How I use Asana in my day to day Corporate Job

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I have been using the free version of Asana since 2020, It has been 4 years of working with Asana to manage my small team at my corporate job. Yes, I do have a corporate gig, lol and I do my blog and social media on the side.

My role at my job is more of an Administration and Operations role. This means that I have to make sure that everyone gets the resources that they need to execute their roles. I found that it was quite a shit show to get all the people together to list what is needed for each department via WhatsApp.

I started using Asana and put all that I needed in one place and organized this properly. I was worried about training staff on using Asana, but then I created templates and videos for them to use.  Now Asana is my go-to project management tool and also for organizing my digital space. Asana is available anywhere you have internet, it can be downloaded as a desktop/Laptop app or you can just sign in via the web. It can be accessed via mobile smartphone and tablet. Logging on is very easy as long as you have internet.

Here is how I use Asana (the free version) to stay on top of my work and keep my team organized.

1.       Asana as a place to store all links for Project Files:

 For every Project that the various Departments/Staff is working on there is a file created and stored in Dropbox. For the free version of Asana I have unlimited projects, so I use Projects as Tabs – for the Projects file, my admin and I have a project with her name and mine. I create a task for each project and in that task description, I link the respective file that is saved in Dropbox.

2.       Task Templates for Recurring Tasks:

In the task section, I created a section for Templates, and this is where I created my task templates in my Asana free version. Because task template is a paid option in Asana. But fear not as a free version user, you can create your task templates as an actual task and have your staff duplicate that task every time, they have to create a new task like that. When duplicating a task, it copies everything, including whatever sub-task that was created in the original task. Now you can duplicate the task template, rename it, and drag it to whatever section in the Project you want to. 

3.       All communication in one place for each Task: 

Using Asana has given my team a strong grounding, where all the comments and conversations regarding a particular task are kept in one place, should there be a need to re-trace a step one can always access it

How did I set up Asana for my team; 

1.       I used the projects section for Departments – Purchasing, Billing, Inventory, Deliveries, etc

2.       Within each Project/Department, I created a Template Section. This is where I created a template task for recurring tasks for each department.

3.       For Admin Task – I have a Project/Department for that as well, where all things that my Admin is working on are there. All Excel sheets are linked to each respective task (Projects) so that I can go through them at times that are convenient to me.

4.       Tracking of Contracts – Asana is also used to track all contracts and their progress, how this is done is quite simple. At the onset of any new contracts, a tracking spreadsheet is built (pretty standard, there is a template for this) and then it’s uploaded into our Dropbox folder. In the Tender Tracking section of the Admin Clerk’s Project, a task is set up with the respective name of the Agency that the tender is being supplied to, in the task details, the link to the file in Dropbox is pasted there. Now anyone who has access to the Admin Clerk’s Project will have access to the Tender Tracking. Because of this system, my remote Admin can access these files and ensure that the entries are accurate.

5.       As an Administrative Manager, I have to do my fair share of correspondence I use Asana again as a place where I can have access to all the Drop Box Links for all of my letter formats, etc.

The free version of Asana is very versatile for 1-15 teams, and the storage capacity is so good for a free version. However, if you have a bigger team you would have to pay. The benefits of the paid version are incredible, from automated workflows to the ability to generate reports on various projects and of course the Integration with other tools i.e. Zoom, LinkedIn, etc.

Asana saved my small team and when my team grows, I will jump to get the paid version, however, just some smarts and you can set up the free version of Asana to start helping you manage your small business today..

I have an introductory blog on the free version of Asana here. If you have never heard of Asana, this may be a good place to start

Should you need help with the setup of your small business free version of Asana, I offer this service, get in touch with me via the email address and contact information on my social media pages

Written by

Natasha Tularam