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Google Chat
| #197
Google Chat: Two Simple Tricks Google Doesn't Highlight
(you can easily filter previous issues by application!)
Hey friends! Quick heads up before diving in: I'm developing a comprehensive course on my Notion Command Center system. If you're interested, join the waitlist.
For newcomers wondering about my dual workflow situation - The Workspace Academy covers what I use professionally (Google Workspace tools due to company policy), while Notion handles everything else from my business to personal life.
Onto today’s tips around Google Chat:
Tip 1: Create Polls Directly in Google Chat
This surprisingly powerful function remains criminally underused. Simply type "/poll" in any group chat to activate the Poll app and start creating questions with multiple answer options.
Real-world Examples
Business contexts:
- "When should we schedule our next team sync?"
- "Which project should we prioritize this sprint?"
- "Where should we order lunch from for Friday's meeting?"
- "What's your availability for the client presentation next week?"
Non-work scenarios:
- "Movie night pick - what are we watching?"
- "Who's bringing what to the potluck?"
- "Best weekend for our group hike?"
- "Gift preferences for Sarah's goodbye party?"
The beauty of in-chat polling is eliminating those endless reply chains where everyone suggests different times/preferences, and you're left manually tallying votes across 47 messages. One poll, clear results, done.
Tip 2: Rename Group Chats (Finally!)
This sounds trivial until you've experienced the mild insanity (somewhat of an understatement) of Google's previous limitations. For the longest time, you could only rename Spaces in Google Chat, but not Direct Message group chats.
Seriously Google, wtf.
The good news? You can now edit group chat names by clicking the dropdown menu and selecting "Name this chat." Life-changing? No. Sanity-preserving when juggling multiple similar group conversations? Absolutely.
At this point, the only significant difference between a Direct Message group chat and Spaces is that Spaces allow you to assign tasks to others.
Totally not confusing, Google. A+ for consistency.
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