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Build a Habit

Updated Jan 27, 2020 ·

This notes is based on Atlassian's course on Jira Fundamentals

Build a Habit​

Making Jira part of your daily routine can improve your productivity and team collaboration.

  • Stay organized: See all your work in one place and prioritize tasks effectively.

  • Track performance: Use Jira data to review your progress and discuss career growth with your manager.

  • Improve team transparency: Stay updated on your team’s work and collaborate better.

Tips for Building a Habit​

  • Keep Jira open: Stay logged in and keep it in an easy-to-find tab or a dedicated browser window.

  • Start your day with Jira: Check Jira after reviewing your email and calendar to prioritize your tasks for the day.

  • Commit to a streak: Use Jira daily for a month to build the habit. Set reminders or track your progress using apps.

  • Encourage your team: Promote Jira use across the team to reinforce your own habit and improve team productivity.

Optimize Jira​

By setting it up to fit your workflow, managing and updating issues becomes much easier.

  • Adjust settings, like notification frequency
  • Create custom views to organize your work
  • Connect Jira with other tools

Best Practices on Handling Issues​

1. Write short and clear summaries​

Summaries are the titles of issues and should be 4-7 words long, using precise language.

  • Tasks - Write task summaries like this:

    <ACTION> <ACTIVITY/THING>

    Example:

    Build new homepage

  • Stories - Write story summaries like this:

    As a <PERSONA>, I want <THING>.

    Example:

    As a user, I want a back button

  • Bugs - Write bug summaries like this:

    <FEATURE> should do <X>, but does <Y>.

    Example:

    Menu button should show menu, but errors out

2. Create multiple issues at a time​

When planning, you can create several issues from a single view.

➡️ In the roadmap, select 'Create issue' and review your changes. ➡️ In the backlog, scroll to the bottom and create the issue directly.

3. Flag important issues​

Flags highlight critical issues. Adding a flag turns the issue card yellow, helping prioritize tasks that are blocked or need urgent attention.

To add a flag to an issue:

  • Open an issue
  • Select the ellipses ••• and select Add flag

4. Use email notifications​

Jira sends notifications for status changes or when you're @mentioned. These emails keep you updated and provide direct links to issues. While you can adjust settings, keeping notifications on ensures you're always informed

5. Use comments for every communication​

Comments are important for collaboration and organizing work. Use them for progress updates, asking questions, and @mentioning teammates. Consistent commenting creates a transparent history of the issue and keeps everyone in the loop.