Hey there, productivity enthusiasts! Let's have an honest chat about monday.com automation. You know that feeling when you set up what you think is the perfect automated workflow, only to find your team more confused than a GPS in a tunnel? Yeah, we've all been there.

The truth is, monday.com's automation capabilities can absolutely transform how your team works—but only if you're not accidentally sabotaging yourself with these surprisingly common mistakes. Don't worry though, we're going to fix every single one of them together!

Mistake #1: Jumping Into Automation Without a Plan (AKA The "Ready, Fire, Aim" Approach)

Picture this: You're so excited about monday.com's shiny automation features that you dive in headfirst, creating boards and automations faster than a kid building with LEGOs. Sound familiar? This reactive approach is like trying to assemble IKEA furniture without looking at the instructions—you might get something that vaguely resembles a desk, but good luck using it effectively!

When you skip the planning phase, you end up with automation conflicts, redundant processes, and team members scratching their heads wondering why the system seems to have a mind of its own.

The Fix: Before you create a single automation, grab a coffee and map out your current processes from start to finish. I'm talking about the whole journey—every bottleneck, decision point, and handoff between team members. Think of it as creating a blueprint before building your dream house. This planning phase helps you design automations that actually support your workflow instead of complicating it like a Rube Goldberg machine.

Mistake #2: Creating Column Chaos (The "More Must Be Better" Trap)

Oh boy, this one's a classic! While monday.com offers more column types than a spreadsheet enthusiast's wildest dreams, many users go absolutely wild and create boards with more columns than a Roman temple. The result? A cluttered interface that makes finding essential information feel like playing Where's Waldo.

Too many columns don't just hurt your eyes—they overwhelm team members, make it harder to focus on high-priority tasks, and basically turn your streamlined workflow into a productivity bottleneck. It's like having 47 different remote controls for your TV—technically impressive, but practically useless.

The Fix: Channel your inner Marie Kondo and ask yourself one simple question before adding any column: "Does this spark joy... I mean, does this provide genuine value to my team's daily operations?" Keep only columns that serve a clear purpose and enhance your workflow. Remember, simplicity is your secret weapon for keeping everyone on the same page and actually productive.

Mistake #3: The Manual Labor Marathon (Ignoring Automation Gold Mines)

Here's a shocking revelation: Despite having access to monday.com's powerful automation capabilities, many teams continue to manually update tasks, statuses, and send notifications like it's 1995. It's like having a dishwasher and still washing dishes by hand—technically possible, but why torture yourself?

This manual approach leads to wasted time, human error (because let's face it, we're not robots), and missed deadlines when someone forgets to hit that update button.

The Fix: Time for some automation detective work! Identify those repetitive tasks that make you want to bang your head against your desk. Start simple with automations like:

• Status updates when items move between groups

• Automatic notifications when deadlines are approaching faster than a Monday morning

• Task assignments based on specific criteria

Think of automation as your personal assistant who never calls in sick and never forgets to send that follow-up email.

Mistake #4: The To-Do List Tragedy (Underusing Your Superpowers)

Many organizations treat monday.com like it's just another fancy to-do list app—and honestly, that's like using a Ferrari to drive to your mailbox. You're missing out on its ability to automate processes, centralize information, and provide insights that would make a data analyst weep tears of joy.

When you limit monday.com to basic task tracking, you're leaving serious productivity gains on the table. It's like having a smartphone and only using it to make calls—technically functional, but you're ignoring 99% of its potential!

The Fix: Start thinking bigger picture! Build end-to-end workflows that streamline approvals, automate repetitive tasks, and trigger next steps automatically. Think of monday.com as your comprehensive Work OS—a central nervous system for your business operations, not just a digital sticky note collection.

Mistake #5: Building Workflow Silos (The "Island Nation" Problem)

When different teams create isolated boards and workflows without considering how they connect to other departments, collaboration dies faster than a plant in my care. These siloed approaches prevent the seamless information flow that makes automation truly powerful—it's like having different floors of your building speak different languages.

The Fix: Design workflows that actually talk to each other! Use automations to:

• Trigger notifications across boards when something important happens

• Mirror critical information between teams automatically

• Ensure updates in one area inform relevant stakeholders in other departments

Think of it as creating a neural network for your organization—when one part gets information, the whole system becomes smarter.

Mistake #6: The App Shopping Spree (Paying for What You Already Have)

Here's a wallet-draining mistake that makes accountants everywhere shed a single tear: turning to paid third-party apps for functionality that monday.com can already handle natively. It's like buying expensive bottled water when you have perfectly good tap water at home.

This creates unnecessary subscription costs and dependencies, especially when simple automations like updating timeline columns or filling dropdown fields could be accomplished with built-in features that are already included in your plan.

The Fix: Before you whip out that credit card for another app, thoroughly explore monday.com's native automation capabilities. Many seemingly complex tasks can be solved with creative use of built-in features. Think of it as a puzzle—sometimes the pieces you need are already in the box, you just need to look at them from a different angle.

Save your app budget for truly complex functions that genuinely require specialized functionality that monday.com can't handle.

Mistake #7: Skipping the Productivity Audit (The "Automate Everything" Syndrome)

The final mistake is rushing into automation setup without understanding what actually needs to be automated. It's like trying to fix a car engine without first figuring out what's actually broken—you might end up "fixing" parts that were working perfectly fine while the real problem keeps chugging along.

Without identifying specific pain points and time-wasting activities, you might automate the wrong processes or completely miss the most impactful opportunities.

The Fix: Conduct a comprehensive productivity audit before implementing any automations. Ask your team these critical questions:

• Are we repeatedly sending similar emails?

• Do we struggle to track project updates?

• Are team members missing important deadlines?

• Where do we waste the most time each day?

Identifying these problem areas helps you prioritize which automations will deliver the biggest bang for your efficiency buck.

Your Automation Comeback Story Starts Now

If you're reading this thinking, "Oops, I've made like... all of these mistakes," don't panic! Every automation expert has been exactly where you are right now. The difference is that now you know what to fix and exactly how to fix it.

Start by auditing your current setup—be brutally honest about what's working and what's creating more headaches than helping hands. Simplify those overcomplicated boards, and gradually implement automations that address your specific pain points.

Remember, effective monday.com automation isn't about using every available feature like you're trying to unlock achievements in a video game. It's about strategically automating the right processes to create a workflow that truly serves your team's needs and makes everyone's work life a little bit easier.

Ready to turn your monday.com setup from a source of frustration into a productivity powerhouse? Your future, more efficient self is definitely going to thank you for making these changes. Let's build something amazing together!