Keep stakeholders focused in Smartsheet by filtering to show only active tasks.

Keep Stakeholders Focused: The Power of an Active-Task Filter

Let’s start with a simple truth: stakeholders aren’t looking for every single task in a project; they want the tasks that matter right now. When Mariela shares a sheet in Smartsheet, she’s juggling busy eyes and busy calendars. If her teammates see everything—completed tasks, old ideas, side quests—the signal gets buried in noise. The result? confusion, misaligned priorities, and a lot of unnecessary back-and-forth.

What to do first? Create a filter for active tasks. That’s the cleanest, most practical move to ensure stakeholders view only what’s relevant, without locking away the full project history for later reference. It’s not about hiding information; it’s about shaping visibility so people can focus their attention where it actually counts.

Here’s the thing about visibility and why filters work so well

Imagine you’re presenting a project to a group of executives, a product owner, and a client. Each audience has a different lens: what’s urgent, what’s on hold, what’s already done. Smartsheet gives you a toolbox to tailor views for each group without changing the underlying sheet. Filters are the fastest, most reliable way to do that.

• Quick, adjustable views: Filters let you isolate rows that match a specific criterion—like everything that’s currently active. You can switch between views in a couple of clicks, no heavy lifting required.

• Context without clutter: Your stakeholders stay aware of progress, blockers, and timelines, but they don’t get lost in archived tasks or completed items that aren’t relevant to today’s decisions.

• Reusable and shareable: A filter isn’t a one-off. Save it, name it, and apply it to the same sheet (or even to dashboards and reports) whenever you need to present a focused slice of work.

A practical look at why this beats other options

Let me explain by running through the other choices you might consider, and why the active-task filter stands tall.

• Change row colors based on task status

Color cues are handy. They add quick visibility and can help a viewer scan a list faster. But colors don’t actually hide anything. If your stakeholders need to see only what’s active, color alone won’t prevent them from scrolling past completed tasks. It’s a nice supplement, not a substitute for view control.

• Send a summary email weekly

A weekly digest is a helpful communication habit. It keeps people in the loop about progress. Still, email doesn’t control how someone views the project data in Smartsheet itself. An executive might still open the sheet and see a flood of completed items, which defeats the goal of focused attention during meetings or reviews.

• Remove access to completed tasks

That’s a risky move. When stakeholders need to understand context or audit progress, restricting access to past work can create blind spots. You lose historical insight, which can be essential for reporting, compliance, or answering questions later on.

The elegance of a filter is that it doesn’t erase anything. It simply answers a question: what should we see right now? And when priorities shift, you can adjust the filter in seconds.

How to set up an “Active Tasks” filter in Smartsheet (step by step, without drama)

If you’re new to filters, think of them like a smart sieve. You pour in the full list of tasks, and the filter catches exactly what you want to see.

• Decide the field that marks activity

Most teams use a column like Status, State, or Activity. The exact label doesn’t matter as long as you consistently mark tasks as Active, In Progress, or Complete. If your team uses dates, you might define activity as End Date is in the future, but Status is the clearer option for ongoing work.

• Create the filter

In Smartsheet, you’ll find Filter in the toolbar. Choose New Filter (or Manage Filters, if you’re organizing a few). You’ll set a criterion like Status is not equal to Completed, or Status is Active. The goal is to include what’s currently actionable.

• Name it and save

Give it a clear name—“Active Tasks Only” works nicely. Saving makes it easy to reuse later, so you’re not reinventing the wheel every time you share status.

• Apply and test

Apply the filter to your sheet. Check that the visible rows reflect only the active tasks, and that completed items disappear from view. It’s a quick sanity check that saves you from future headaches.

• Make it stakeholder-friendly

If you regularly share updates with the same group, consider creating a dedicated view or a dashboard that uses the filter. This way, when you share a link or a dashboard, your audience sees the filtered world you’ve prepared—no extra clicks required.

• Keep it honest and up-to-date

A filter isn’t a one-and-done tool. It needs maintenance. When a task moves from Active to Complete, the filter’s behavior remains correct, so you don’t have to adjust the rule. If your team adds a new status label, update the filter to reflect that change.

A quick caveat: balance visibility with context

Filters are powerful, but they don’t replace human judgment. There will be moments when stakeholders want a broader picture—like a quick read on why a delay happened, or how a completed task impacted the overall timeline. In those cases, a separate history view or a lightweight dashboard section can provide the necessary context without overwhelming the primary view.

Here are a couple of practical ideas that often pair well with an active-task filter

• A two-tab approach for sheets

Have one tab with the active-task filter applied and a second tab that holds completed items or historical data. If someone needs to audit past work or understand the full journey, they can switch tabs. This keeps the daily focus clean while preserving a full narrative elsewhere.

• A companion dashboard for stakeholders

Dashboards are great for high-level visibility. Build a dashboard that pulls in the filtered view for current priorities, a quick blockers list, and a couple of key dates. You give decision-makers a concise snapshot, and you’ve got a natural entry point for deeper dives if needed.

• A “live” summary for quick consumption

If your workflow calls for it, a light, real-time summary card can show the number of active tasks, the average time in status, and the upcoming milestones. It’s not a replacement for the sheet, but it primes conversations with the right questions.

A tiny bit of craft goes a long way

You don’t need to be a Smartsheet wizard to make this work. The real craft is in aligning the right viewer with the right slice of data. When Mariela shares an active-tasks view, she’s cutting through the noise—like presenting a well-edited agenda where every item matters today.

Emotional cues, human touches, and the occasional analogy

Think of it like hosting a small gathering. You don’t hand guests a full cookbook; you offer a curated tasting menu. The idea isn’t to hide flavors you didn’t serve, but to spotlight the dishes that fit the moment. In Smartsheet terms, the active-task filter is that tasting menu. It keeps conversations focused on what’s on the stove right now, while the full pantry stays accessible for later tasting, if needed.

And yes, there are moments when a quick color cue or a weekly summary helps, but those are supplements, not substitutes. If a stakeholder needs to know why a task slipped, you can pull up the full sheet or a history section and walk them through the path—without forcing everyone to wade through completed tasks in real time.

A few practical tips that make your life easier

• Start simple, then tailor: If Status = Active works, great. If your workflow has a more nuanced stage gate, adjust to include stages like “In Review” or “Ready for UAT” as needed.

• Save multiple views for different groups: Project managers might want a broader filter that includes “In Progress” plus “Blocked,” while executives may prefer strictly “Active.”

• Pair filters with clean data entry: The cleaner your Status values, the more reliable your filters. Consider standardizing terminologies and providing a quick guide right in your sheet.

A gentle reminder about what this approach preserves

Visibility is a balancing act. You want to keep everyone informed without overwhelming them. A well-crafted active-tasks filter achieves this balance by delivering clarity and speed where it matters most. It respects stakeholders’ time and supports better decision-making, without sacrificing the project’s history or the team’s transparency.

If you’re wondering where to start, the answer is simple: set up the active-task filter, save it as a named view, and test it with your next status meeting. You’ll most likely notice two things right away. First, people will respond more quickly because they see what truly requires their attention. Second, conversations will stay focused on priorities instead of drifting into yesterday’s work. And that, in turn, keeps momentum moving forward.

A closing thought to keep you grounded

Every project rides on clear communication. Smartsheet gives you tools that let you shape what different audiences see. The active-tasks filter is one of the most reliable, least dramatic moves you can make to keep the right people anchored to the right priorities. It’s not flashy, but it is effective—a small adjustment with big returns in how teams collaborate and how decisions get made.

So, next time you’re preparing to share status with stakeholders, start with the filter. If you’re curious, test a couple of variations to see which version resonates best with your audience. You might discover that different groups respond to slightly different views, and that’s perfectly fine. The point is to stay practical, stay focused, and let the data do the guiding work.