agenda in advance, encourage balanced participation, prioritize high-impact topics, start and end on time, and track action items in one place](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/5_simple_ways_to_improve_your_team_meetings_en_22aae7af6b.png)

The tools you use can either streamline your meetings or add more noise. Switching between docs, emails, calendar invites, and chat threads might seem manageable in the moment, but it’s often where details fall through the cracks.

That’s why using one platform to manage the full meeting cycle, agenda, notes, action items, and follow-up, can save serious time and frustration.

Tools like [WEDO](https://wedo.com/features) are built for exactly this. [WEDO](https://wedo.com/features) gives your team a single space to plan, run, and follow up on team meetings, without the back-and-forth or the scattered tools. You can build your meeting agenda directly in the platform, assign roles before the meeting starts, and take structured meeting notes as the conversation happens.

No more switching between a notes app, a calendar, and a project tracker. No more guessing who was supposed to do what.

With [WEDO](https://wedo.com/features), you can:

- Create reusable agenda templates to streamline recurring meetings
- Take notes in real time, linked directly to each agenda item
- Assign action items with clear owners and due dates, on the spot
- Share meeting summaries automatically with team members
- Look back at past team meetings to see what was discussed and what got done

If your meetings often feel productive in the moment but don’t lead to clear results, it’s time to tighten the loop. Try [WEDO for free at your](https://wedo.com/signup) next team meeting and see how easy it can be to stay focused, stay aligned, and turn discussion into real progress.

Learn how to run focused team meetings that lead to action, not burnout. Get practical tips, agenda strategies, and tools that help meetings deliver.

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How to Run Better Team Meetings (and Avoid Wasting Time)

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.

::button-primary[Try WEDO for free]{link="/signup"}

::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}

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

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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.

::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}

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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