You’ve got people from marketing, engineering, design, and maybe even legal all trying to work together. That’s great in theory—until you’re drowning in email threads, random Slack messages, and “just checking in” meetings. If you’re tired of spinning your wheels, this guide is for you. We’re going to cut through the noise and show you, step by step, how to actually get stuff done with cross-functional teams using Momentum shared workspaces.
Why Shared Workspaces Matter (and What to Watch Out For)
Let’s be honest: most “collaboration” tools just add to the chaos. Shared workspaces can help—if everyone actually uses them and you set things up right. Otherwise, it’s just another app to ignore. Momentum shared workspaces are designed to give your team one place to organize projects, documents, and conversations. But software alone won’t magically fix bad habits or unclear goals.
This guide focuses on what actually works, where things break down, and how you can steer clear of the usual traps.
Step 1: Decide What Actually Needs to Be Shared
Before you even open Momentum, get clear about what you’re working on together. Not every project needs a shared workspace. If you’re just passing a file back and forth, don’t overcomplicate it.
Ask yourself: - Is this a project that will last more than a couple of days? - Do people from different teams need to see the same updates or documents? - Will there be ongoing discussions, not just one-off approvals?
If you answer yes to at least two, it’s probably worth setting up a workspace.
Pro tip: Don’t create a workspace “just in case.” Empty or abandoned workspaces are confusing and turn into digital junk drawers.
Step 2: Set Up Your Workspace with Real People in Mind
Open Momentum and create a new shared workspace. Give it a name that’s specific—“Q3 Website Launch” beats “Marketing Project.” Add a short description so people know what’s in and out of scope.
Invite only the people who need to be there. If someone just needs to be kept in the loop, Momentum’s notification settings or shared links are usually enough. Too many cooks spoil the workspace.
Structure matters: - Folders, not chaos: Start with a few clear folders or sections—like “Design,” “Content,” “Engineering Tasks,” and “Meeting Notes.” - Pin or highlight the must-see stuff: Momentum lets you pin important docs or announcements. Use it, or expect to answer “Where’s that file?” all month.
What to ignore: Don’t go overboard with color coding, emojis, or custom icons—unless your team actually cares about that. Focus on clarity, not cuteness.
Step 3: Set Ground Rules (and Actually Write Them Down)
Workspaces fail when nobody knows what to expect, so spell out: - Where updates should be posted (workspace feed? comment threads? not email?) - How often people should check in (daily? weekly? only when tagged?) - Who’s responsible for updating what (e.g., “Only project leads update the timeline”)
Post these rules right in the workspace. If it’s buried in an onboarding doc nobody will read, it’s as good as not having them.
Pro tip: Keep it simple. Three rules everyone follows beat ten rules nobody remembers.
Step 4: Use Momentum’s Tools—but Don’t Get Lost in Features
Momentum shared workspaces come with docs, checklists, discussion threads, and file storage. Here’s what’s actually useful for cross-functional teams:
- Docs: Good for meeting notes, project briefs, and shared reference material. Don’t use them for stuff that changes every day (like tasks).
- Task lists: Use these for clear, owner-assigned action items. If everything’s “assigned to the team,” nothing gets done.
- Comments and threads: Great for decisions or questions that need a record. Don’t try to have every casual chat here—use Slack or whatever your team likes for that.
What to skip: Don’t waste time exploring every feature just because it’s there. If you don’t need polls, Kanban boards, or integrations with seventeen other apps, don’t force it. Tools are only useful if they save you time or reduce confusion.
Step 5: Make Updates Obvious and Findable
The #1 complaint on any team: “I didn’t know that changed.” Avoid it by:
- Pinning key updates or decisions at the top of the workspace.
- Using clear file names and versioning if you upload docs (“Homepage-v3-FINAL” is better than “homepage_new”).
- Summarizing big changes in a post or comment, rather than expecting people to notice on their own.
Don’t: Expect everyone to remember every notification. If it’s truly important, over-communicate (within reason).
Step 6: Handle Permissions and Privacy Up Front
Momentum lets you set permissions—who can edit, who can view, who can comment. Use these, especially with sensitive or draft docs. But don’t lock down everything by default, or you’ll spend more time granting access than working.
Rule of thumb: - Default to open for most project info. - Restrict only what’s actually confidential (e.g., budgets, HR stuff).
Pro tip: Review permissions once a month. People leave, roles change, and nothing’s more awkward than finding out “the client” could see your messy draft notes.
Step 7: Keep the Workspace Tidy (or at Least Not a Disaster)
A workspace full of outdated files and dead threads is basically a landfill. At the end of each major milestone or quarter, do a quick clean-up: - Archive old docs and finished tasks. - Move outdated discussions to an “Archive” section (don’t just delete—someone always wants to look back). - Remove folks who no longer need access.
What not to do: Don’t aim for zero clutter every day. Some mess is normal. Just don’t let it snowball.
Step 8: Get Feedback and Adjust—Don’t Just “Set and Forget”
After a couple of weeks, ask the team what’s working and what’s not. Momentum won’t fix a broken process, but it makes experiments easier. If everyone’s ignoring the workspace, find out why. Too many sections? Too many notifications? Or maybe it’s just not the right tool for this particular project.
Iterate: Change the setup as you go. The best shared workspace is the one people actually use—not the one that ticks every box.
Keep It Simple, Stay Flexible
Shared workspaces like Momentum are supposed to make teamwork easier, not just add another login. Start small, be clear, and don’t try to solve every problem with software. The best teams keep things straightforward and aren’t afraid to change it up if something isn’t working.
Set it up, try it with one real project, and tweak from there. Don’t wait for “perfect”—just get started. And remember: people > tools, every time.