Although meetings are integral to a company, there are many executives and employees who complain about their length being sometimes excessive. In January, a study conducted by Doodle[^1]  revealed that Swiss employees spent an average of 5 hours per week in meetings. So how can you improve the efficiency of meetings? 

An endless meeting is often the result of poor preparation. To save time during a meeting, there are a few steps that should not be neglected. The moderator, as well as the attendees, must contribute to the elaboration of the meeting in order to plan its frame and progress. The meeting agenda, which represents the discussion thread, needs to be established according to the goals of the meeting in order to stay focused. This will help employees progress efficiently without wasting time. 

## Before the meeting – a collective preparation 

### Ask yourself the right questions and set clear goals

> _According to the survey on meetings presented by Doodle, 72% of the interviewed employees think that a good meeting goes through clearly set goals!_

Before scheduling a meeting, key questions need to be addressed: 

**What is the purpose of the meeting?** The outcome of the meeting will serve as a guideline. This preliminary question will allow you to highlight the interest of the meeting for the attendees. 

**What are the main topics to address?** The following step is to define the topics to be addressed during the meeting to achieve the desired goal. These topics will be the items of the meeting agenda.

**Who are the people involved?** A meeting with a large number of presenters is likely to drag on. It is therefore important to gather only those who are directly involved in the topics, decisions and tasks to be performed. 

**What is the estimated time for the meeting?**  According to the number of topics to be addressed, try to estimate and set the duration of the meeting and stick to it on the day of the meeting.

### Establish an organized and clear meeting agenda

> _According to the survey on meetings presented by Doodle, 67% of the interviewed employees think that a good meeting goes through a clearly established meeting agenda._

**List the different items in the meeting agenda >**  A meeting agenda consists of a list of items that resume the topics to be covered during the meeting. The establishment of a precise meeting agenda will ensure efficiency and rapidity during the meeting and will thus avoid unnecessary digressions and off-topic debates. Depending on the topics to be addressed, you can build the frame of the meeting by choosing, for example, a list of points hierarchized in different levels (ex: 1., 1.1, 1.2, 1.3,). If this organization does not seem relevant to you, you can try to group the items to address according to criteria that makes sense regarding the type of meeting: _departments or services concerned, addressed topics, topics ordered according to the interventions of different presenters, steps of the project to realize,_ etc.

**Define the role of the presenters >**  Depending on the established items, define who will speak during the meeting. In order to avoid taking attendees by surprise, schedule each person’s interventions ahead of time according to the meeting agenda. This will encourage them to prepare the meeting and will improve the efficiency and length of the discussions.

**Make the meeting agenda accessible to allow attendees to consult it >** Once the meeting agenda has been established, make sure to share it with all the attendees a few days before the meeting. A good preparation of the different interventions will contribute positively to the smooth running of the meeting. Furthermore, a previously established meeting agenda is likely to ensure a well-organized and productive meeting. The attendees will feel concerned and will not have the impression that the upcoming meeting will be wasting their valuable time.

## During the meeting – the roles of the meeting moderator and the drafter

### Progress according to the set order 

On the day of the meeting, keep the goal of the meeting in mind. The moderator of the meeting is responsible for its smooth running and must avoid any misplacements by following rigorously the pre-established meeting agenda. This will avoid the attendees to feel lost and they will be able to follow the discussions by referring to the common frame previously diffused. 

### Address the covered topics in a systematic way

The moderator of the meeting must try to facilitate the task of the meeting minutes drafter by being clear and rigorous in the way he conducts the meeting. By discussing each item of the meeting agenda in a systematic way, you will ensure a productive meeting and meeting minutes drafting while avoiding wasting time. But how can you discuss the various items of the meeting agenda in a systematic way? 

Here is a solution that considers the discussion of each item of the meeting agenda following three steps that will come out as three separate blocks of information in the meeting minutes: 

**Step 1 – the minutes of the discussions:** Every topic covered in a meeting generally leads to a discussion that will need to be transcribed in the meeting minutes > _this constitutes the first block of information of the discussed item._

**Step 2 – the result of the discussions:** The decisions and high points of the preliminary discussions should be highlighted > _this constitutes the second block of information of the discussed item._ Many employees often complain about leaving a meeting without really knowing which major decisions were made. Highlighting them will avoid that kind of uncomfortable feeling.

**Step 3 – tasks arising from the decisions:** The attendees will have to perform various tasks to reach the set goals > _this constitutes the last block of information of the discussed item._ Thanks to a clear division of tasks to perform, the attendees will be operational as soon as the meeting ends. This will avoid people forgetting what they are supposed to do from a meeting to the next. 

This method will encourage you to proceed in an efficient manner and will facilitate the drafting of the meeting minutes. Furthermore, when the attendees will have to review the meeting minutes, they will easily obtain the necessary information. Needless to say, certain items will not require such a structure and can therefore be covered far more quickly – for example by using only one of the three proposed blocks of information. 

In summary, the success of a company meeting is largely dependent on its preparation. By focusing on clearly set goals and on a clear meeting agenda, you will necessarily limit the length of your meetings and thus keep the attendees active and concerned. Establishing a meeting agenda can sometimes seem tedious. The trick is to create a meeting agenda template according to the different meetings that you conduct. This way, from one meeting to the next, you will only have to make a few changes to the template of the previous meeting agenda for the upcoming meeting, without having to create a new one each time. 

Do you want to facilitate the preparation and conduct of your meetings?

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

[^1]: To carry out the study in question, more than 6’500 professionals from the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and the United States were interviewed. 

Do your company meetings tend to drag on? In this article you will find a few tips to limit their duration! 

This image introduces tips on how to keep business meetings short, illustrated with a stopwatch showing 25 minutes

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How to limit the duration of a meeting?

## Table of contents

The table of contents facilitates the browsing through the meeting minutes. Furthermore, a single click will bring you to the item to be treated. From the table of contents, you can also:

* Decrease the indentation of an item
* Increase the indentation of an item
* Delete an item
* Drag and drop the items and/or sub-items to organize them

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive1_c190e8d7b5.png)

## Item by item

For this new version, the drafting has been redesigned: from now on, only the item to be treated will appear on the screen. Once you are done with an item, you just need to click the button with the title of the next item to be treated to progress in the drafting. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive2_2_d8f1773246.png)

## Redesigned Toolbar 

Each item and sub-item has its own Toolbar. From the **\+ button** you can:

* Attach a file
* Add a note
* Add a decision
* Create a task
* Add a sub-item to the meeting agenda
* Import tasks from the workspace

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive3_3_e41bc9c72a.png)

## The “move” button 

It is now possible to move a note, a decision, a task or a file to another item in the meeting agenda. Click the button with the **three vertical points** (1) and **Move the note** (2). A window will open with all the possible destinations. Click the item to which you wish to move your note (3). The same procedure applies to move a decision, a task or a file.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive4_3_7828884129.png)

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive5_1_68b88ca912.png)

## The pending tasks box 

Pending tasks from the workspace are now available in a box that you can access with a button. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive6_8c12348415.png)

From the pending tasks box, it is possible to import tasks into a specific item: click the tasks to import (1) and, with the drop-down list, select the item in which you want to import the tasks (2). Then, click **Import** (3).

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive7_6e99b65c52.png)

_Info : if you would like your pending tasks to figure as an item in your meeting agenda, like in the previous version, you can simply create an item entitled “Pending tasks” and import all the pending tasks from the workspace._ 

## The 5 steps of the meeting

At all times, you can see which step of the meeting you are in. The user with all access rights can click on each step to change the status of the meeting.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive8_3f51cf7d39.png)

_Info : other buttons at the bottom of the page also allow you to switch from step to step._ 

## Display of access rights of each attendee

You can now click on the attendees of a meeting to see the distribution of access rights. Click on the attendees (1), a window will open with a list of the meeting attendees and their access rights for the current meeting (2). 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive14_c86280b5bd.png)

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive15_07a2d15e76.png)

This can be useful if you need to modify meeting minutes but you do not have the appropriate access rights. You can then spot the attendees who have full access rights on that meeting, who will be able to change your access rights. Attendees with full access rights are represented by a logo with a crown on a blue background. 

\-

A collection of articles explains all the ins and outs of the new Meetings module.

::button-primary[Access the Help Center]{link="https://help.wedo.swiss/en/collections/3202989-meetings"}

The new version of WEDO revises the meeting module to simplify the drafting of the meeting minutes. With this article, discover the improvements this update offers!

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Meeting module : improvements that will facilitate the drafting of your meeting minutes

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> _Sick of long, unproductive meetings? Two Fribourgeois propose a digital solution, WEDO, to make them efficient. Explanations._

Between three and six weeks a year: that's the time we spend on average in work meetings, according to a survey published in 2017 by the Opinionway Institute for the business consultancy firm Empreinte Humaine. According to this survey of a thousand employees in companies of various sizes and in a variety of economic sectors, nearly one out of every two sessions is considered unproductive. More than 25% of the respondents do not see the need to participate. As a result, 44% of them discreetly use their smartphone to do something else during this time (typically reading and sending emails).

This scourge has a name: Meeting madness. Antoine Sudan and David Dutch suffered from it for several years after graduating from engineering school. "Meetings are not useless in themselves," they say at the outset. "The problem is that they are poorly prepared, the agenda is not respected and you come out of them far too often without being sure of what has been decided. Amazed at the time they spent on this commendable but frustrating exercise, Antoine Sudan and David Dutch developed the WEDO web application. That was in 2014\. Today, four years and thirty updates later, this web application is used by more than a hundred organisations, municipalities and companies in French-speaking Switzerland, including Groupe Mutuel, Groupe E Connect, HES-SO Fribourg and Banque Cantonale de Fribourg.

Neither blockchain, Dropbox, nor intranet, WEDO is a collaborative platform whose layout automatically adapts to the size of the screen you use (iPhone, PC...). It is in fact an interface with a common and participative space. Very didactic, it has been designed to be within everyone's reach. Regardless of its functionalities and technical qualities, the WEDO application is based on in-depth reflection and careful analysis of the factors that make working meetings so often disappointing and time-consuming. In other words, this organizational solution has been developed to respond directly and pragmatically to certain recurring problems. One example: the agenda often remains a little vague until everyone is gathered around the table. To avoid this, WEDO offers a feature that allows you to record and schedule the items to be discussed. Once this is done, simply open the application and follow the thread of questions. No more digressing, in short.

## EASY TO KNOW WHO'S DOING WHAT

The minutes are a chore? Thanks to WEDO, it is possible to write it live. "This is one of the interesting features of our meeting management module. You have an agenda, with a series of items to be discussed, and you can add under each item blocks of information, whether they are notes, decisions or tasks to be carried out," explains Antoine Sudan. Decisions made and tasks assigned during meetings can then be recorded by the minute writer at the time. Since this information is displayed in a specific place in the module and all participants have a personal access account, it is very easy to retrieve this information later. In short, at the end of the session, everyone knows where to find the answer to the famous "who does what" question.

In addition, it is possible to export an agenda or minutes by generating a PDF file so that it can be shared, printed and signed. You can also easily create extracts from minutes, or retrieve notes through the minutes using simple keywords. Gone are the days when you had to open multiple files to get your hands on information!

"The strength of WEDO is that it covers all phases of meeting management: before, with the preparation of the agenda, during, with the taking of important notes, and finally after, with the follow-up of tasks. Indeed, in addition to our module for meeting management, we have developed another one for task management and scheduling, and both interact with each other. Therefore, you have the means to ensure a continuous and dynamic follow-up of the work. This way, you can see at any time what has been done between sessions and what remains to be done. You no longer have to wait to obtain or pass on information, nor do you have to send several confirmation e-mails or call three times to find out how much a quote will cost," says David Dutch. In addition, each user can activate synchronisation with his electronic calendar (Outlook, Google Calendar...).

## MEETINGS SHORTENED BY ONE THIRD

It is also possible to create specific spaces for certain projects, departments or work teams, so that tasks can be distributed in one click. As soon as a job is indicated as completed, the participants concerned receive immediate and automatic feedback. "All of these processes greatly speed up the processing of decisions and shorten the duration of sessions by an average of one third," says Antoine Sudan.

Solving complicated problems with a simple software: that was the challenge of the creators of WEDO. The first person they told about it - a former professor - predicted that « it would never work ». Which makes them laugh a lot today. « Luckily, our engineering mentality soon got the better of us and we refused to let it get us down ». While many young entrepreneurs start by trying to raise funds, Antoine Sudan and David Dutch decide to develop their application while working and approach their first customers in parallel. They conduct more than 300 interviews for this purpose. Right from the start, they rely on user feedback to improve their product. The first version is officially released in May 2015\. A few prospects test it. « With each new release, we surveyed our customers to find out how we could improve WEDO. And we continue to solicit their opinions and feedback. For example, some of them recently commented that they would have liked to have been able to define specific access criteria, to avoid having participants pop up with irrelevant questions on the agenda. While a General Secretary should certainly be able to modify the agenda, this is not necessarily the case for any participant. So in the latest version of WEDO, we have introduced a new tool to set up access rights very finely ».

  
![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_wedo_montage_1024x525_23213decc1.png)
  
  
## START WITH A FREE TRIAL

What about the price? According to a common practice in applications, it depends on the number of users. It varies between 15 and 25 francs per person per month. WEDO is available in packs of five, ten or fifteen users; above twenty, packs are sold in increments of ten additional units. The subscription covers all updates, data hosting and support, i.e. all services with the exception of change management during the first year to maximise the chances of success, which is also calculated on the basis of a flat rate depending on the size of the network. 

"But what we always offer in the first place is a free presentation of WEDO. That's why you'll find a big blue button on the homepage of our website [www.wedo.com](/) that you can click on to schedule a demonstration by booking a date at your convenience directly in our calendar," say Antoine Sudan and David Dutch, who claim that the data will only be hosted on servers located in Switzerland.

Source: original article [Le Matin Dimanche](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/article_wedo_matin_dimanche_316cb86cf5.pdf)

Sick of long, unproductive meetings? Two Fribourgeois propose a digital solution, WEDO, to make them efficient. Explanations.

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The cure for meeting madness is called WEDO

Antoine Sudan and David Dutch are two friends who created WEDO after discovering the joys of working and planning meetings. 

### 

![PME Magazine](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/wp_content_uploads_2018_09_diapositive30_25efb9625e.png)

> This start-up company from Fribourg created a software designed to optimize work organization and meetings. About forty big companies are customers, among which the Groupe Mutuel. 

Before being associates, Antoine Sudan and David Dutch were two teenagers living in the Broye region and taking the train together to go to school. They dreamed of creating their own company together but they needed some work experience, so they both started to work once they got their engineering degree.

They soon discovered the surprises and disillusions of corporate life. “Collaboration was not as easy as expected, especially during meetings”, explains Antoine. “We were often missing answers and solutions to simple questions such as ‘who takes care of what’, ‘how’ and ‘for when’, regardless all the e-mails we were receiving”. Therefore, the two friends had an idea: develop a collaborative task manager to simplify work progress. They started to work on their project from of 2014.

What differentiates them from others is that no funds were raised for their project: they developed their software on their own while they were still working. Furthermore, to optimize their product, they contacted their potential customers and questioned them to have a clear idea on their needs and point of view. They conducted more than 300 interviews to develop their tool in the best possible way. The first version of the software was launched in May 2015 and was first tested with a few of their sales leads who were curious to discover its functionalities.

Their software is thus an organizational solution. It is a common and collaborative space to which everyone has access and can follow the work progress in real-time. Hence, people know exactly who is in charge of what and for when it is due. No need to make several calls or to send amounts of e-mails to give a feed-back on a project. The interface is made in a didactic manner and is within everyone’s reach. The price varies according to the number of users and is between 15 and 25 Swiss francs per month and per user. Hence, the software allows to manage meetings, tasks and check-lists at reasonable cost.

## Work progress in real-time

Nearly three years after the first launch of the software, the contractors, who are today 31 and 32 years old, have proved successful. More than 40 health facilities are among their customers, and other companies such as Groupe Mutuel. Christian Lalain, member of the IT department of the insurance company, first discovered WEDO when he was the municipal councilor of Saillon. “I wanted to find a solution to the traditional paper files on which we would stick a post-it note with essential information or updates, which would eventually end up being lost or worn down. For that reason, I installed WEDO on the municipality’s computers last year. It’s great: everyone is working on the same tool and the different working spaces structure all activity. If a person calls to make an appointment with a particular person or for an information, the person at reception can create a task and assign it to the corresponding person, who will receive a notification. She will then know exactly what to do or what to answer if the person calls back. The software thus improved communication and interaction not only among collaborators, but also with our citizens. It definitely improved the quality and efficiency of our service and increased our team spirit”. 

## Servers in Switzerland

Given the positive results observed in Saillon, Christian Lalain suggested his employer at the Groupe Mutuel to use this tool. Groupe Mutuel previously used another tool called Wunderlist, purchased by Microsoft. The start-up company from Fribourg is proud of its success and is still growing surely but slowly. “Once our first client signed, there was a second, and a third…” recalls David Dutch. “We first reduced our working time, then we became self-employed. We are now established as a LLC and our office is based in Fribourg. And we are hiring! We are planning on hiring two new collaborators this year”. The two associates started off by looking for customers before going to fairs. In Switzerland, there are very few competitors. As their servers are based in Switzerland, they can claim their 100% swiss origin, a key argument for customers who fear data theft. 

\-

Source: [Original article from PME Magazine](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/article_wedo_pmemagazine_2018_06_8bc9187094.pdf)

This start-up company from Fribourg created a software designed to optimize work organization and meetings. About forty big companies are customers, among which the Groupe Mutuel. 

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WEDO’s great success

Thanks to Fri Up for this video portrait and for the support brought to our startup.

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Portrait of WEDO by Fri Up

## You can visualize the decisions made during meetings in the activity feed. 

The new version of WEDO allows you to visualize the decisions that were made during a meeting in the activity feed. In each workspace, click the **info** tab and then select the **decisions** filter to show all the decisions that were made in chronological order.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2018_03_diapositive1_d05d7d1593.png)

## The meeting agenda synchronizes with Outlook events

This patch remedies the problems met with the synchronization of Outlook events. From now on, when you are preparing your meeting agenda in WEDO and you add participants to your meeting, the different participants (who have activated the synchronization with Outlook) will be able to directly consult the meeting agenda in the description of the Outlook event. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2018_03_diapositive2_7d7080d01f.png)

## Export pending tasks in the agenda meeting 

When you export an agenda meeting into a PDF file, you can now choose to show the pending tasks linked to the different items. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2018_03_diapositive3_1b9567b511.png)

## Add tasks to the pending tasks during a meeting

You can now add pending tasks during a meeting (possible in every section). No need to navigate between the Meeting tab and the Tasks tab during a meeting.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2018_03_diapositive4_e1541104047919_62a1c8d533.png)

## Other improvements in this version

* Implementation of rights of validators during meetings,
* Correction of the recovery of tasks when a search is made,
* Improvement of the message when deleting a point of the meeting agenda,

We can improve our software thanks to your feedbacks. Please do not hesitate to forward us any suggestions or other development ideas.

The new version of WEDO allows you to visualize the decisions that were made during a meeting in the activity feed.

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Follow the progress of your decisions

> Antoine Sudan is a graduate engineer in project management. In 2014, while working in a company, the Staviacois finds that managing team tasks without the right tools can be chaotic in the face of a growing mass of information. He therefore decided to team up with a friend to develop an application capable of coordinating work in a company in a simple and efficient way.

"This will never work. That was the verdict of the first person to whom we presented our project three years ago. He was a former professor. He said it' s impossible to solve complicated problems with simple software. But that's exactly what my friend and I had in mind.

Fortunately, our engineer mentality quickly took over. What's the point of letting ourselves be beaten down by criticism?

It is best to get as much out of it as possible to find the right solution. In order to establish the chances of success of our application, we went to present it to several potential customers. Get out of the building, a rather difficult exercise for me. Indeed, the prospecting made me nervous at first. It's hard to get out of your comfort zone and present a growing idea to a business owner. In the end, it was by acting that I gained confidence. Our project became clearer as the meetings went on and I gradually set aside my doubts. My friend and I had a lot of questions and it was often our contacts who gave us the right answers.

Our tenacity seems to have paid off. WEDO is currently used by around 40 clients, including the Fribourg Cantonal Bank. My friend and I can live off the income from our business and therefore dedicate ourselves entirely to its development. One thing is certain: overtime will continue to accumulate! This is a new challenge that we have to face. When you're self-employed, you also have to know how to stop for a moment and look back to savour what you've accomplished. The bottle of champagne has been chilled for a long time. I hope that we will soon find the time to open it. »

> Our tenacity seems to have paid off

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2017_09_image_001_9c6997c758.png)

**Antoine Sudan**co-founder of WEDO Sàrl

Photo: © Kevin Schlüter ([Fri Up](http://www.friup.ch/maps/fri-up/)) / Source: 
[Original Interface article](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/article_wedo_interface_2017_09_d56ea6676a.pdf)

An article on WEDO published in l'Interface de la Fédération Patronale et Économique (September 2017).

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The interface (Business and Economic Federation)

## WEDO SARL, THE SWISS MADE COLLABORATIVE TOOL

WEDO Sàrl is a project of David Dutch and Antoine Sudan, two engineers and childhood friends from Fribourg. WEDO is a collaborative tool created in 2015 and supported by Fri Up. It is used to manage tasks, meetings and team projects. The vision of the two engineers was to simplify communication within a company and to revolutionize collaboration among professionals!

## THE BIRTH OF A 100% SWISS START-UP

As an employee of a company, everyone is confronted with different communication channels: minutes, procedures, documents, emails, charts, phone calls or checklists. Keeping a clear vision on the tasks to perform and their deadlines is not always easy. 

In 2015, David Dutch and Antoine Sudan decided to meet several managers of different companies to discover their ways of managing tasks, meetings and projects. It is thanks to the precious testimonies of more than 300 professionals that the two engineers were able to develop their platform. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2017_07_stemutz_photo_fri_up_we_do_web_imh_8113_1024x683_b61624ecbc.jpg)

Unlike different tools available online, WEDO is adapted to the needs of Swiss companies. 

> Collaborate with ease 

All data are hosted in Switzerland. The application is highly secure and user-friendly, to ensure an easy networking between employees. 

## TOOLS AT THE SERVICE OF COMPANIES

The return on investment of the use of WEDO is rapid. For example, the drafting of meeting minutes via WEDO will save you up to one hour per meeting, in comparison with standard ways of drafting meeting minutes. Furthermore, the traceability proposed by the application allows you to follow up with the decisions made during the execution of a task on the field. 

Our current customers come from different fields: administrations, municipalities, nursing homes, and banks. Dedicated features allow them to follow existing processes, such as the writing of meeting minutes or the creation of checklists for the monitoring of administrative procedures. Collaborative tools are undoubtedly the future of communication systems for businesses. It is thanks to the suggestions by our customers that WEDO adapts to the needs of companies. The goal is to see WEDO become the collaborative reference tool in Switzerland. 

Photo : © Stéphane Schmutz / STEMUTZ.COM / Source : 
[Original article in ECHO](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/article_wedo_echo_2017_06_26_65e15d8fde.pdf)

An article about WEDO published in Echo, the magazine by CCIF. (June 2017 / N° 3). 

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ECHO (CCIF)

## WEDO, the startup that makes tasks clear.

**Estavayer-­le-­Lac »** WEDO is ready to conquer companies. Founded in August 2015 in Estavayer-le-Lac by two young engineers, David Dutch (IT) from Fribourg and Antoine Sudan (management), the startup offers an online application at [wedo.com](/). «It is a collaborative tool, which allows you to manage tasks in teams», summarizes Antoine Sudan.

**Duly identified** and in groups, the members of a company can enter tasks, plan them, assign priorities, delegate them, comment them, filter them, archive them, monitor their progress or receive notifications, among other functionalities. A special feature of this 100% Swiss application is that all data is securely hosted exclusively in Switzerland.

«We surveyed 300 business owners to identify the needs when we developed version 1, which was released in April 2015\. To date, around 30 companies are using our application, including a bank, residential homes and industrial companies. Their instantaneous feedback allows us to continuously refine the application, according to users' needs. As a result, we are now at version 20 of WEDO», explains the engineer.

The duo, who have been supported by Fri Up (coaching and locations) since November 2015, feel confident enough today to think bigger. «There are only two of us. But if everything works according to our business plan, we'll be able to hire as early as 2018», hopes Antoine Sudan.

\--

Interview by Stéphane Sanchez / Source: 
[Original article from La Liberté](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/article_wedo_liberte_2017_02_06_4c7a2632ef.pdf)

An article on WEDO published in La Liberté of 06.02.2017.

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La Liberté

Trello

Asana

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

Most people don’t have a problem finding things to do. The real challenge is figuring out which tasks actually deserve their time and energy.

You might start the day planning to focus on something important, only to get pulled into last-minute requests, quick emails, or meetings that weren’t even on your radar. Before you know it, the day’s gone, and the work that mattered most is still untouched.

This is where the Eisenhower Matrix can help. Named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, former President of the United States, this classic method helps you sort your task list based on urgency and importance. His often-quoted insight sums it up nicely: “What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.”

In this article, we’ll walk through how the Eisenhower Method works, why it’s still one of the best tools for better time management, and how WEDO makes it easy to apply the matrix directly to your daily workflow.

## What Is the Eisenhower Matrix?

The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Eisenhower Method or the urgent important matrix, is a simple framework for sorting tasks based on two key questions:

- Is it urgent?
- Is it important?

The idea is to separate what truly matters from what just demands your attention in the moment. The matrix gives you a visual way to do that. It’s a 2x2 grid that helps you place every task into one of four categories:

- **Urgent and Important**: Do it now
- **Important but Not Urgent**: Schedule it
- **Urgent but Not Important**: Delegate it
- **Not Urgent and Not Important**: Eliminate it

![Eisenhower Matrix for Task Prioritization with four quadrants: 'Do Now,' 'Delegate,' 'Schedule for Later,' and 'Defer or Ignore,' representing task urgency and importance.](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/blog_task_organisation_eisenhower_matrix_en_6371fef608.png)

While this method was inspired by a quote from Dwight D. Eisenhower, a five-star general and former President of the United States, Stephen Covey popularized it in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and it’s stuck around for good reason; it works.

At its core, the task prioritization matrix is about clarity. It helps you focus on the right things, avoid distractions, and make smarter decisions about where your time goes.

## Why the Eisenhower Matrix Works

When you think about it, most task lists or tools treat every task as equally important. A deadline, a quick reply, and a strategic project all sit next to each other, and without a clear system, it’s easy to default to whatever feels most urgent. That’s how important work gets buried under a pile of quick wins and interruptions.

The Eisenhower Matrix works because it gives you a way to step back and evaluate tasks based on actual value, not just time pressure. It turns a long to-do list into something you can act on with more intention.

By separating urgent tasks from important tasks, you start to see how much of your time goes toward solving immediate problems versus making meaningful progress. This is especially helpful when your day fills up with time-sensitive work that isn’t actually important; things like inbox triage, unnecessary meetings, or chasing updates that could have been automated.

It’s also a great tool for managing time and energy. Not every task deserves your full attention. When you focus on the right things, especially the important but not urgent ones, you avoid the constant cycle of crisis mode and start creating more room for strategic work.

Over time, the matrix helps you shift away from reactive habits and toward a more proactive approach to time management. And once you start seeing where your time is going, you can make clearer decisions about how to adjust it.

## A Closer Look at the Four Quadrants

The power of the Eisenhower Matrix comes from how simple it is, and how honest it forces you to be about what actually needs your attention. Here’s how each quadrant works, and how to use them to make better decisions.

### Quadrant 1: Urgent and Important

These are the tasks that require immediate attention. Deadlines, crises, time-sensitive deliverables, anything that can’t wait and has clear consequences if ignored.

You want to **do these tasks right away**. That said, if your day is constantly spent in this quadrant, something’s off. You’re likely spending too little time in Quadrant 2, where the real long-term work happens.

Examples: submitting a report due today, resolving a critical bug, or responding to a client issue that affects delivery.

### Quadrant 2: Important but Not Urgent

This is where the real progress happens. These tasks don’t have a deadline breathing down your neck, but they’re directly tied to your goals. Strategic planning, relationship-building, learning, and long-term projects live here.

The challenge? These tasks are easy to postpone. They don’t shout for your attention. But they’re the ones that prevent future emergencies and create real impact over time.

You want to **schedule and protect time** for this quadrant.

Examples: preparing a new proposal, mentoring a team member, or building out a roadmap for next quarter.

### Quadrant 3: Urgent but Not Important

These are the tasks that feel pressing, but don’t really require your involvement. They’re often interruptions disguised as priorities, things that are urgent but not important in the bigger picture.

You want to **delegate or minimize** these when possible. Just because something is loud or time-sensitive doesn’t mean it’s worth your direct attention.

Examples: meeting requests that don’t need you, messages asking for info someone else has, or last-minute tasks that could be automated.

### Quadrant 4: Not Urgent and Not Important

These are distractions. They don’t contribute to your goals, and they’re not time-sensitive. That doesn’t mean you can never scroll social media or decompress, but these tasks shouldn't be mixed into your workday as if they belong there.

You want to **eliminate or heavily limit** these when you’re trying to get meaningful work done.

Examples: checking social media out of habit, clicking through irrelevant notifications, or spending time on tasks that exist mostly to look busy.

## Common Pitfalls When Using the Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix looks simple, and it is. But like any prioritization tool, it only works if you use it consistently and honestly. A few small missteps can make the whole thing less effective, especially when you're juggling a lot or working across a team.

Here are some common mistakes to watch out for.

### 1. Mistaking urgency for importance

This is probably the most common issue. Urgency creates pressure. It makes something feel important, even when it’s not. That’s how you end up treating minor requests or last-minute asks as top priorities, while the work that actually matters keeps getting pushed back.

To avoid this, slow down for a second. Ask yourself: is this just time-sensitive, or is it truly impactful? If it’s not tied to a goal or outcome you care about, it might belong in Quadrant 3 — or not on your plate at all.

### 2. Letting other people’s priorities define yours

It’s easy to fill your day reacting to what others ask of you, especially if you’re working in a collaborative environment. But not every task that feels urgent to someone else needs to land in your Quadrant 1.

A shared sense of urgency doesn’t always equal shared importance. If the task isn’t aligned with your own role or responsibilities, look for ways to delegate, redirect, or push back politely.

### 3. Ignoring Quadrant 2

This is the quadrant most people struggle with, not because it’s hard, but because it’s quiet. Important but not urgent tasks are easy to postpone because they don’t feel immediate. But they’re the ones that drive long-term progress.

If you’re constantly overloaded with urgent tasks, chances are you haven’t spent enough time in Quadrant 2. Things like planning, learning, relationship-building, or preventive work get ignored, and then eventually show up in Quadrant 1 as a fire drill.

Protect time for these tasks before everything else crowds them out.

### 4. Using the matrix as a one-time exercise

The matrix isn’t just something you use once and forget. Priorities shift. New work appears. What was “important but not urgent” two days ago might now be both.

That’s why it helps to revisit your matrix regularly, even just a quick weekly review. If you’re using a task management tool, update priorities as part of your ongoing workflow instead of relying on memory or guesswork.

### 5. Automating everything but still ignoring priorities

Even in teams using automation or productivity tools, prioritization still matters. Just because a task shows up in your system doesn’t mean it’s worth doing right now, or at all. Automation saves time, but it doesn’t replace judgment.

The matrix helps you apply that judgment more consistently.

## Using the Eisenhower Matrix in WEDO

The Eisenhower Matrix is something you can actively use in WEDO to organize and prioritize your work with less friction. Instead of juggling tasks in your head or relying on manual labels in spreadsheets, WEDO makes it easy to sort, update, and manage your priorities directly inside your workspace.

Here’s how it works.

### Prioritize any task using built-in matrix labels

Every task in WEDO can be tagged using the matrix logic:

- Urgent and Important
- Important but Not Urgent
- Urgent but Not Important
- Not Urgent and Not Important

To assign a priority, just click on the task to open the detail pane, or use the small icon to the right of the task if a priority has already been set. This makes it easy to identify what needs your attention and what can wait, or be removed entirely.

![Diagram of the Eisenhower Matrix with four colored quadrants to distinguish urgency and importance.](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/EN_1_69e86183ea.png)

### Batch prioritize tasks with the Organize tool

When you’ve got a long list of tasks to sort through, WEDO helps you move faster. Just click the three vertical dots in the top right, select Organize, then choose Prioritize. From there, you can quickly move through your list and apply the correct priority to each task.

![Example of using the matrix in WEDO with integrated priority tags.](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/EN_2_52cc598424.png)

This is especially useful when setting up a new project or reviewing overdue tasks that may need to be reclassified.

### Use the magic wand for quick section-level prioritization

Inside your personal or shared spaces, you’ll see a magic wand icon at the end of each time section (like Today, Tomorrow, or Coming). This lets you jump straight into a prioritization view for that section — no need to open each task one by one.

![View of the WEDO interface using the organize tool to batch prioritize tasks.](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/EN_3_a187e93c52.png)

It’s a small detail, but it makes keeping your priorities updated a lot more realistic on a fast-moving day.

### Make the matrix part of your daily routine

Because WEDO keeps everything visible and up to date across your workspace, it’s easier to build regular prioritization into your workflow. You don’t need a separate tool or template to use the Eisenhower Matrix, it’s built into how you already manage your tasks.

The result? Less time spent deciding what to do next, and more confidence that your time is going toward the right things.

**Ready to put the matrix into action?**

[Start your free trial today](https://wedo.com/signup) and see how easy it is to sort tasks, stay focused, and take control of your day.

Learn how to use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks, manage time better, and stay focused with built-in tools from WEDO.

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The Eisenhower Matrix: How to Prioritize Tasks with This Classic Method

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.

Purple background visual with white text: “How to Master Project Tracking Without Losing Sight of Deadlines”, featuring a gear icon with a clock and a timeline with progress indicators

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Master Project Tracking Without Missing Deadlines

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.**

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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

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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!

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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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