Over the weekend we got an email to support that reads as follows:

Hello!

I’m not receiving notifications when my clients create whiteboards. It looks like I have my settings correct but is someone able to please give me a hand and let me know if I’m missing something?

Thank you!

She’s right!  Everything was turned on in her Notification Preferences, but indeed, among those settings there are no switches to opt to receive notifications about new Whiteboards as added by your clients.

On the surface this might seem like a glaring omission, but it turns out this is intentional.

Unlike Actions and Worksheets, which have a clear “This is now done” (that makes an unambiguously fitting occasion to send a notification about), Whiteboards are generally always in a sort of “work in progress” state, admitting numerous drafts over the days and weeks (or even in a single writing session!).

So, by their nature, they’re never really “done” in a way that makes it clear “Okay, this would be a great time to notify coach!”.

They do have a clear starting point, of course.  Actions offer a “Notify me whenever my client creates a new action” setting, and by that logic we could make one for a Whiteboard.  But a freshly created Whiteboard is a blank slate, and so is not terribly interesting to notify about.

But this support request got me thinking: there WAS, it turns out, a good way to keep coaches in the loop of client Whiteboard activity: Happenings Reports.

Adding Support for Whiteboards in Happenings Reports

Since releasing them originally in 2014, Happenings Reports have never included support for Whiteboards as a type of “new happenings” to report on.  Here, 8 years later, that suddenly seems right for a change. :)

So now, as of this morning you, can check the box to include Whiteboards as part of your Happenings Reports into the usual set.

Here’s an example of a creating a Whiteboard that’s perfect for getting a routine summary of all recent Whiteboard activity among your clients:

The “Skip sending when there are no new happenings.” is key!

Note the following key parts of this setup:

• Report on: Choosing to include all of your active clients allows you to get notified when any one of them is active in their Whiteboards.  You can, of course, narrow this down as needed.
• Include: Naturally, Whiteboards must be checked.  This is great for a focused report that’s only to do with Whiteboard activity.  You can, of course, broaden this as desired.
• Schedule: Note how this is set to every day, meaning you’ll always get notice of new Whiteboard activity within 24 hours of it happening.
• Options:  Note how we choose to “Skip sending when there are no new happenings”.  This is key to prevent getting a daily email that might be empty (and thus a mere distraction) for likely-common days when none of your clients have been active in their Whiteboards.

Once created, congratulations!  You’ve just set up your own de facto notifications for new client activity in Whiteboards.

Here’s what Whiteboard activity looks like in a Happenings Report:

This is a nice missive! Ripe for commenting on from the comfort of your own email.

Like completed Worksheets and Journal Entries, the complete content of the Whiteboard is included for easy review (no need to log in and find it first).

And just like other items in a Happenings Report, the comment icons allow you to comment right on whatever your client has written, all from the comfort of your own email client.

And there you have it!  By adding Whiteboards to your already-existing Happenings Reports (or creating a new one similar to the sample shown above), you can now be kept appraised of any work your clients do in their Whiteboards.  Thanks to easy commenting, this allows you to further be a supportive presence in their work with you.

Enjoy!