Slack Launches “Today” Feature for Streamlined Daily Briefings and Productivity

In the fast-paced world of small business, staying organized and productive can feel daunting. Slack has introduced an innovative feature called Today, now available for Business Plus and Enterprise customers, designed specifically to streamline your workday right within the platform. With its artificial intelligence capabilities, Today seeks to reduce information overload and give users a clear view of their daily priorities and tasks.

The concept behind Today stems from a common frustration reported by Slack users: while there may not be too many messages to sift through, determining what’s crucial is often overwhelming. Slack Chief Product Officer Jaime DeLanghe explains, “When you’re bringing all that shared intelligence together in one place, the challenge shifts from access to clarity.” By delivering relevant signals about what needs immediate attention, Today allows small business owners to start their days with a better understanding of their most pressing tasks.

Key benefits of Today include:

1. Intelligent Briefing: Users receive an AI-generated overview that highlights current priorities, upcoming meetings, and pending tasks from various connected applications—all in one tab. This eliminates the necessity to switch between multiple platforms to gather information.
2. Enhanced Productivity: Today integrates with the Slackbot and other productivity tools to help streamline workflows. Users report feeling up to 72% more productive when leveraging this feature, as it removes the mental burden of deciding what to work on first.
3. Meeting Prep Made Easy: By connecting with Google or Outlook calendars, Today compiles essential details so users can enter meetings fully prepared. With helpful summaries available, it significantly reduces time spent in meetings—by as much as 33% for some users.
4. Notification Management: The Activity tab allows for the prioritization of messages, ensuring critical notifications don’t get lost amidst the daily chatter.

Sally Law, Senior Product Manager at Xero, noted, “Today has genuinely transformed how I start my workday. It cuts down on my morning catch-up time and helps me stay focused on what matters instead of getting lost in the noise.”

Small business owners, however, should remain aware of potential challenges with this new feature. While the seamless integration of various applications can bolster productivity, those unfamiliar with setting up or managing integrations may find themselves grappling with initial implementation. Ensuring that all relevant applications are linked to Slack and functioning properly may require some upfront effort and technical expertise.

Moreover, as with any AI-driven tool, relying heavily on technology to curate priorities may raise concerns about missing out on unexpected but important tasks that the software could overlook. As business landscapes change rapidly, small business owners will need to balance AI assistance with their intuition and understanding of their unique operational nuances.

To participate in the open beta for Today, businesses must be on Business Plus or Enterprise plans, with plans to roll out to Pro users later this year. Admins can request access, leading to a dedicated Today tab in their Slack sidebar.

In embracing tools like Today’s daily briefing, small business owners can leverage Slack’s evolving platform to transform how their teams communicate and execute tasks. As trends show a significant push toward remote and hybrid work models, incorporating AI-driven solutions can foster clarity and increase productivity, ultimately allowing businesses to thrive in competitive environments.

For more information on the Today feature and to join the open beta, visit the original announcement here.

Image via Google Gemini

This article, "Slack Launches “Today” Feature for Streamlined Daily Briefings and Productivity" was first published on Small Business Trends

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