One of the iOS-inspired apps that Apple has brought to OS X is Reminders. While Apple used to include reminders in its iCal calendaring program, this feature has been separated into its own stand-alone program that interfaces with iCloud and allows you to set up and synchronize reminders lists.

Even though by supporting alarms and due dates Reminders are a tad redundant with calendar events, their being maintained in lists and not being placed on a timeline changes their uses slightly and gives them relevance not only for individuals, but also for workgroups.

Unfortunately by default if you create a reminder list, then this list will be available to your iCloud account only; however, with a couple of small tweaks you can set up a shared list that will automatically synchronize between the various members’ iCloud accounts:

1. Open Reminders and create or select the list you would like to share.
2. Hover your mouse over the right of the list’s name and a small Sharing icon will appear
3. Click the icon and add a contact’s name or e-mail
4. Click “Done” and wait for the reminders to sync.

When you perform this routine, the person receiving the invitation will get an email containing a link to iCloud (note that an AppleID and iCloud account are required for doing this.). If the recipient has multiple devices linked to his or her iCloud account, then the reminders will be automatically synchronized with them.

If you are managing a small workgroup, then using reminders in this way, you can have a list shared among various people, allowing them to all update it accordingly. However, keep in mind that the shared reminders list does not have permissions restrictions to it. While you might think the reminders list should have some delegation control, this is not the case, and anyone you share the list with will be able to add, remove, or otherwise modify its contents.