We work hard to make it easy to get started with Status Hero, but we've also put together this guide to help along the way. It covers the steps to configure your account settings, integrations, add team members, and how to use goals and our live dashboards to get the most out of Status Hero.

Once your account is set up, you'll want to make sure your default settings are correct.

First, set up your check-in reminder and summary times in Account -> Check-ins.

The default is a 9 AM check-in time and 11 AM summary time. You can adjust those, as well as the questions that are asked.

Next, set up your integrations. Status Hero will automatically include activity from integrated tools alongside your team members' check-ins, giving you a complete picture of your team's work and making it easier for team members to check in. The Activity page will also provide a live stream of activity from those tools. Popular integrations include GitHub, GitLab, Jira, and Linear. Dozens of other integrations are available.

Next, you'll want to set up any additional teams and team-level integrations, like Slack and Microsoft Teams. Those integrations are set up at the team because you select a channel where check-ins and summaries are published.

To configure team-level integrations for a team, go to Team Settings -> Integrations.

Next, add any additional teams that you need in Account Management -> Teams. Select "Add a new team," and progress through the setup flow for each one.

Once your teams are set up, it's time to add team members. If you've set up Slack or Microsoft Teams, the easiest way to add team members is by going to the Team members page for the team. Once there, select "Add team members" and "Add people from Slack" or "Add people from Microsoft Teams." Then you can simply check off the team members to add.

If you do not have those integrations configured, select "Add new team members" and enter each team member's first name, last name, and email address. Have a large list? Contact us, and we'll help.

Goals in Status Hero allow your team to track and see progress against projects and initiatives. By having larger Goals and projects in Status Hero, your team will see their assigned goals alongside the check-in form, so when they're planning their day, they can be sure to focus on making progress against the larger initiatives.

To create a Goal, follow the steps in this article. Get an overview of Goals and best practices.

Now you're ready to check in! You and your team members will be prompted to check in by email, Slack, or Microsoft Teams based on your settings. Check-ins should be brief and focused on goals, not tasks. The idea is to share just enough information for others to understand where you're focused.

After you check in, make sure you're also reading and reacting to your team members' check-ins. A 👍 on a check-in is a nice way to let your team members know you've read their check-in and appreciate the time they spent writing it. You can also comment on check-ins and Goal updates to ask questions or celebrate wins.

If you've set up activity integrations, you can also see a live view of activity across all of your tools on the Activity page. It's a great way to see everything that's happening on your team in real time.

Tip: Review best practices for check-ins.

Once you've collected a week or two of check-ins, use the Insights page to view check-in data, integration activity, and other trends over time. It's a great tool for prepping for 1:1s, retros, and reviews.

Using the available filters, you can answer questions like:

And that's it! With those 7 steps you'll be well on your way to an aligned, focused, and happy team. If you need help along the way, we're here for you. Just reach out.