If your team's to-do list is a chaotic mess of emails, sticky notes, and "I'll remember," you're not alone. Assigning and tracking tasks across a group sounds simple—until it isn’t. That’s where Gan comes in: a tool built to wrangle team work into something you can actually manage. This guide is for anyone tired of chasing people for updates or watching deadlines slip because tasks fell through the cracks. Let’s cut through the fluff and get your team working together (for real this time).
1. Get Your Team (and Yourself) Set Up Properly
Before you start firing off tasks, make sure everyone who needs to use Gan actually has access and knows the basics. You don’t want to spend hours setting up a system only to realize half your team never logged in.
Do this:
- Invite your team via email or however Gan handles user onboarding.
- Make sure everyone can log in and sees the right workspace or project.
- Take five minutes to walk through the Gan interface together. (Seriously, it’ll save headaches later.)
Pro tip: If you’re the only one in Gan, you’re just making a prettier to-do list for yourself.
2. Create a Project (Don’t Overthink It)
Gan is organized around projects. This is where your tasks will live. Name it after your actual work—“Website Redesign,” “Q3 Launch,” not “Stuff”—so people know what’s in there.
How to create a project in Gan:
- Click the "New Project" button (sometimes it’s a plus sign).
- Give it a clear, obvious name.
- Add a quick description if you want, but don’t write a novel.
- Invite your team members—add only those who are actually going to do the work.
What to ignore: Fancy templates or color schemes. They look nice, but won’t move your work forward.
3. Break Down Work Into Actual Tasks (Not Vague Ideas)
Here’s where most teams go wrong: they make tasks like “Marketing” or “Website.” That’s not a task, that’s a department. You need actions someone can actually do.
A good task: - “Write homepage copy” - “Review Q3 budget proposal” - “Upload product photos”
A bad task: - “Marketing” - “Get feedback” - “Stuff for launch”
In Gan: - Click “Add Task” or similar. - Write a clear, specific action. - Keep tasks small enough that they can be finished in a day or so.
Pro tip: If a task lingers for weeks, it’s too big. Break it up.
4. Assign Tasks to Real People (Not "Team" or "TBD")
You want accountability, not a group guessing game. Every task in Gan should have one owner—even if they end up delegating pieces.
How to assign: 1. Open the task. 2. Use the “Assignee” field to pick a specific person. 3. Set a due date (and don’t be afraid to move it if things change).
Why this matters: - If everyone owns it, no one owns it. - Group assignments lead to finger-pointing and missed deadlines.
Don’t: Assign tasks to “Team,” “Everyone,” or leave them unassigned.
5. Add Useful Details—But Don’t Go Overboard
Some context helps. Endless checklists and documents don’t. In Gan, you can usually add:
- A description (one or two lines is plenty)
- Attachments (link docs or files if needed)
- Subtasks (for multi-step work, but don’t nest these forever)
What to skip:
You don’t need to recreate your entire workflow in the task description. If you’re spending more time documenting than doing, back off.
6. Track Progress—But Don’t Babysit
Here’s the big win: seeing what’s actually getting done. Gan usually lets you view tasks as lists, boards (like Kanban), or timelines. Pick what makes sense for you.
How to keep tabs:
- Use status labels like “To Do,” “In Progress,” “Done.” Don’t invent 10 custom stages unless you have a real need.
- Check in once a day or week—don’t hover over people’s shoulders.
- Use filters to see what’s overdue, what’s coming up, or what’s assigned to you.
What works:
A quick team check-in where everyone walks through their tasks in Gan. Nothing fancy.
What doesn’t:
Turning Gan into a second job by requiring people to update every tiny status. That’s busywork, not progress.
7. Use Comments and Mentions (Instead of More Email)
Tasks always generate questions. Gan usually lets you comment right inside a task and tag people with @mentions.
Why use this:
- Keeps all the context in one place.
- Cuts down on “Did you see my email?” threads.
- Makes it easy to see why decisions were made later.
Just don’t:
Turn the comment thread into Slack 2.0. Keep things focused. If a task needs more than a few back-and-forths, maybe it’s not clear enough.
8. Review and Adjust—Because Plans Change
No project goes exactly as you mapped it out. Gan is only helpful if you update it when things change.
How to stay on track:
- Move due dates if priorities shift—don’t let tasks quietly expire.
- Reassign work if someone’s overloaded or out.
- Delete or archive tasks you’re not doing. A cluttered board makes you blind to what matters.
Pro tip:
Schedule a quick review every week. Ask: What’s stuck? What’s actually done? What can we clear out?
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
Let’s be honest: No tool will “transform collaboration” if your team doesn’t actually use it. Gan makes it easier to see who’s doing what, but only if:
- Tasks are specific and assigned to real people
- The tool gets updated regularly (but not obsessively)
- You use comments to keep context, not to create more noise
Stuff that doesn’t help:
- Endless customization (colors, tags, statuses you’ll never use)
- Assigning tasks to groups or leaving them unassigned
- Using Gan as a replacement for real conversations—talk to your team
Keep It Simple (and Actually Use It)
That’s the real trick: Don’t make Gan another layer of overhead. Use it to clarify who’s doing what, by when, and check in often enough to keep things moving. Skip the bells and whistles until your team’s got the basics down.
Start simple. Iterate as you go. And don’t hesitate to kill off processes or features you never actually use. Collaboration isn’t magic—just clear tasks, regular updates, and a team that actually checks the tool now and then.
Now go assign something, track it, and see how it works for your team.