Kanban 101: Organize your tasks for better workflow

Kanban is one of the most effective ways to organize your work. Whether managing a team or working alone, this visual system helps you prioritize more effectively by keeping your workflow moving.

Kanban makes your work visible. You break tasks down into cards (also known as tickets or issues), move them through columns like to-do, in progress, and done, and gain a clear snapshot of where things stand.

What is Kanban?

Kanban is a visual task management method designed to help you monitor progress and manage workloads in real-time. Initially developed by Toyota to optimize manufacturing processes, it’s now a favorite in everything from software development to content marketing and team operations.

The system is simple: a board represents your workflow, columns represent different stages (e.g., planning, in progress, complete), and cards represent individual tasks or items of work. When you finish a task, you move the card across the board to reflect its status. Kanban is a clear system—you can see where everything stands at just a glance.

How to set up your Kanban board

You can use a physical board with sticky notes or a digital one like Trello, Notion, or Asana. Keep it simple—you’ll refine it as you go. Here's how to build and use your board:

1. Set up your columns: Start with the basics like to-do, in progress, and done. Depending on your workflow, you can customize with additional stages. For example, the content creation pipeline might have "Waiting on feedback" or "Scheduled."

2. Create your task cards: Each task or item of work gets its card. Keep titles short but precise, and add details like deadlines, checklists, or assignees if needed.

3. Limit work in progress (WIP): To stay focused and avoid overload, limit how many tasks can be in the in progress column at once.

4. Move tasks as you go: Moving the cards to the next column as work progresses. This visualizes progress and helps spot blockers early.

5. Review regularly: Whether daily or weekly, check your board to reprioritize, remove stale tasks, and ensure nothing’s slipping through the cracks.

What’s the difference between Kanban and Scrum?

Kanban and Scrum come from the Agile family but work in very different ways.

Scrum relies on structured, time-boxed sprints (usually two weeks) where teams commit to completing a fixed set of tasks. It involves a Scrum Master and/or Product Owner and regular meetings such as sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives. Scrum is ideal for cross-functional teams working on complex product development.

Kanban, on the other hand, is continuous. There are no sprints or roles. You pull tasks in as capacity allows and aim to keep work flowing. It’s especially useful for less predictable work—like managing client requests, content pipelines, or ongoing team operations.

Is Kanban Agile or Lean?

The short answer? Both.

Kanban has its roots in Lean manufacturing, which emphasizes efficiency, reducing waste, and optimizing flow. Over time, it was adopted into Agile practices because of its focus on continuous improvement.

Lean principles help you eliminate bottlenecks and streamline how work moves. Agile principles prioritize adaptability, communication, and delivering value quickly. Kanban brings these together—it encourages team transparency, helps spot delays early, and supports a culture of improvement without heavy processes.

How Kanban boosts your productivity

Once you start organizing your work with Kanban, it’s easier to identify what’s slowing you down. You might realize your "Doing" column is overloaded or that too many tasks are stuck waiting on others. This visibility makes it easier to manage priorities and cut down on multitasking.

You’re less likely to jump between tasks or forget important to-dos. Whether you’re working on admin or marketing, jumping between meetings, you can keep everything on track without feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, you can use visual aids like color-coding-related tasks to promote focus.

Where scheduling meets flow: Kanban + Doodle

Organizing tasks with Kanban brings clarity, but staying in flow means managing your time just as effectively. That’s where a scheduling tool like Doodle can benefit you.

Imagine you’ve mapped out your tasks on your Kanban board. Instead of losing momentum with back-and-forth scheduling emails, Doodle helps you lock in meetings, interviews, and sessions without friction. Whether running 1:1 calls, coordinating team meetings, or offering bookable sessions through your Booking Page, Doodle fits into your workflow.

By pairing the Kanban method with Doodle, you can reduce interruptions and focus on the work that moves your goals forward. Visual task management plus seamless scheduling? That’s a productivity upgrade worth making.