If you’re working with a cross-functional team—think product managers, engineers, designers, marketers, all trying to hit the same deadlines—you know how easy it is for tasks to get lost in the shuffle. Emails get buried, Slack threads get chaotic, and suddenly, no one’s sure who owns what. If you’re using Fellow and want a no-nonsense way to assign and track project tasks (without more meetings or mystery), this guide’s for you.
Here’s how to actually get stuff done in Fellow when your team cuts across functions, departments, and calendars.
1. Get Your Team Set Up in Fellow
Before you start assigning anything, make sure the right people are in the right places.
- Invite everyone who’ll touch the project—not just your direct reports or immediate team. Cross-functional means everyone involved, even if they’re only on the hook for one task.
- Organize by workspace or groups if your org is big. This keeps your project from getting mixed up with other random tasks.
Pro tip: Don’t overthink the structure—start with a single shared workspace or meeting series for the project. You can always reorganize later if things get messy.
What works:
Fellow makes it pretty easy to invite users and set up shared meetings or workspaces. You don’t need admin help unless your IT is locked down.
What doesn’t:
Don’t try to use one-off meeting notes for everything. Things get lost. Stick to a consistent space for all project-related tasks and discussions.
2. Create a Shared Meeting or Project Note
Fellow is built around meetings and collaborative notes. For cross-functional projects, set up a recurring meeting or a dedicated project note.
- Recurring meetings: This is best if you have regular check-ins (weekly, bi-weekly, etc.).
- Project note: Use this if you want an always-on space for tracking progress, even outside meetings.
How to set it up: 1. In Fellow, click Create Meeting or Create Note. 2. Add all relevant stakeholders. 3. Name it something obvious, like “Q3 Product Launch – Cross-Functional Team.”
Pro tip: Use templates. Fellow has built-in templates for project meetings, but don’t be afraid to strip them down. You don’t need a SWOT analysis for every check-in.
3. Assign Tasks Clearly (and to One Person)
Tasks in Fellow are called “Action Items.” The trick: Assign them to one owner. No “Bob and Alice” co-ownership—if two people own it, nobody does.
How to assign a task: 1. In your meeting or project note, create a new Action Item (look for the checkbox or “Add action item”). 2. Write the task in plain English. (“Draft landing page copy” beats “Landing page.”) 3. Assign the action item to a single person from the dropdown. 4. Set a due date. No due date = low odds it gets done.
What works:
It’s fast and pretty intuitive. You can assign tasks during a meeting, and everyone sees them in real time.
What doesn’t:
Don’t assign vague or multi-step tasks. Break things up so it’s obvious what “done” looks like.
Pro tip: If someone says, “I’ll take that and loop in design,” assign the task to them—let them chase design. Don’t split ownership.
4. Use Sections and Tags to Keep Things Organized
Cross-functional projects get messy fast: marketing, engineering, legal, all with their own priorities. Use sections or tags in Fellow to group action items by theme or team.
How to do it: - Sections: In your note, add headers like “Marketing,” “Dev,” “Legal” and put tasks underneath. - Tags: Use hashtags (e.g., #frontend, #QA, #comms) in task descriptions for extra filtering. Not everyone does this, but it helps if you’re tracking a lot.
What works:
Sections are simple and visual. Tags are handy if you’re exporting action items or using search.
What doesn’t:
Don’t expect tags to magically keep people on track. They’re a filter, not a workflow.
5. Monitor Progress—Without Micromanaging
Now for the “monitor” part. Fellow gives you a few ways to check in without nagging people.
- Action Items Overview: Click your own “Action Items” tab to see all tasks assigned to you and filter by meeting, project, or assignee.
- Meeting Recaps: After each meeting, send (or auto-send) the recap to all stakeholders. This keeps everyone honest and reduces “I didn’t know I owned that.”
- Check off completed tasks: Owners should check off their own tasks. If they don’t, give them a nudge—but don’t play task parent.
Pro tip: If someone’s always late or forgetting, discuss it in the open. Don’t let accountability slide just because you’re on different teams.
What works:
Fellow’s reminders and email summaries are helpful. You can also @mention people in notes to get their attention.
What doesn’t:
Don’t rely on Fellow to chase tasks for you. If your culture doesn’t value follow-through, no tool will fix that.
6. Review and Reassign When Needed
Projects shift, people go on vacation, priorities change. Don’t be afraid to reassign tasks or update due dates as you go.
How to do it: 1. Click on the action item. 2. Change the owner or the due date. 3. Add a short note if you’re moving something—context helps.
Pro tip: If a task is blocked, call it out in your next meeting note. Don’t let them sit idle because “someone else was supposed to handle it.”
7. Ignore the Bells and Whistles (Mostly)
Fellow has integrations, automations, and goal-tracking features. Some are useful, especially if you’re already deep into Slack or Google Calendar. But for cross-functional task tracking:
- Integrations: Slack reminders are handy if your team lives there. Don’t bother with integrations just for the sake of it.
- Goals: If your project has clear KPIs, link action items to goals. Otherwise, skip it—you don’t need more layers.
What works:
Stick to basics until you have a workflow. Add integrations later if there’s real pain.
8. Keep Communication Simple
Tasks get dropped when people don’t know what’s expected. Use Fellow to keep communication tight:
- Summarize key decisions and next steps in the note.
- Don’t flood people with notifications—send a single recap after meetings.
- Use comments for clarifications, not for side conversations.
Pro tip: If something’s urgent or unclear, pick up the phone or send a direct message. Don’t expect Fellow to replace real conversation.
9. Regularly Prune Your Task List
Every few weeks, clean up stale or irrelevant tasks. It keeps your project list from becoming a graveyard.
How to do it: - Review action items as a team. - Delete or close anything that’s no longer needed. - Move unfinished tasks to the next cycle—or kill them if they’re not a priority.
What works:
A smaller, current list is easier to manage. Less noise, more action.
What doesn’t:
Don’t let old tasks pile up “just in case.” If it’s important, it’ll come back.
Wrap Up: Start Simple, Adjust As You Go
Cross-functional projects are complicated enough—your task system shouldn’t be. Fellow does a decent job of helping teams assign and track tasks, but it’s only as good as your habits. Start with the basics: one owner per task, clear notes, regular check-ins. Keep things lean, don’t chase every feature, and tweak your setup as your project (and your team) evolve.
Less process, more progress. That’s the goal.