How to organize project tasks in Asana with Scrum

 Feeling overwhelmed by complex projects? Consider using  shorter planning cycles. called sprints.  

 In this blogpost I will guide you through how to do that online by using  the free version of a tool I am obsessed with  called Asana

You will learn how to set up a project board in Asana, applying some  essential  principles from "Scrum framework" to manage your tasks and workflow efficiently.

Using Asana to organize and track your tasks online with the Scrum method can significantly boost your productivity.

A sprint is a short, time-boxed period, typically two to four weeks, during which a Scrum team works to complete a set, prioritized selection of work from the product backlog .( A  product backlog is  like a WBS will all tasks, objects , requirements needed to be done to create a product )

Sprints break big projects into smaller, manageable tasks. For example, when developing a software app, you can organize work into sprints to focus on just a few features at a time. This makes it easier to stay organized and work efficiently.

Asana for weekly planning of your tasks

To use the free version of Asana for weekly planning of your tasks, you can follow these steps:

Create a new project in Asana for your weekly tasks.

Within that project, create tasks for each item you need to accomplish that week. You can add details like due dates, assignees, and descriptions to each task. Use the "Calendar" view to see all your tasks laid out by due date for the week.

This gives you a visual overview of your weekly schedule.

Alternatively, you can use the "Board" view and create columns for each day of the week. Move your tasks into the appropriate day column to plan out when you'll work on them.

 Take advantage of the "My Tasks" view to see all your assigned tasks across projects in one consolidated list. You can filter this view to only show tasks due that week. 3 Set recurring tasks for items that repeat weekly, like team meetings or status reports. Use start dates and due dates effectively to ensure tasks are scheduled for the correct week. While the free Asana version lacks some advanced planning features like Timeline views, you can still create a basic weekly schedule by leveraging projects, tasks, due dates, and the various view options.

I love to use a 90 day Project board to plan my key priorities from different project boards by weeks.  Beside that I have different product boards for each products and marketing campaigns and business process i want to track like financials and stakeholder communication.

Product Backlog Visualization:

• Board View in Asana: Imagine a Kanban board titled "Product Backlog". It consists of columns in Kanban style. or WBS.. Each column is filled with cards representing individual tasks or features. These cards contain brief descriptions, estimated efforts, and tags indicating their status or category.
• This is an example of a Product board for a 4 Day challenge we used to run for our community.

Sprint Backlog Visualization:

Board View in Asana: Picture another Kanban board titled "Sprint Backlog". This board has columns labeled "Planned", "In Progress", "Testing", and "Done". Each card on this board represents a task chosen from the Product Backlog during the sprint planning. The cards move from left to right as they progress through stages of development within the sprint cycle.

To create these in Asana:

• Set up two separate projects in Asana, one for the Product Backlog and another for the Sprint Backlog.
• Use the Board view for both projects for easy visualization and movement of tasks.
• Customize columns according to your project’s workflow and sprint structure.
• Populate tasks and use tags, custom fields for priorities, and assignees to manage and track progress efficiently.

How to Set Up Your Project Board in Asana

Step 1: Create a New Project

• Open Asana and click on the “+” button to create a new project.
• Choose the “Board” layout for a visual representation of your tasks.

Step 2: Set Up Columns

• Create columns for each stage of your workflow: Backlog, Sprint, To-Do, Doing, and Done.

How to Use Scrum Methodology in Asana

Backlog

• This is where all your brainstormed tasks go.
• It’s a list of all tasks that need to be completed but are not yet scheduled for the current sprint.
• I like to create a Project for a Product backlog and  choose the tasks and objects to work on in the next srpint  fro the product board.
• You can have multiple product boards  for your business but  likely one Project Board or WBS for your Project.
• In the Sprin board I have as wella Backlog for the upcoming Sprint.

The beauty of Asana is that we need to creat ethe task once and can just assign these to  any Spint board at the same time with a click and they will show up there too.

Sprint

• Select tasks from the backlog to work on in the next two weeks.
• These tasks should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
• In Asana I create a Project Board in Kanban Style for each Sprint and decide  which tasks from the Product  backlog  get  shared to the Sprint Backlog

To-Do

• Tasks that have been prioritized and are ready to be worked on during the sprint.
• Move tasks here from the Sprint column as you plan your week or next day.

Doing

• Tasks currently in progress.
• You and your Team members should move tasks here when they start working on them.

Done

• Completed tasks.
• Move  any tasks here once they are finished to keep track of progress and achievements.

Resources for your Productivity

Get Asana Templates  and Canva Templates for your Asana Boards 

Watch the Videos instructions how to set this up and in your free asana version and start organizing your ideas online.

Track the progress on your mobile phone.

 Click to get your Templates here