Discover the Power of Labels in Microsoft Planner
Nov 08, 2024
How an extra bit of data can transform your task management plan, making it simpler and more efficient
Reading time: 3 Minutes
As a long time user of Microsoft Planner, I have come to appreciate its strengths and live with some of its shortfalls. While it may not boast all the advanced features and complexities of some high-end project management tools, its real charm lies in its simplicity and ease of use. And of course, its value! It is included in most Microsoft 365 business or enterprise licences.
The most often call-out I hear (other than not being able to create sub-tasks) is the inability to add custom columns or meta-data to tasks. Both sub tasks and custom data are special privileges saved for Planner Premium users!
And if you’re willing to be creative, there is technically one piece of customisable data in your basic plans – it's called a Label. Labels allow you to filter and group your tasks in a way that makes sense for your workflow, ensuring you stay on top of your projects with ease.
I’ve used Labels for a long time, but I think many miss them when they start planning. Recently a subtle update from Microsoft has added a label column to the Grid view on plans too– which could perhaps make them seem a whole lot more useful.
Why Use Labels in Microsoft Planner?
Labels in Microsoft Planner provide a visual way to categorise tasks, making it easier to identify and manage different workstreams. Here are some reasons to use Labels:
Improved Task Organisation
By applying Labels to tasks, you can quickly sort and filter them based on specific categories. This is particularly useful for plans with multiple components or teams, as it helps you keep track of various elements without getting overwhelmed.
Bring Plans Closer to How You Team Works
You can create 26 (who comes up with these limits? 😀) custom Labels that suit your specific needs. Whether you're tracking tasks by customer, department, or stakeholder, you can tailor the Labels to fit your team’s workflow.
Better Information Sharing
Labels make it easier for others to know key details of tasks at a glance. It can help in delegating responsibilities more effectively, as tasks can be assigned based on their Labels.
Efficient Filtering and Grouping
One of the standout features of Labels is the ability to filter and group tasks. You can create views that display only the tasks with certain Labels, allowing you to focus on specific aspects of your projects. This is especially useful during meetings or when reviewing progress, as you can quickly highlight relevant tasks and discussions.
A worked example
Here’s a plan I’ve created that an Internal Communication team might use, you can see the cards representing all of the article and emails they’ve got planned.
Notice that I’ve added Labels. SH for Stakeholders and CA for Campaigns. You can easily add an existing label or create a new one, right inside the edit task panel.
Now that labels are added I can use the Filters (top right) to filter for communications from the CEO in Board view.
If I wanted, I could switch to Grid view and filter to communications focused on the 2025 Budgeting campaign.
I could also use multiple filters, say CEO messages about the DEI Initiative.
Conclusion
Labels in Microsoft Planner are a really cool feature for adding extra usefulness to a basic plan.
With Labels, you can streamline your teams workflow, enhance collaboration, and gain better visibility ongoing tasks. Labels bring additional levels of organisation and information within a couple of clicks.
I hope that this little insight to labels has been useful.
If you’re getting to grips with Planner or generally trying to bring some organisation to your teamwork then your next reading should be the Your 365 Coach free eBook: Six Task Management Features You Didn’t Know Existed in Microsoft 365!
Download it now and start the steps to being a Task Management master!
Matthew
Matthew Burrell is a Consultant at Your 365 Coach
