Today’s update means you can now block out the time for your Husky tasks in your calendar, so you can decide for yourself when to work on something. Next to seeing your tasks in a list, you can now also view them in a weekly calendar by employee.
This article has recently been updated after the integration with Google Calendar. Check out an actual overview of how it works in the Help Center, or ask an online demo.
Time blocking is a tried-and-tested method of working more productively. Some people also use it to maintain a good work/life balance; for example, by putting in sporting moments, or noting in their calendar when they absolutely have to leave on time.
With the new week calendar of your Husky tasks, you can dedicate time blocks to get the work done.
The weekly calendar is most probably familiar. The number of tasks to be completed are displayed above the column for each individual day.
All the tasks to be scheduled are on the left and your weekly schedule is on the right. Drag a task from left to right and drop it on the correct time, then increase or reduce the duration if necessary. Now you've created a Time block.
You can filter the tasks by deadline, search by task name, or shorten the list of tasks to be scheduled by navigating to the relevant project first, then view a list of all your outstanding tasks. Clicking on a specific task displays the time blocks in the sidebar that you've allocated to working on that task.
So, does this mean that you have to schedule all your tasks? That's probably slight overkill; you may well have things where it's quicker to check them off than to add them to your calendar.
Tasks that are going to take you several hours to complete are the most important things to put in your calendar, as this also lets your colleagues see what you're focusing on each day. And how busy you really are …
You can also add new tasks and schedule them in straight away by clicking on the corresponding time. That means you don't just keep your calendar updated, but you can also keep proper track of when you worked on which project.
When it comes to scheduling tasks, Husky works seamlessly with your Outlook calendar and (from now on) your Google calendar. When you block out time in Husky for your tasks, you can see them in your personal calendar straight away. If you've scheduled a meeting or day off in Outlook/Google, then Husky will show that you need to keep that time clear. And if your work calendar is also synchronized with your smartphone, then you can see your Husky time blocks there immediately.
How long do you need to get something done? Or, put another way, how much time can you allocate to a task so it still makes economic sense? After all, time is money! Especially if you work as a freelancer, or on a quotation basis in a marketing agency, so you need to keep an eye on how much time you spend on something.
Scheduling your time blocks shows you how much time you've set aside. And when you allocate multiple time blocks to the same task, they're added up logically.
You can also set a task duration in the Task Lists, which act as templates; a real time saver for recurring actions and workflows.
If you create a task for a colleague, you can also enter an expected duration, so they know straight away how much time to set aside.
Accurately estimating how long something will take is a valuable skill in marketing, as it lets you make realistic arrangements with colleagues and suppliers. Otherwise you have to keep adjusting your plans (which won't please anyone) or use your private time in the evenings and at weekends to meet the deadlines you've agreed.
By the way, we'll soon be making a new Husky module available: Timesheets, also called time tracking or time slips. You can use this to record how long you've worked on a project, if that's something you need to be able to report. And the information you put into your schedule is a good starting point for that.
Don't fall into the trap of blocking out time in your calendar for weeks ahead, as there's always a good chance of something happening that will mess up your schedule. Or that you'll end up needing more time than you anticipated.
The more changes you have to make to your schedule, the more time you spend scheduling instead of working on your tasks. Definitely something to avoid. Proper scheduling helps you to get more done, but micro planning or an overly rigid schedule actually stops you from completing your tasks smoothly.
A top tip is to try never to schedule tasks for more than a week ahead. You should also consciously leave time free where you don't want to plan anything.
If you want to keep a particular time block free, set a (repeat) appointment in your Outlook or Google calendar to monitor that time for you and for your colleagues. Incidentally, your colleagues won't see the details of your synchronized appointments in Husky, only the appointment itself, so they won't be aware that it could actually be rearranged.
Go ahead, give it a spin and let us know what you think about it.
You find more info about the new feature in our Help Center.
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Read more posts about new product updates here or book a demo.
