Working in large, busy teams, requires a streamlined way of managing workflows and projects, to ensure that everyone is on the same page and feels confident in what they're doing. Without this, it can feel chaotic, and it's easy for people to miss or overlook things.

Hive is a project management platform that was designed with users in mind, providing a user-friendly interface. Let's look at some standout features of Hive that you could benefit from and improve productivity.

What Is Hive?

Screenshot of Hive Project Management Platform Website

Although Hive is mainly dubbed as a project management platform, it offers much more than this. It is also an efficient way to manage and collaborate on tasks and actions, track team workflows and progress, and to create a hub of information.

When you sign up for an account, Hive offers a 14-day free trial of all its features, so you can get an idea of what you'll need it for. After this, you can continue with one of three different subscription types, including:

  • Hive Solo: a free subscription for individuals and small teams.
  • Hive Teams: $12 per month for teams who undertake multiple projects.
  • Hive Enterprise: A custom, tailored subscription that requires you to contact the Sales team for a quote.

Getting started is easy, and as a new user, Hive will run through an introduction on how to utilize some of its main features. You can turn this off at any time, if you just want to get a feel for it, yourself.

Your Hive Menu

When you log in to your Hive account, you will be automatically directed to your Actions page. On the left of your screen, there is a blue Menu, where you can toggle between:

  • My actions: where you can find your tasks and actions.
  • Notes: collaborative agenda and meeting notes that are updated in real-time.
  • Apps: a list of applications you can add on to Hive, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and One Drive integrations, so you can upload and share files direct from them.
  • Projects: individual projects you can create and collaborate on.

Below this, you will see Groups, where you can create group chats for working on pieces of work, and Direct, which lists all your direct chats with individual colleagues. At the very bottom, you can click New Message to start a new instant messaging thread.

Related: How to Use Todo in Slack for Task Management

You can collapse your menu at any time by hovering your mouse next to the Hive logo, and clicking the icon that looks like an arrow pointing sandwiched between two lines. Likewise, you can bring it back by clicking the three-lined icon next to the page title.

Personal Task Management in Hive

Screenshot of My Actions Page in Hive

In Hive, you can create your own working to-do list and track tasks from projects you and your team are involved in. To view all your tasks, simply go to Actions from the Menu.

On this page, you will see four tabs:

  • To-do: where all your personal tasks and tasks assigned to you, are stored.
  • Snoozed: when you hover over a task and click the Clock icon, this is where those snoozed tasks will go.
  • Completed: when you complete a task by clicking the grayed Tick to the left, it will go here.
  • Assigned by me: if you have assigned tasks to others, they will show here.
Screenshot of Hive New Actions Window

To get started creating a personal to-do list, you can either start typing straight into the text bar that says What needs to be done? And click Enter when done for a quick addition, or alternatively, you can click the blue New button in the top-right of your screen, and select Action to bring up the new task window.

Related: Time Management Tips to Organize Your Own Workload

Here, you can fill in much fuller details of your task, including a description, any sub-actions, adding a label, attachments, and comments. You can also add assignees to the main action or sub-actions, and select a deadline date. At the top-right of the window, click the Three vertical dots to open up additional options, including marking the action as urgent.

By creating Labels for your personal actions, you can differentiate them from actions others have assigned to you. To manage these and create new ones, click the Circle in the top-right corner with your first initial on, and select Settings > Labels.

Once you've finished, click the X in the top-right of the window, and your tasks will automatically show on your To-Dos section. Then, just click the gray Tick to the left of it to mark it as completed, and it will automatically move to your Completed tab.

Project Management in Hive

Screenshot of Project Navigator in Hive

When you click Projects on the Menu, you will be taken to the Project Navigator page, where you can view all projects you're involved in. To add a new project, click the blue New Project button, and follow the on-screen instructions to add a Title, Color, Deadline, and Assignees.

Screenshot of Project Layout Window in Hive

In the final section, you can choose a Project Layout from the templates provided, including Status View, Team View, Label View, Calendar, Gantt View, and Table View. Each one looks slightly different, which offers a lot of flexibility with project management.

Once you're happy, click Create Project. Your new project will show in your Menu beneath Projects, and any actions you assign to yourself or others will show on your Actions page. Anyone you invite to the project will be able to view and contribute to it in real-time, providing streamlined project collaboration with your colleagues.

Related: Project Management Alternatives to Gantt Charts

On all the Project views, you can select the three vertical dots (More) button to bring up more options, such as Save as template, Copy project, Export, Archive project, Delete project, Create project group chat, Copy link to project, and more.

Streamlined Task and Project Management

Hive has a multitude of features to explore, and the platform makes it incredibly easy to navigate. It is highly functional, and can save you and your colleagues a lot of time when collaborating on projects, and managing tasks.

Hive is a multi-use platform, offering something for everyone, regardless of what your role is. Even if your company doesn't use Hive, it is still a great option for managing your own workload. It easily integrates with other applications you may already be using.