If you’ve ever tried keeping a team on track—without resorting to a dozen “just checking in” Slack messages—you know it’s harder than it should be. This guide is for anyone who wants to actually get stuff done together in Theirstack, without wasting time on features you’ll never use.
Whether you’re new to Theirstack or you’ve poked around and gotten lost in all the options, I’ll walk you through the essentials: setting up collaborative tasks, making reminders that actually remind people, and keeping it all simple enough that your team doesn’t revolt.
1. First Things First: Get Your Team Organized
Before you start assigning tasks, take a minute to set up your workspace. This is worth doing right, or you’ll pay for it later in confusion and rework.
a. Set Up Your Workspace
- Create a new workspace for your team if you haven’t already. This keeps things separate from your personal projects.
- Invite your teammates using their work email. Don't just share a link—get them in the system so you can assign stuff to them directly.
Pro tip: Don’t add everyone in your company “just in case.” Only invite the folks who actually need to get things done with you. More people = more noise.
b. Clarify Your Team’s Structure
Theirstack lets you create groups, channels, or teams (the names change as they update the UI). Stick to one main team for most collaborative work. Avoid spinning up lots of sub-groups unless you have a real need—they just add friction.
2. Create Your First Collaborative Task List
Now for the meat and potatoes: making a place for tasks everyone can see and work on.
a. Add a Task List
- In your team workspace, look for “Add Task List” or “New Project” (the wording may shift, but the button’s usually at the top or in a sidebar).
- Give it a name everyone will recognize. “Q3 Marketing Plan” beats “Sarah’s Stuff”.
b. Set Permissions
- Make sure the task list is shared with the right people. Double-check: is it private, team-only, or public?
- If you want everyone to be able to edit or complete tasks, set permissions to “Can edit.” Otherwise, you’ll be fielding access requests all week.
What to ignore: Don’t get lost fiddling with color labels or icons at this point. Focus on getting the basic structure set up.
3. Add Tasks—The Right Way
Tasks are the backbone, but most teams mess up by making them too vague or assigning them to “everyone.” Here’s how to avoid that.
a. Create Clear, Actionable Tasks
- Break big projects into bite-sized tasks.
- “Write launch blog post” instead of “Marketing.”
- Add enough detail that someone else could pick it up if you’re out sick.
- Use checklists within tasks for multi-step jobs.
b. Assign Tasks (Don’t Skip This)
- Assign each task to a specific person. “Unassigned” tasks are where good intentions go to die.
- Set due dates. Even if you have to move them later, it gives everyone a sense of urgency.
- Use task priorities sparingly. Most teams just need “normal” and “urgent.” Don’t overthink it.
c. Add Followers (Optional, But Useful)
- If someone just needs to stay in the loop, add them as a follower/watcher. They’ll get updates, but they’re not responsible for finishing the task.
Pro tip: Don’t assign a task to more than one person. Shared responsibility means nobody feels responsible.
4. Set Up Reminders That Actually Help
Now, about those reminders. Theirstack gives you a bunch of options, but not all of them are worth your time.
a. Set Due Dates and Automatic Reminders
- When you set a due date, Theirstack will usually offer to send reminders before it’s due—often by email and in-app notification.
- Pick a reminder schedule that matches the urgency. For most tasks, “day before” is plenty. For critical stuff, add a same-day reminder.
b. Use Recurring Reminders for Repeating Tasks
- Have a weekly report or standup? Set the task to repeat. Look for “repeat” or “make recurring” when you create or edit the task.
- Don’t overdo recurring reminders—they lose their punch if everyone just learns to ignore them.
c. Turn Off Noisy Notifications
- By default, Theirstack can be a bit trigger-happy with reminders. Encourage your team to adjust their notification settings, or you’ll all start tuning them out.
- If you’re the admin, set some ground rules: “Only tag someone if you really need their attention.”
What doesn’t work: Relying on reminders alone to keep people accountable. They’re a backup, not a substitute for clear communication.
5. Keep Collaboration Simple (and Avoid Overkill)
Collaboration tools are famous for becoming graveyards of abandoned tasks. Here’s how to keep your system alive.
a. Use Comments and Mentions—Sparingly
- Use task comments for quick questions or updates, not for full-blown discussions. If something needs a real conversation, use your team’s chat or meet in person.
- Mention (@) teammates only when their input is needed.
b. Don’t Overcomplicate with Custom Fields
- Theirstack lets you add custom fields (status, tags, effort, etc.). Resist the urge to make a field for everything. Unless it actually helps your workflow, skip it.
c. Regularly Review and Clean Up
- Set aside time (maybe every week or two) to review the task list. Archive or delete anything that’s out of date.
- If something’s been sitting untouched for weeks, ask if it’s still relevant. If not, kill it.
Pro tip: Simpler setups last longer. If you need a wiki, calendar, and CRM all in one, Theirstack probably isn’t the right tool.
6. Advanced Moves (If You Really Need Them)
If your team is humming along and you want to level up, here’s what’s actually worth trying:
- Integrate with your calendar: Theirstack can sync due dates with Google or Outlook. Handy for deadline-driven teams, but don’t expect miracles.
- Automate repetitive workflows: If you’re always creating the same set of tasks, look for templates or simple automations. But set them up only if they save real time.
- Use analytics lightly: Some versions of Theirstack offer reporting on task completion, overdue items, etc. Fine for a quick health check, but don’t obsess over stats.
7. Common Pitfalls and How to Dodge Them
- Too many tasks, not enough clarity: Start with the essentials; don’t log every possible to-do.
- Assigning tasks to “the team”: Always pick an owner.
- Notification overload: Fine-tune settings early, or people will mute the app.
- Letting things get stale: Regular check-ins (even just 5 minutes) keep things moving.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Setting up collaborative team tasks and reminders in Theirstack doesn’t have to be an ordeal. The basics—clear tasks, real owners, the right reminders—cover 90% of what most teams need. Skip the bells and whistles until you’re sure they’ll actually make your life easier.
Start small, see what sticks, and adjust as you go. Your future self (and your team) will thank you.