task assignment organization

How To Assign Tasks To Team Members Effectively? Our Full Guideline

How can I effectively assign tasks to people?

Why is it that despite assigning tasks, some groups reach peak productivity and project success, while others grapple with conflicts and burnout?

And how can I address and solve issues related to task assignment?

In this article, we’ll provide answers to all of these questions.

Ready to elevate your task assignment skills and boost your project success? Let’s dive right in!

I. Assigning Tasks: Quick Overview

1. What is task assigning?

Task assigning is the process of allocating specific duties to team members to achieve a common goal.

2. Why is assigning tasks to team members important?

Effective task assigning is crucial for achieving team goals and maintaining productivity because it improves:

• Fair workload distribution.
• Resource efficiency.
• Seamless team collaboration
• Simplifying project progress tracking.

There’s more.

As everyone knows their role, responsibilities, and how their work contributes to the bigger picture, they feel less confused and more accountable for their assigned task.

II. How to assign tasks effectively in a project?

Below are the best strategies, practices, and tips for assigning tasks to others effectively.

Stage 1: Before assigning tasks

• Understand the project & your team members

Ensure you get a clear understanding of:

• Project’s objectives, scope, desired outcomes, and any deadlines.
• Team members’ skills, strengths, weaknesses, and preferences.

This step allows you to match the right tasks with the right team member, which helps allocate tasks efficiently, increase productivity, and maximize project success.

• Break down the project into individual tasks

Follow these steps:

• Identify major components of the project based on its goals.
• Break components into smaller tasks.

This makes it easier for managers to allocate responsibilities and track progress while helping team members better grasp the overall process.

• Prioritize tasks

Prioritize tasks based on 3 factors: 1) urgency, 2) importance, and 3) complexity. Here’s how:

• Identify time-sensitive tasks.
• Address tasks contribute to your long-term goals and should not be neglected.
• Categorize tasks based on difficulty levels, and time and resources required.
• Create a priority list of tasks based on the combination of all three criteria.

This valuable step helps managers make informed decisions on which tasks to tackle first and find the right people to work on each task.

Stage 2: While assigning employee tasks

• Match the right person to the right task

Assign tasks to the most qualified people.

Start by allocating high-priority tasks to the first available person with the matching expertise. Schedule low-priority tasks.

Straightforward tasks can be assigned to less experienced members, while complex tasks may be given to those with advanced skills.

• Be mindful of your team’s availability.
• Set realistic deadlines. Ensure to give members sufficient time to complete their assigned task.
• If someone shows interest in a particular task, consider assigning it to them.

If you know your employees well enough, then make a list of dependable people who are ready to take on a little more duties.

Give them low-priority yet important tasks with authority.

• Communication

To avoid disputes, constant clarification, or errors, it’s important to help your team members understand:

• Project’s goals, desired outcomes, and deadlines.
• Tasks’ requirements and priorities, plus how they contribute to the overall project’s success.
• Who is responsible for which task and what is expected of them.

Tips: Use clear and concise language when communicating. Encourage employees to ask questions and seek clarification on the project and their assigned tasks.

Stage 3: After assigning tasks

• Monitor Progress & Offer Help

Check-in with team members regularly to see how they are doing and if they need any help.

Encourage them to open up and transparently communicate their concerns and challenges.

On your side as a team leader or project manager, be available to offer assistance if they encounter challenges.

This helps resolve issues and improve the task assignment process.

• Provide Necessary Resources

Ensure that team members have the necessary resources, tools, and information for their task completion.

Stage 4: After the task/project is completed

• Reflect on Past Assignments

After each project or task, take time to reflect on what worked well, what didn’t, and where certain tasks weren’t up to par.

Address any issues and offer feedback on completed tasks. Use this feedback to refine your approach in future assignments.

Recognize and reward everyone’s efforts and contributions. This helps keep employees excited and motivated.

• Continuous Learning and Improvement

Invest in training and development opportunities for your team to enhance new skills and knowledge.

Extra tips for assigning tasks effectively:

• Use project management software to help you manage workload, make time estimates, performance reviews, etc.
• Be flexible. Things don’t always go according to plan, so be prepared to adjust your assignments as needed.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try different approaches to see what works best for your team.

III. How to assign tasks in Upbase?

In this section, I’ll show you how a project management tool like Upbase helps simplify task assignments, improve morale, and increase outcomes.

Quick info:

• Upbase organizes and manages projects by lists.
• Members of a list can’t see and access other ones except those lists’ owners allow them to.
• Upbase offers unlimited free users and tasks.

Sign up for a free Upbase account here , follow this guide, and take your task assignment process to the next level.

1. Break down projects into smaller tasks

Create a new list:

• Hover over “Lists” on the left sidebar to open the dropdown menu.
• Select “List”
• Edit the list’s icon, color, name, and description. Then, add your employees.

Add new tasks to the list:

• Navigate to the Tasks module.
• Create and edit sections.
• Add tasks to sections by clicking “+” or “Add task”.

Add new tasks via emails : Open the dropdown menu next to the list name, select “add tasks via emails”, and follow the instructions.

Add task details:

You can add specific instructions, priorities, deadlines, and other attributes to individual tasks and subtasks.

Keyboard shortcuts : Hover over a task card and press:

• “S” to set high priority
• “D” to open the Due date picker
• “C” to open the Tag picker

Upbase Tip : Use task tags to categorize tasks by urgency, importance, and complexity. This makes it easier to match the right tasks to people for later.

2. Assign tasks

Check your employee availability:

Go to the Members page, and click on the team member you’d to assess their workload.

You’ll be driven to a separate page that shows that member’s assigned tasks, along with their due dates, priorities, etc. You can also filter tasks by one of these attributes.

Use this page to check each employee’s availability and identify who can complete additional tasks.

Assign tasks:

Open the desired task, click “Assignee”, and choose the right team member(s).

Keyboard shortcuts : Hover over the task and press “A” to open the Assignee picker. Press the space bar to assign yourself. This way makes assigning tasks easier and quicker!

If you want multiple people to work on a particular task, consider dividing it into subtasks, give time estimates for each, and then assign them to the right team member(s).

Communicate tasks:

Use the Messages and Chat modules to communicate with your team.

Messages is best suited to show the big picture, like project goals, desired outcomes, everyone’s duties, and how their work contributes to the whole.

Make use of the comment box to encourage everyone to ask questions and seek clarification about the project or their assigned tasks.

Chat supports both 1:1 chats and group chats. It’s perfect for quick discussions about issues, task deadlines, etc.

3. Track progress

Upbase offers an array of tools for project managers to track the workload of other employees.

To track a project’s progress:

From the Tasks module :

Here, you can view tasks in a List or Board format.

The List format provides an overview of tasks, deadlines, priorities, and employees working on them, while the Board visualizes the project’s progress.

Besides, you can group tasks by due date, priority, assignee, or section. View tasks filtered by one or multiple tags. Or create a custom filter.

From the Calendar module:

It shows all the scheduled tasks within a project by week or month. It also allows you to create a new task or reschedule overdue tasks.

To track the progress of all projects in a workspace :

Filters : In addition to filtering tasks within a project, you can create custom filters across multiple or all projects in a workspace.

Schedule : It functions similarly to the Calendar module. The two main differences are:

1) Schedule is to track the progress of tasks from all projects while Calendar is to track the progress of tasks within a project.

2) Schedule offers an additional view, named Daily Planner.

Other tools for progress tracking:

My Tasks : A private place where you can get an overview of all the tasks you create or tasks assigned to you.

4. Encourage collaboration and provide support

Use Upbase’s Docs, Files, and Links to provide employees with resources, information, and tools they need to complete tasks.

These modules are available in each list, making it easy to manage project data separately. Plus, they all provide collaboration features like watchers and comment boxes.

• Docs : You can create native documents, share a doc’s public link, embed Google Docs, and organize documents by folders.
• Files : It allows you to upload/download files, manage file versions, embed Google Drive folders, and show files by Grid or Board view.

• Links : You can save URLs as cards, and then add descriptions, watchers, and comments.

5. Providing feedback

On the Tasks module, you can create a section, named “Review”.

When a task is completed, the assignee will drag and drop it here. Then, you, as a project manager will leave feedback on it via the comment box.

So, why wait? Sign up for a free Upbase account now and experience it yourself.

IV. Common mistakes to avoid

For successful task assignment, remember to avoid these common mistakes:

1. Fear of Assigning Tasks

Some people, particularly new or inexperienced managers, may hesitate to allocate tasks to others due to concerns about:

• The quality of the work
• Fear of losing control
• Lack of trust in team members

This fear can hinder productivity and personal growth within a team or organization.

2. Lack of Clarity

This means that the instructions and details regarding a task are not transparent.

Team members may not have a clear understanding of what they are supposed to do, what the goals are, or what the expected outcomes should be.

This lack of clarity can lead to confusion and misunderstandings.

3. Poor Communication

Poor communication can contribute to misunderstandings and problems in task assignments, too.

However, it addresses different aspects of the overall process.

Poor communication means that there might be a lack of information sharing or ineffective communication methods. This could include:

• Not providing updates
• Failing to ask questions when something is unclear
• Not actively listening to others.

Even with clear instructions, if there’s poor communication, the information may not be conveyed effectively.

2. Overloading

Assigning too many tasks to a single person or team can overwhelm them and negatively impact the quality of their work. It’s crucial to distribute tasks evenly and consider each individual’s capacity.

3. Ignoring Skills and Strengths

Neglecting to match tasks with team members’ skills and strengths can result in subpar performance. Assign tasks based on individuals’ expertise and abilities to optimize results.

5. Micromanagement

Hovering over team members and scrutinizing every detail of their work can stifle creativity and motivation.

Trust your team to complete their tasks and provide support when needed.

6. Inflexibility

Being rigid in task assignments can prevent adaptation to changing circumstances or new information. It’s essential to remain open to adjustments and feedback.

8. Unrealistic Deadlines

Setting unattainable deadlines can put unnecessary pressure on your team and lead to a rushed and subpar outcome. Ensure that timelines are realistic and allow for unexpected delays.

10. Lack of Feedback

Forgetting to provide constructive feedback or failing to seek input from team members can hinder growth and improvement. Regularly discuss progress and provide guidance when necessary.

In summary:

Successful task assignment relies on clear communication, matching tasks to skills, flexibility, and a supportive, accountable, and feedback-driven environment.

Avoiding these common mistakes will help ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and effectively.

1. What’s the difference between assigning and delegating tasks?

Task delegation means you give someone the authority to make decisions and complete tasks independently without constant supervision.

Task allocation, on the other hand, means you assign specific duties to someone, often with clear instructions, while retaining overall control.

A delegated task gives the team member more freedom to make decisions and determine how to produce the desired results. An assigned task is more limited because it’s based on instructions and under supervision.

In short, delegating tasks typically involves a higher degree of trust and empowerment than allocating tasks.

2. What’s the difference between tasks and subtasks?

Tasks are generally larger, more significant activities that need to be completed, while subtasks are smaller, specific components or steps that contribute to the completion of a task.

Subtasks are often part of a broader task and help break it down into manageable pieces.

3. Who is the person assigned to a task?

The person assigned to a task is called an “assignee”. They’re responsible for completing that specific job or duty.

4. Who should you delegate a task to?

Delegate a task to the person best suited for it based on their skills, expertise, and availability.

Choose someone who can complete the task effectively and efficiently, taking into account their experience and workload.

5. What is the best way to assign tasks to team members?

The best way to assign tasks to others is by considering each member’s strengths, skills, and workload capacity, and aligning tasks with their expertise and availability.

6. Why is it important to assign tasks to your team members?

Assigning tasks to team members is crucial because it ensures clarity, accountability, and efficiency in achieving goals.

It helps prevent duplication of efforts, enables better time management, and allows team members to focus on their strengths, ultimately leading to successful project completion.

7. How do you politely assign a task?

To politely assign a task, you can follow these steps:

• Start with a friendly greeting.
• Clearly state the task and its importance.
• Ask if the person is available and willing to take on the task.
• Offer any necessary information or resources.
• Express appreciation for their help.

8. How do short-term goals differ from long-term goals?

Short-term goals are specific, achievable objectives that you aim to accomplish soon, typically within days, weeks, or months.

Long-term goals are broader, more substantial objectives that you work towards over an extended period, often spanning years.

Short-term goals are like stepping stones to reach long-term goals.

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Top 10 Task Assignment Templates with Samples and Examples

Simran Shekhawat

A leader’s task is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.   - Former US secretary of Henry Kissinger

Kissinger’s vision of leadership has stood the test of time, and human endeavors. His thoughts on leadership reflect the importance of delegating or task assignment in a group setting, be it politics or business.

The importance of task allocation, management, and delegation of work to reach a pre-defined role cannot be overstated.

If you are large-scale business or a firm, it is tedious or troublesome to conduct meetings, design project outcomes, comprehend the project progress, and manage the nitty gritty of business. To ensure the owner or the management use their energies wisely, it is a better strategy to have a structured plan in place for task assignments across each level of your business establishment.

We, at SlideTeam, present to you our contemporary model of managing and delegating tasks that resolves this major pain point of businesses. It also helps you make efficient use of your time by following a schedule. Use our must-have business task templates to keep track of your business cycles.

Determine the schedule of your day with some of the daily task templates check out now!

The PPT Templates from SlideTeam comprehend your needs and give you both the outcome and the answer. Creating and adhering to a daily routine is essential for all aspects of life. Use these 100% editable and customizable templates with samples and examples to understand the significance of these. We promise to make your professional life easier, as they offer to organize, manage, and track down your project progress and streamline your business processes.

You must keep a record of updates on due dates and status. Check out some of weekly task templates. Click here !

Let’s dive into the task of work management with task assignment templates

Template 1 task assignment powerpoint ppt template bundles.

Delegating and accounting tasks is essential for proper functioning of an organization. To enable that, we have created one of our best task assignment PowerPoint Slides to help businesses distribute their work, use resources optimally, and enhance the working of their team members such that their contribution and expertise help the firm achieve their objectives. Bring in the power of this template to feature quality output, facilitate clear communication, strategic project planning, task budgeting monitoring, and evaluation of team and task performance against the milestones.

Download Now!

Template 2 Project Task Assignment Management Sheet with Related Issues 

Use this template as a primary project management document that summarizes work assignments and related problems. Use the slide to reflect changes in task status, issues resolved, and real-time project progress. Encourage team members to contribute to the issue log to foster a collaborative environment that facilitates open communication and efficient problem-solving. Through the integration of linked issues, this template seeks to facilitate the administration of project task assignments and promote a proactive approach to resolution of the issue and project success.

Template 3 Employee Onboarding Process Task Assignment Chart 

To ensure that every stage of the onboarding process is planned correctly and allocated, we welcome you with the PPT Template that lists employee onboarding process with task assignments. This slide is attractive as it visually represents tasks assigned and their status and a column for additional notes. With this, businesses can streamline their onboarding process by establishing project managing techniques of tracking and collaborations. Use the content in this template to help you finish your assignment on time or ahead of schedule. Download it to know more!

Template 4 Employee Weekly Task Assignment Schedule with Workload Status 

Creating a schedule demands foresight in that one needs to be prepared for unforeseen events. Make sure your work tasks and processes align with the necessary tasks to be completed. Use our professionally-designed employee task schedule template to facilitate task management. Determine the status of your work schedule, while listing it in workload categories to ensure timely project progress. Use this pre-made employee workload status template to help employees understand the gist of the work needed to be done to reach their goals and to help them provide suggestions on how to lighten their burden for the upcoming week.

Template 5 Task Assignment and Evaluation Matrix PPT PowerPoint Presentation Summary

Establish control over your project by making every team member or firm aware of the roles and responsibilities when performing activities. Ensure that everyone on a project team knows their function and how it fits into the larger picture; this task and assessment template aims to identify the roles and responsibilities of each member. This PowerPoint Template contains information you need. You can implement your daily tasks and present your data in a way that engages and informs.

Template 6 Weekly Task Assignment List with Status and Hours Budgeted 

This weekly job assignment PowerPoint Slide balances the action and budget hour and the relevant workload status. This comprehensive solution offers a one-stop shop for all your needs related to recording weekly activities. Use this slide to create easily navigable graphics that enhance staff productivity. Lay out your weekly and daily tasks along with those with features to explain project progress.

Template 7 – Task Assignment Tracker with Due Date and Budget Allocation 

This task assignment tracker facilitates the management and monitoring of project tasks by combining task assignment data, deadlines, and budget allocations in an organized manner. Construct an adequate representation of tasks assigned to employees and the time and budget required for completion. To maintain financial control, check the budget summary. Give every task its unique identification. Give a brief description of the assignment. Use this slide to depict how to set aside money for the project’s budget. Arrange the projected  cost and the actual cost incurred in a tabular format to learn the deviations and get better at budgeting. Change the task's state (Not Started, In Progress, or Completed). Tailor it to the listed requirements and match it to the intricacy of your undertaking.

Template 8 – Project Task Assignment Management Sheet with Related Issues

This template offers a thorough overview of project tasks, their assignments, and any associated problems hindering the project's advancement. Modify the template to fit requirements and the scope of your project. List out the task details with due date priority, last check-in, status, related issues, and additional notes if any. This template provides a comprehensive list of task assignments as well.

Template 9 – Task Assignment Schedule with Course Details

For instructional programs, training sessions, or any learning-related projects, arrange your course in a manageable way with this PPT Template. The assignment schedule provides a layout for project details that encompass listing out course details from the day of starting till the progress to date. Adapt the template based on the difficulty of the course. Update the schedule frequently to account for modifications to the dates, subjects, or assignments. Use this timetable to help you plan and monitor the course's progress.

Template 10 One-Pager Format of Project Task Assignment Sheet Infographic

Use this PPT Template to assess a software application's functionality. Consequently, determine if the generated program satisfies the requirements. This slide depicts project objectives, progress, and challenges. Provide space to include the project's name and basic details. Enlist to segregate tasks with phases, task details, and due dates. Illustrate phases in the project along with project closure. Use this PowerPoint Presentation to highlight the four-week project timetable and current accomplishments. This will enable you to run the programs to help identify software issues.

Create your task with us!

Design and create your business task with SlideTeam’s task assignment PPT Templates. These templates are created professionally to let your business organise and structure their assignments. Provide a comprehensive guide for individuals and team while helping them to track, prioritize, track project progress and manage activities and processes.

Do check out some of your best business task list templates. Click here to know more!

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how to effectively assign tasks to team members to increase productivity?

Picture this: It's Monday morning, and your team is buzzing with excitement, ready to take on the week. But wait! Who's doing what? Does everyone know their roles and responsibilities? Ah, the perennial challenge of assigning tasks . If this rings a bell, worry not. We've all been there. Have you ever felt the sting of mismatched roles? Like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole? Assigned tasks play a pivotal role in the smooth functioning of any team. And guess what? There are methods and tools that make this process easier. Let’s dive in.

As a leader in the workplace, it is essential to ensure that everyone in the team gets the appropriate amount of work. Sometimes, it's tempting to give an employee more tasks than others, especially if he/she finishes the tasks faster. But keep in mind that as managers, you must be fair. You must learn how to effectively assign tasks to your team members . 

Although it may seem like a simple management function, assigning tasks to your team is actually challenging. As said by Liane Davey, cofounder of 3COze Inc. and author of  You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along, and Get Stuff Done , You are “juggling multiple interests” in the pursuit of optimal team performance.

Task distribution among various departments might vary from person to person. For efficient delegation, it is vital to consider guidelines while distributing duties to team members.

Tasks that are delegated effectively move your people, projects, and the entire business forward. It increases management and staff trust and accountability, helps in refining and teaching new abilities, enables personnel to become acquainted with various groups and areas of employment, and is an excellent foundation for performance reviews, etc.

How do you assign tasks to your employees? 

Assigning tasks is typically perceived as a time-consuming activity that focuses on removing items from task lists in order to keep the project moving forward. Task assignment, nevertheless, ought to be a more employee-focused procedure that calls for extra commitment and work, which produces excellent outcomes. 

Here are some tips to effectively assign tasks to your employees:

1. Delegate Positively

Don't just throw work at someone and expect them to deliver when they might not be qualified for that particular assignment. Maintain a mindset of doubting every assignment you gave and go over your personnel roster to see whether anyone else is capable of completing it as effectively as you can. They will be more likely to believe that they can do the assignment in the manner that the leader desires if they have a positive outlook. Employees won't feel inspired to start their assignment if you adversely assign them or have doubts about their competence. A little encouragement will make their day happier and encourage them to confidently do the tasks given to them.

2. Set Clear Goals and Objectives

To understand how your team performs, you should set clear goals and objectives before entrusting them with any responsibilities. When goals and objectives are not defined, it'll be harder for your team to see the big picture and perform tasks in a particular manner. 

3. Assign the Right Task to the Right Employee

This is the key to productivity. Who has the most expertise and experience should be given priority, but don't give that individual too much work. You should also think about who needs to develop their sense of responsibility. Also, take into account the passage of time and their eagerness to seize the opportunity. To do this, the manager should create a delegation plan that considers the various skill sets of each employee and assign tasks that are properly suited to each individual. On the other hand, when a task requires an extraordinary employee and there is a talent shortage, the leaders themselves should do the assignment in an emergency or without a workforce.

4. Obtain Inputs from Your Team and Set Up Meetings if Possible

Get suggestions from your team on what should be modified, who you could include, and how outcomes should be defined. Engage with the specific managers of the sub-teams if you are in charge of a large team or organization. A meeting with the entire team is necessary before assigning tasks to team members. You may obtain a clear picture of who is responsible for what and how purposefully they can do the assignment. Getting suggestions from your team members ensures that each of them will contribute to the task's accomplishment.

5. Conduct Training and Supervision

A project's completion necessitates the blending of various delegation techniques, a high degree of team member commitment, and effective planning and execution. It is essential to teach the team members and meet with the team every day in order to produce a skilled workforce. The training includes free access to resources for developing skills, such as courses from Upskillist ,  Udemy , or  Coursera . Following the training phase, the work must be supervised by a professional to ensure that the team learned from the training provided. Before and throughout the task assignment and execution among several team members, training and supervision are equally crucial.

6. Communicate Constantly

It doesn't mean that when you're done delegating the tasks, everything's good. No, it doesn't work that way. Constant communication is also the key to unlocking productivity. You need to collaborate with your team . Professionals at work must keep a close watch on their team members to learn about any challenges or issues they may be having.  For the task to be completed and the status of each team member to be tracked, communication is essential. Following up on tasks you assign to your employees helps them manage pressure and boost job productivity since problems like stress and pressure may tangle them and slow them down. Employee burnout is a result of micromanagement, which is not a good concept. It is best to let staff go free by following up casually.

7. Know who to Handover Authorization and Control

Decentralized power relieves employers of job management. Make sure to provide your staff some authority when you delegate tasks to them using management apps such as Trello , Asana , Edworking , Slack , and the like. Employees become empowered and responsible for completing tasks as a result of the control transfer. Giving them too little authority can cause issues because they lose interest in their work while giving them too much control might overwhelm them and cause them to forget basic responsibilities. The key to the team's success is giving each member the authority they rightfully deserve while also soliciting input.

8. After the project, assess the results

Ask yourself how you as the manager could support the success of your team members more effectively. Give constructive criticism and accept it in return.

The most vital phase in job completion is assigning tasks to team members. Due to the frequent mistakes made while delegating duties, it is imperative to use management tools when giving your team responsibilities. Project management solutions provide better work allocations by incorporating features like marketing automation. Employee development and time tracking are made easier by the task assignment guidelines, which also help keep workers interested. 

Allocating Vs. Delegating Tasks 

Now that you've learned about some tips to properly assign tasks, you may also have questions like, "what's the difference between allocating and delegating tasks?" 

As stated by Abhinav in a published article on LinkedIn, "The imbalance of responsibility and accountability is the main difference between Delegation and Allocation." What does it mean? Delegation gives a real opportunity for your team to upskill, grow, and develop. Allocating tasks is merely assigning tasks without the goal of helping your team grow.

Although assigning tasks has its merits, delegating tasks offers significant advantages in terms of employee growth and engagement. Because delegation when done well delivers diversity and other intrinsic motivational incentives that make work so much more meaningful, it will be even more rewarding for the manager and team members.

Task Tips and Best Practices 

In order to accomplish our objectives and SMART goals, we define a particular number of tasks that we must do each day. We frequently take on more than we can handle in the fight to remain at the top of our game and maintain our competitive edge.

Even while everything appears to be of the utmost importance, something is off in your struggle to finish everything while maintaining your composure. Some of us have a lengthy list of things we want to get done before a given age or period. Others devote so much effort to honing a particular skill that by the time it shines, it is no longer relevant.

Time management and balancing workload are not just skills of project managers or superiors. In reality, these abilities should be embraced at every level, particularly when working in a team. Research by Cornerstone found that when workers believe they don't have enough time in the day to do their jobs, work overload reduces productivity by 68%. What tips and best practices should you do so you don't only allocate tasks but delegate them effectively?

1. Prioritize. Make a to-do list according to the order of priority

Even if to-do lists are classic, they are still more efficient and effective than ever. People used to keep handwritten notes for ideas and tasks back in the day.  There are smart to-do lists apps and software that provide notifications and reminders prior to the task's due date. 

2. Maximize productivity and minimize procrastination

To start, delegate the tasks to the right people. Don't do it tomorrow or the next day. Do it today. Having a lot to accomplish may be stressful, which is sometimes worse than the actual task. If you struggle with procrastination, it's possible that you haven't come up with a good task management strategy. You might express your lack of starting knowledge by procrastinating. It could not be laziness, but rather a matter of setting priorities.

3. Be motivated

Procrastination and a lack of motivation are closely correlated. When you lack motivation, you tend to get distracted. If you want to meet milestones and deadlines, be motivated.

4. Delegate and be involved

The reality of being overburdened can have a negative impact on productivity if it is not properly managed. At the end of the day, we're still just humans. When it comes to having patience, resilience, working under pressure, or finishing a task quickly, each one of us possesses a certain set of skills. So, delegate the right tasks to the right person in your team, and don't just stop there. Be involved. Leaving the stadium just because you're done delegating is a big no. Keep in touch with them and follow up on the progress of the tasks assigned.

Task Vs. Subtask 

Tasks and subtasks are quite similar. The only difference is that a subtask should be completed as an element of completing a larger and more complex task.

For example, the task is to increase your company's social media presence. So, what should you do to accomplish those tasks? That's when you have subtasks such as creating optimized posts and content on various social media platforms, scheduling them, interacting with your audience in the comment section, etc. 

The additional stages that make up a task are called subtasks. They are essential while working on large projects with a wide range of tasks. In some task management tools, You may create as many subtasks as you need in the task view, but you must first choose the parent task before you can create a subtask.

Why You Should Assign Tasks Effectively to Team Members

Enhance team productivity.

Efficient task assignment can work wonders for your team's productivity. When each team member knows their role and is well-suited for their tasks, they can focus on delivering high-quality results. Imagine a well-oiled machine, with each cog spinning smoothly and in harmony - that's your team at peak productivity!

Consider these points:

• Match tasks to individual skills : Ensure tasks align with your team members' unique abilities and expertise.
• Set clear expectations : Be transparent about deadlines, deliverables, and objectives.
• Foster collaboration : Encourage communication and collaboration among team members.

Nurture a Sense of Ownership

Assigning tasks effectively helps to in still a sense of ownership and responsibility within your team. When individuals understand their role in a project, they are more likely to take pride in their work and strive for excellence. It's like planting a seed - with proper care and attention, it'll grow into a strong, thriving tree.

Key elements to foster ownership:

• Encourage autonomy : Allow team members to make decisions and take charge of their tasks.
• Provide feedback : Offer constructive feedback and celebrate successes.
• Support development : Invest in your team members' growth through training and development opportunities.

Reduce Work Overload and Burnout

Nobody wants to be buried under an avalanche of tasks. By allocating work effectively, you can prevent team members from feeling overwhelmed and burned out. Just as we can't run on empty, neither can our team members - so, let's ensure they have a manageable workload.

Strategies to avoid overload:

• Balance workloads : Distribute tasks evenly and consider individual capacities.
• Encourage breaks : Promote a healthy work-life balance and remind your team to take breaks.
• Monitor progress : Regularly check in with your team members to assess their workloads and stress levels.

Boost Employee Engagement

An engaged employee is a happy and productive one. When you assign tasks effectively, you're laying the groundwork for increased engagement. Think of it as a dance - with the right choreography, everyone knows their steps and performs in harmony.

Steps to enhance engagement:

• Align tasks with goals : Ensure tasks contribute to the overall goals of your team and organization.
• Offer variety : Mix up tasks to keep things interesting and provide opportunities for growth.
• Recognize achievements : Acknowledge hard work and accomplishments.

Improve Overall Team Morale

Finally, effective task assignment can lead to a happier, more cohesive team. When everyone feels valued and supported, team morale soars. Imagine a choir, each voice blending harmoniously to create a beautiful symphony - that's a team with high morale.

Ways to uplift team morale:

• Empower decision-making : Encourage team members to contribute their ideas and be part of the decision-making process.
• Foster a positive atmosphere : Cultivate an environment of open communication, trust, and support.
• Celebrate successes : Acknowledge both individual and team achievements, and celebrate them together.

Tools to Simplify Task Assignments in Teams

Microsoft outlook: not just for emails.

Yes, you heard that right. Beyond sending emails, Outlook has task features that allow managers to assign work to team members. You can set deadlines, prioritize, and even track progress. Think of it as your digital task manager. How cool is that?

Google Docs: Collaboration Made Easy

A favorite for many, Google Docs allows real-time collaboration. Need to distribute tasks ? Create a shared document, list down the tasks, and voila! Everyone can view, edit, or comment. Ever thought of using a simple shared document as a task distribution board?

Trello: Visual Task Management

For those of us who are visual creatures, Trello is a game-changer. Create boards, list assigned duties , and move them across columns as they progress. Remember playing with building blocks as a kid? It’s pretty much that, but digital and for grown-ups!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assigning tasks effectively is a skill that every leader must master to ensure team productivity and employee satisfaction. While the tips provided earlier can help you get there, being aware of common mistakes in task assignment is equally crucial. Avoiding these pitfalls can save you from derailing your projects and hampering your team's morale.

1. Overburdening Skilled Employees

It's tempting to give the bulk of the work to your most skilled team members, but this can lead to burnout and decreased productivity in the long term.

2. Lack of Clarity in Instructions

Vague or unclear instructions can result in misunderstandings, leading to poor quality of work or project delays. Always be specific and clear about what is expected.

3. Micromanaging

While it’s essential to oversee the progress of tasks, hovering over your team members can undermine their confidence and create a stressful work environment.

4. Failing to Prioritize Tasks

Not all tasks are created equal. Failing to prioritize can lead to poor allocation of resources, with less important tasks taking away time and energy from critical objectives.

5. Ignoring Team Input

Ignoring suggestions or feedback from your team can result in missed opportunities for more effective delegation and stronger team cohesion.

6. One-Size-Fits-All Approach

Remember that each team member has unique skills and limitations. Assigning tasks without considering these factors can lead to ineffective results and frustrated employees.

7. Neglecting Follow-Up

Assigning a task is not the end but part of an ongoing process. Failing to follow up can result in delays and could indicate to your team that the task wasn’t that important to begin with.

8. Fear of Delegating

Sometimes managers avoid delegating tasks because they feel that no one else can do the job as well as they can. This not only increases your workload but also deprives team members of growth opportunities.

A significant aspect of a leader's duties is delegating assignments to team members effectively. The secret to a manager's team functioning like an efficient machine is wise delegation.

Because of delegation, you won't have to spend hours on work that someone else can complete more quickly. Trying to handle everything on your own can quickly wear you out, regardless of your knowledge or expertise. Effectively delegating tasks enables you to keep on top of your own work while assisting team members in acquiring new abilities and developing a sense of comfort with taking ownership of tasks. 

Proper delegation of tasks also provides managers and team members with a learning opportunity since it enables everyone to build trust and become accustomed to exchanging comments and showing each other respect and appreciation.

Less is more when attempting to boost your team's output. Your team may become burned out if you try to increase their production too rapidly. In contrast, if you're too aggressive, your team can lose interest in their work and productivity might drop. Keep in mind that everyone will be more productive if they are part of the decision-making and execution process.

If you want to delegate tasks with ease and convenience, go for Edworking . This management tool lets you assign tasks and oversee your team's progress in a specific task. You can also conduct meetings to meet your team.`

Know that productivity greatly matters. With the right knowledge of assigning tasks to your team members, you can maximize productivity. Thus, achieving the goals and objectives of your organization.

What is the best way to assign tasks to team members?

Recognizing and understanding each member's unique strengths and expertise is paramount. Instead of assigning tasks randomly, it's always better to match each job with the individual’s skill set. Consider open dialogue, seek feedback, and ensure the assigned tasks align with both team and individual goals. It's a bit like giving everyone their favorite role in a play; wouldn't they shine brighter?

How do you assign tasks to a team in Teamwork?

In Teamwork, tasks can be assigned effortlessly. Start by creating a task list, then add individual tasks. Within each task, there's an option to 'Assign To.' Simply choose the team member you wish to assign the task to. Think of it as passing the baton in a relay race – each person knows when to run and when to pass it on!

Why is it important to assign tasks to your team members?

Assigning specific tasks helps in streamlining the workflow, ensuring accountability, and reducing overlaps or gaps in responsibilities. It also empowers team members by giving them ownership of their work. Have you ever seen a football team where everyone runs after the ball? Without clear roles, it's chaos!

How do you politely assign a task?

Start by acknowledging the individual's capabilities and expressing confidence in their ability to handle the task. Then, clearly explain the job's scope, expectations, and its importance in the overall project. Think of it as offering a piece of cake, not dumping a plate on their lap!

How do short term goals differ from long term goals?

Short-term goals act as stepping stones towards achieving long-term goals. While short-term goals focus on immediate challenges and tasks (think weeks or months), long-term goals look at the bigger picture and can span years. It's like comparing a sprint to a marathon. One's quick and intense, the other's about endurance and the long haul.

How to Give Assignments to Team Members

Last updated on: March 21, 2024

The project has been divided into milestones, goals and objectives broken into tasks, and now it’s time to assign them. But as you open the project management platform, you’re faced with the unflattering process of wording the tasks, and choosing whom to assign them to.

Well, in this article, we offer advice on how to make that jumbled first moment a little clearer. There are actionable tips, learning the difference between allocating and delegating tasks, and suggested criteria on how to choose the best person for the job.

For a more precise overview, here’s a table of contents:

Table of Contents

How do you assign employees tasks?

We normally think that assigning tasks is a time-consuming process that focuses on clearing out task lists to keep the project going. However, task assignment should actually be a more employee-oriented process that requires additional dedication and effort, which yields incredible results. But what do we mean by that?

Properly assigned tasks push your employees, projects, and the overall company forward. Here’s how.

• They strengthen accountability and trust between managers and employees;
• They help teach new skills and perfect old ones;
• They allow employees to get familiar with other teams and avenues of work;
• It becomes easier to make project estimates;
• Makes for great bases for performance reviews, etc.

The list could go on, but we’ll stop there for now.

Of course, such long-term benefits don’t come without some proverbial blood and sweat in the planning stage. Let’s take a look at the general ideas on assigning employee tasks, and specific steps you can take.

Motivation comes from knowing the bigger picture

When we talk about the bigger picture in project management, we talk about each team member’s task affecting their peer’s down the line. Since all tasks are usually small pieces of the puzzle, it helps to remind employees how their work contributes. For example:

• A high-quality draft can make a great foundation for the final version, and it can be completed more quickly.
• A well-prepared presentation can shave time off unnecessary questions and additional email inquiries.

It comes as no surprise that people work better and are more productive, when they know that their work has an impact on the company level.

And so, when you assign tasks, try to emphasize how they fit in the bigger picture. Simply saying: “ You doing X will help with Y and Z ” and how it reflects on the project as a whole will let an employee know that the task they were assigned is important.

Get your employees excited to commit

Telling people about the bigger picture and showing them what’s possible can only get them so far. It’s enough to ignite the initial spark, but for them to fully commit to the task, you need to define what that task entails.

They should be able to picture how to go about the work, what skills to use, and how to reach the desired result. The clearer the instructions, the more motivated they will be to work.

Simply put, give directions on how the task should be done, and make sure they understand. You can’t read each other’s minds, so it’s important everyone is on the same page.

Ask for task transparency

One of the best practices a company can employ is transparency among coworkers.

This is achieved by having everyone input their tasks for the day in a timesheet. The purpose of timesheets is to get an accurate idea of what everyone is working on at any given time.

When people know who works on what tasks, it’s easier for them to know if a person is available or busy, how far along they are with a task, etc.

So, when you give assignments to employees, label them with deadlines. Alternatively, you can ask for employees’ assessments on how long the work would take them, and use those timeframes.

Source: Clockify team timesheet

Timesheets are a great way to keep an eye on tasks and the people doing them. You get to:

• see who struggles with what (helps assess people’s skill sets);
• who burns through their workload and is available for additional tasks;
• whether your time estimates need correction;
• identify any wasted time.

💡 If your employees are insecure about keeping public records of their tasks, here are a few resources that can help:

• How to create order in your daily work tasks
• How to be more efficient with your tasks

Keep a crystal clear timeframe

While we’re discussing timesheets and deadline transparency, it’s important to mention that the times you set for task completions need to be clear-cut.

As we’ve mentioned, the safest way to assign deadlines is to consult the employees. They are better at assessing how long it will take them due to the tasks’ difficulty, overall deadlines, the standards that need to be met, and the skill required to complete it.

When they get a say in how long they should be doing an assignment, people tend to feel more accountable for the whole process. They will do their best to finish in time, since they actively participated in setting the deadline.

Set very clear expectations

Assigning a task should always include your (the supervisor’s) expectations pointed out. For example:

• Does a logo pitch need as many drafts as possible, or just a few finished pieces?

If you ask a designer to make some drafts for a logo pitch, you must specify the kind of quality you’re looking for. Explain whether you are looking for some sketches and drafts for a brainstorming meeting, or if you want clean, presentable pieces to show.

Additionally:

• How many pieces should the designer do?
• Is there a specific color palette they need to follow?
• How important is the task? Is this the day they finally decide on a logo, or is it still in the brainstorming stage? (decides on the quality of the work itself)

Assigning the task using the above questions, you help the designer understand how much effort precisely they need to invest. They become more motivated with clear instructions, as they know what is expected of them. There’s no fear of having their work criticized for something that wasn’t communicated in the beginning. And on your end, it prevents breached deadlines or subpar results.

Avoid creating dependency by being less involved

It’s not unusual for employees to ask their supervisors for their opinion on a certain task, or their performance.

The problem arises when a supervisor makes themselves too involved with the process. When they feel like the project might fall apart if they don’t have their eyes on every moving part all of the time. And when you have, say, 20 people waiting for that person’s approval, advice, or consultation, the workflow runs into a gridlock.

And wait time is wasted time.

Plus, people lose motivation, patience, and grow frustrated, as they could be doing other things.

So, learn not to jump in every time people call for your aid. Assign reliable people who can address smaller issues, while you handle the big picture. Learn how to expend your own energy where it is needed more.

For example – making a pitch presentation for potential investors keeps getting put off because one person needs you to check a client email they want to send, another wants your signature on a form, and the third wants to ask something about employee feedback that’s coming up.

In order to not be stretched thin, and have your time wasted on menial tasks, here’s where you can start:

How to mitigate the risk of being over-involved when assigning

• Remember that you match tasks to people

Which means that, by matching the right people with the right tasks, your involvement will be minimal. Take time to carefully choose who gets to do what. What is the point of assigning tasks if they can’t be done without you?

• Have a 10-point scale to judge the importance of items

How important are certain aspects of your leadership role? Are you absolutely necessary in every meeting, or during every call? Which tasks need your approval, and which ones can be approved by someone under you?

Rank these items on a scale of 0 to 10, based on their importance to you and the project. Top priority tasks should get your undivided attention. And what can be delegated, should be.

• Analyze your schedule

Your energy and time are needed on a much broader scale. The best way to spot if you’re wasting time being too involved is to look at your schedule. Identify how much time you’ve spent on low-priority items, and assess which issues could’ve been solved without you.

• Take into account priorities and deadlines

Step in only when absolutely necessary. You are in charge of things getting done on time, by people most qualified for assigned tasks. Determine what your priorities are for each project, and concern yourself only with those issues, unless there is a risk of breaching a deadline.

• Formulate a list of dependable people

If you know your employees (or team members) well enough, then you should be able to single out those who are more dependable and ready to take on a little more responsibilities. Write out the reasons how they could help by getting involved on low-priority items instead of you. When the time comes, rally them and present them with the idea, keeping in mind that this solution helps push the project forward. When authority is delegated to several people, there’s fewer chances of a hold-up in the workflow.

This also falls into the realm of task delegation , which we’ll get into later.

How do you decide what tasks to assign to which employees?

1. assign based on priority.

Naturally, some tasks will be more important than others. When you break down a project into tasks , spend some time assessing their priority level.

High-priority tasks should be the first on your list to allocate. Whether it’s because they’re time-sensitive, or require more effort and dedication.

Low priority tasks can be allocated as fillers to the first available person.

2. Assign based on employee availability

Another factor to consider when assigning tasks is who is available at the moment.

As the project moves along, new tasks will be added. You will have to allocate new work, but odds are you won’t always be able to pick who you want. Especially if a deadline is approaching, the person with the smallest workload should be your first choice.

Overloading an already busy individual just because they’re more skilled or you have faith in them the most puts an unnecessary strain on them. It’s cause for frustration, poorer results, and decreased productivity.

And as we’ve mentioned, if you have a timesheet with an overview of all the tasks and employees working on them, it’ll be much easier to spot who is free and who isn’t.

3. Assign based on employee skill level

High-priority tasks should go to employees with more experience in a given field or skill. However, you should occasionally give such tasks to other employees as well, to help them grow and become just as dependable. Giving people challenging tasks that can boost their experience is essential to productivity and morale.

Not to mention you get to have multiple high-skilled employees.

Low-priority tasks can be assigned to anyone, despite their experience level. They’re a good opportunity to practice, pick up new skills, or get smaller tasks out of the way to make room for more important ones.

4. Assign based on preference

Last, but not the least, preference can also play a big part in how you assign tasks.

It’s a given that some employees will prefer certain tasks over others. So it could be good to assign tasks at a meeting with the team. As you discuss priorities, deadlines, and availability, ask them which tasks they would like to work on.

If someone shows interest in a specific type of work, they should (with some consideration), be allowed to take it. After all, people are more productive when they’re assigned to something they find new or exciting.

Note: Apply this rule with caution. Letting people do only the tasks they want can stunt their career growth. Getting out of our comfort zones and occasionally doing tasks that we don’t like is how we develop and learn. So, don’t forget to document assignments as you hand them out, to spot these potential issues early on.

Allocating vs delegating tasks

While semantically similar words, delegation and allocation in terms of tasks are two different things.

When you allocate tasks , you are assigning tasks without giving the employees much authority, challenge, or room to grow. It includes you keeping all of the responsibility – writing out the tasks, making deadlines, providing resources, tools, etc. These are usually recurring tasks that can become repetitive.

When you delegate tasks , you allow for some of that responsibility to fizzle out from your fingers. All you think about are the objectives, while letting the employees figure out the details and means to get there.

However, that doesn’t mean delegation is right and the allocation is wrong.

Task allocation has its own place. It is just as important, as a lot of tasks come down to repeated processes that are still vital to the project progress. Task delegation is just a good opportunity for employees to learn, challenge themselves, and assess their skills and performance.

When should you allocate tasks?

Management and BizDev consultant Artem Albul shared his concept on task assignment, which he dubbed an “algorithm”. He emphasized how these criteria are useful only and only when you wish that employees perform the tasks based on your guidelines and instructions (aka allocation).

Here is how Albul broke down the algorithm:

Source: Artem Albul, TWA Consulting

As we can see, task allocation, while the more “controlling” of the two, also gives in-depth instructions and asks for confirmation on task clarity. A lot of it comes down to everyone being on the same page, leaving little to no room for misinterpretation (but also creative freedom).

How should you allocate tasks?

With all that we’ve mentioned in the previous section, here’s how your task allotment could look like, step by step.

• Break down your project

Detail out the goals, objectives, and some individual tasks (not all, be careful not to start micromanaging). Place the most important deadlines.

• Prioritize tasks and sort them

It’s important to know what tasks need to be done faster/better, to properly allocate your resources and manpower from the start.

• Make a list of teams and team members

Assign team leaders (if you don’t have them), and alternatively, ask for their input on individual employees skills, for a more informed decision on who gets what.

• Schedule a meeting

Make a meeting with the team leads and go through the points above. Assign tasks according to each team’s availability, interest, and skill required to successfully push the project forward.

• As team leads – assign tasks further down the pipeline
• Track task completion and make necessary changes along the way

Whether it’s pushing deadlines, reassigning tasks, or shifting around resources. This is perfectly fine and expected, so long as it doesn’t happen on every task you’ve assigned. Then, it is an indicator of poor pre-planning.

• Offer feedback and write performances

Don’t forget to track the progress and make notes of important details that might help the next task allocation/delegation process. It’s also a useful piece of information for the employees on what they need to improve on.

Allocating tasks is somewhat more complicated than we want it to be. But, this kind of thorough research and preparation will make projects run more smoothly. Employees will also be more satisfied with their work, and there will be less hurdles as deadlines approach.

When should you delegate tasks?

Delegation is a great practice in trust for both the employer/supervisor and the employee. The employer learns how to give away some of their control over the process, while the employee learns how to take more accountability for their work.

This lets you focus on big-picture aspects of your job, since you deal less with assignments that are low-priority for you. You save time and energy, while helping others move up in their careers.

How do you effectively delegate tasks as a leader?

As we’ve mentioned, delegating includes more employee independence. There are some additional components which make this type of task assignment more appealing than allocation, with great opportunities for growth.

Focus on delegating objectives instead of actual tasks

When you delegate, you focus on the objective that needs to be done. You shouldn’t give employees a “color by numbers” instruction on how to complete a task.

Communicate clearly what the end result should be and what expectations you (or the higher-ups) have. Leave the means for reaching that end goal to the employees themselves. Because how you solve a task may be completely different to how they will. And that is perfectly fine, so long as the result is the one you are looking for.

Keep the objectives challenging

When the objectives you’re delegating are too easy, chances are the person will either procrastinate, or feel like you don’t trust them enough. And if they’re too difficult, they get frustrated, anxious, and begin to panic.

It’s a good idea to be aware of an employee’s skill level, so you can gauge how much challenge and responsibility they can take on. For them to be the most productive and achieve great results, they need to enter “the state of Flow”.

Source: Optimal Experience , M. Csikszentmihalyi

💡 We’ve discussed the state of Flow in more detail in an article on time organization.

Encourage discussion and feedback

Let employees voice their opinions on the topic.

They should ask anything about the task, the goals, or the overall impact their work will have on the later stages or others’ workflow. It means they are interested in the task, and getting involved.

And if they aren’t asking questions themselves, you can always nudge them into proactivity.

• Is there something you’d like me to clarify?
• Do you already have any ideas on how to go about the task?
• Is the time we agreed upon enough for you?
• Will you need other resources, tools, or support?
• Do you see any problems or risks?

Questions like these help them feel valued, their efforts acknowledged, and let them know you care about the task and how well they perform. Just be careful not to overdo it, or you’ll start to look like a micromanager.

Give employees free rein, but offer support

Speaking of micromanaging, delegation means you let people problem-solve their way out on their own. There should be no reason for a manager to step in and control or supervise any step of the process, unless absolutely necessary.

However, what you should do is let them know you’re available for any advice should they feel stuck. Just because employees get authority on a certain task, and are left to their own devices, doesn’t mean the project has to suffer until they pull themselves up.

From time to time, ask them if they need anything from you, and make sure they know you’re there for any kind of support, consultation, or mediation. ANother good practice is to also give them additional learning opportunities – such as training, conferences, courses, etc.

Delegate objectives that move people forward

Choose assignments that boost the skills and employ all of their experiences, instead of something that simply needs to be done. For example:

• Tasks that require they brush up on their team communication skills;
• Learning how to allocate smaller tasks;
• Supervising others’ work and doing quality control;
• Learning to work with a new tool;
• Holding a meeting (or more), etc.

Find out which skills your employees may want or need to develop, and then plan your delegations accordingly. You want them to complete the task while having learned something new at the same time.

How to choose who to delegate to

Paul Beesley, senior director and consultant at Beyond Theory proposed a nifty checklist for when you’re choosing an employee to delegate to. It’s meant to simplify and speed up the process.

To successfully complete the delegated task, your chosen employee needs:

S – the skill to perform and complete a task

T – the time to complete the task, and if needed, learn the required skill

A – the authority to handle everything concerning the task

R – the necessary level of responsibility

R – the recognition for successfully completing the task

This list is a set of important criteria that should be covered when you consider who to assign to a specific task. However, depending on your niche, type of service, company size and the project at hand, the criteria are likely to change. And it should accommodate your needs, not the other way around.

Common task delegation mistakes to avoid

With all being said, there are some common mistakes managers and employers make, sometimes without even realizing it.

• Being too vague concerning deadlines (using: as soon as possible, when you get to it, I need it by yesterday). It creates unnecessary pressure.
• Being unavailable for questions and concerns. While you shouldn’t micromanage, you should still be present for support if an employee feels stuck. Ignoring them or handing them over to someone else could cause distrust. However, if you are usually swamped with work, set consultation hours each day or week.
• Having unclear directions. Specifying the allotted time for task completion and expectations should be the bare minimum when delegating tasks.
• Not providing feedback. No feedback is worse than bad feedback. Employees need to be aware when they’re doing good work, as well. In one company I worked for, the mantra was: “If no one is complaining about your work, that means you’re doing good”. And while it sounds like sound logic, it actually caused a lot of frustration. We were left directionless, and simply “floating” from task to task, never knowing if any of them had a positive impact on our performance.
• Not listening to employees. Take into account how they feel about a task or the objective. Let them give you feedback and if there are potential problems from the get-go.
• Assigning other people to the same task. If you notice a person struggling, the first instinct should be to ask them how they’re faring, and if they need any help. Some managers tend to assign other employees to help them without consultation, which leaves a sore taste. The employee will feel even more incompetent and will be less likely to take on a similar task in the future.
• Assuming people will know what you mean. This is one of the biggest problems. When you’re formulating a task, be as clear as possible about the goals and expectations. Oftentimes managers think that these things are implied, but the truth is – no one is a mind reader. To avoid having information misconstrued or misunderstood, communicate clearly and directly.

There could be more mistakes, especially for every different field and industry. If at all possible, identify the most common ones, made either by you or your peers. Note down all the instances where certain tasks weren’t up to par, and see what you could have changed in your assignment process to fix it. Maybe there wasn’t enough time or resources, you were unclear, or the employee wasn’t ready for such responsibility. Use the same procedure in all future task delegations. It’s the only way to learn and make the process quicker.

To conclude

Task assignment should be a very careful, thought-out process. It’s not just about reaching milestones in time. It’s about helping employees learn new skills, feel more satisfied with their position in the company, strengthen the trust between you and them, and ultimately help you refocus on the big picture.

By following the advice we’ve gathered, you will be on the right track to make some effective, healthy long-term changes to your company.

✉️ Have you found these tips helpful? Is there something we could have covered in more detail? What are your experiences with assigning tasks?

Send your answers, suggestions, and comments to [email protected] and we may include them in this or future posts.

Marijana Stojanovic is a writer and researcher who specializes in the topics of productivity and time management.

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20 Best Task Management Software Tools to Elevate Your Workflows [2024 Edition]

Sarah Burner

ClickUp Contributor

March 30, 2024

Is your personal or team workload spiraling out of control? We’ve all been there! What’s worse is the anxiety-inducing feeling of dread that follows when you have a bunch of unattended tasks, gradually leading to a lack of motivation . In fact, recent research reveals that 41% of workers find heavy workloads to be the main cause of workplace stress. 😖

However, more often than not, it’s not the amount of work that makes you or your employees feel overwhelmed—it’s poor task management. For instance, setting unreasonable deadlines or delegating tasks without considering team availability may lead people to burnout faster than you can blink. 

Luckily, using the right task management software can help you prevent this chaos! We’re here to introduce you to the 20 best task management software that can assist you in assigning tasks and optimizing priorities effectively in 2024. Learn about their key features, limitations, and pricing before you pick your ideal task manager tool. 🌻

What Should You Look for in a Task Management Tool?

Clickup best features, clickup limitations, clickup pricing, clickup ratings and reviews, 2. asana—best for remote teams, 3. jira—best for experienced professionals, 4. monday.com—best for marketing and pmo teams, 5. trello—best for small teams, 6. hive—best task management software for team collaboration, 7. meistertask—best for kanban task management, 8. ntask—best task management software for scheduling, 9. zenhub—best for software teams, 10. zoho projects—best for complex project management, 11. activecollab—best for personalized task management experience, 12. wrike—best for workflow management, 13. todoist—best for teams on a budget, 14. proofhub—best for task tracking, 15. smarttask—best for managing multiple projects, 16. hubspot (hubspot task management)—best for crm tasks, 17. paymo—best for client tasks and bookings, 18. timecamp—best for time tracking and billing tasks, 19. any.do—best for creating to-do lists, 20. smartsheet—best for spreadsheet-style task management.

Task management software helps identify, monitor, and manage tasks efficiently . It goes beyond a simple to-do list and offers features to let you collaborate on elaborate workflows for effective goal completion .

Naturally, the best task management software allows you to set deadlines, prioritize tasks , track progress, and adjust schedules with ease. Other useful functionalities include:

• Flexibility: A good task management software has a user-friendly interface and runs smoothly on all major operating systems across devices, allowing you more control over your work
• Time tracking: Choose a task management solution that lets you improve your time management through seamless time tracking
• Task automation: The best task management software lets you automate recurring admin tasks, leaving everyone more time to focus on cognitively demanding, high-level assignments
• Communication support: If you’re running a team, look for a tool that supports productive task-related discussions, file sharing, and instant announcements
• Reporting and analytics: Quality task management software provides reporting features to record and analyze information (like clock-in/clock-out data, absence, and overtime hours) for productivity analysis, invoicing, and payroll management
• Integration with other tools: Pick a task management system that integrates with other software you use, like messaging apps , project management tools , and writing assistants

20 Best Task Management Software for Balanced Task Planning and Execution

There are tons of task management apps available on the market, but they’re not all cut from the same cloth—for instance, some are versatile tools, while others focus on specific functions like task dependencies.

We’ve chosen the 20 best task management software to help you find the perfect app for your business needs. These are expert-vetted options, cherry-picked after considering criteria like feature set and affordability.

Let’s dive in! 🧐

1. ClickUp —best overall project & task management software

Why end with a bang when we can start with one? 💥

Introducing ClickUp —the best task management solution for individuals, professionals, and teams. It’s not just us; even G2 considers it to be the best-rated task management and team task management software , ranking it #1 in 15+ competitive categories in 2024!

What makes ClickUp click is its AI-enabled, end-to-end support for managing tasks and priorities, monitoring progress, and staying productive.

Leverage ClickUp Tasks for task planning, scheduling, and tracking within a centralized hub. Easily categorize team tasks by type, set Custom Task Status from To Do to Done , and use Custom Fields to set deadlines, add assignees, and track details. For each task assignment, you can: 

• Add links and comments to centralize contextual knowledge and discussions
• Specify task dependencies, subtasks, and checklists
• Use @mentions and action items to delegate tasks and share updates

ClickUp comes with a drag-and-drop Calendar for granular task planning. You can also use Recurring Tasks to schedule routine stuff, like meetings and sprint retrospectives, and visualize or adjust your day-to-day on the Calendar.

Stay on top of task lists with ClickUp Reminders that you can create from any task comments or notifications and manage seamlessly from any device.

Prefer a visual task manager? ClickUp’s got you! This adaptable task management software offers 15+ project views for managing tasks on Kanban boards, sorting tasks in the List view, or visualizing timelines with colorful Gantt charts. 🌈

And, if you’re dealing with an overwhelming workload, identify what to prioritize and deprioritize using ClickUp Task Priorities and its color-coded tags. You can also lighten the workload for your employees with ClickUp Automatons , which lets you automate time-consuming tasks like checking emails or organizing documents.

Embrace stress-free productivity with ClickUp Brain and pre-made templates

Beyond tracking and prioritizing tasks, ClickUp also lends a hand with Project Management . For instance, you can employ ClickUp Brain , the platform’s AI assistant, to automate project summaries, task planning, and task standups and updates.

ClickUp Brain is a neural network connecting your tasks, documents, and discussions on the platform—it helps you extract and summarize information and action items through simple prompts and questions.

Take your productivity to new heights with numerous customizable ClickUp templates to help you standardize task assignments immediately! The ClickUp Task Management Template is a great starting point. By signing up for this free template , you can organize your tasks into Lists like Action Items , Ideas , and Backlog for easier navigation and open separate views to track assignments by department or priority label. 🚩

• 1,000+ templates to kickstart skillful task management
• Supports time tracking and time blocking
• ClickUp Dashboards for real-time task tracking and productivity metrics
• ClickUp Goals to set measurable task KPIs
• Task Checklist feature for easy to-do list creation
• Multiple project views like List, Table, and Timeline
• Custom task statuses to complement your workflow
• A Bulk Action Toolbar to edit multiple tasks at once
• Automates recurring, error-prone tasks
• Built-in task prioritization levels  
• Universal Search and Tags to access tasks quickly
• Supports task generation directly from ClickUp Docs and Whiteboards
• Integrates with 1,000+ apps like Slack, Gmail, Zoom, Outlook, and HubSpot
• Dedicated mobile app for iOS and Android
• Compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux
• Built-in chat and file-sharing options for task collaboration
• Easy-to-use, no-code interface
• It takes time to explore all its task management features
• A dedicated subtask reporting feature would be a great add-on
• Free Forever
• Unlimited: $7/month per user
• Business: $12/month per user
• Enterprise: Contact for pricing
• ClickUp AI: Add to any paid plan for $5 per member per month

*All listed prices refer to the yearly billing model

• G2: 4.7/5 (9,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (4,000+ reviews)

Asana is an online task management software that lets you document all assignments in one location. Like ClickUp, Asana makes creating tasks a breeze. Add task descriptions in the form of bulleted lists, embed files to add context, set due dates, and add assignees in a few clicks. You can also create subtasks, identify blockers, and quickly streamline approvals on task changes.

This quality task management software features a My Tasks list , which helps you prioritize work by auto-promoting tasks based on due dates.

What makes Asana stand out among its alternatives is the Workflow Builder feature , which allows you to create workflows without coding, helping you automate routine tasks and expedite projects. You can even track the same task across departments to avoid work duplication.⚡

Asana is a collaborative task management tool —it lets you communicate with your team directly within the app, encouraging cross-functional collaboration . For added transparency, add relevant collaborators to your team’s tasks to keep them updated on progress.

Asana best features

• Templates for task management
• Remote-friendly collaboration tools
• Zero-code workflow builder
• Search and filtering options for simpler navigation
• Integrates with apps like Slack and Dropbox
• Mobile app for Android and iOS

Asana limitations

• May be challenging to implement for large teams
• Storage and collaboration features could use improvement

Asana pricing

• Personal: Free forever
• Starter: $10.99/month per user
• Advanced: $24.99/month per user

Asana ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.3/5 (9,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (12,000+ reviews)

While not as beginner-friendly as most alternatives due to its complex features, Jira is a popular task management software option among seasoned professionals in industries like IT, finance, marketing, and HR. It was first launched by Atlassian as an issue-tracking tool for software developers but has branched out to become a useful tool for project managers and task managers alike.

Jira is a handy tool for agile project management , allowing teams to break a complex project into manageable sprints . Its multiple views, like boards and timelines, help track sprint tasks and identify roadblocks to ensure continuous improvement .

Jira also supports team collaboration by allowing members to brainstorm and exchange task information across departments through shared workflows.

Jira, like ClickUp , lets you update task statuses in real time, while its automaton feature helps you run manual actions in the background. Plus, project managers can automate work using its numerous task management templates . 😀

Jira best features

• Workflow automation support
• Multiple task views for agile teams
• Templates for niches like human resources , marketing, and IT
• Integrates with Atlassian Work Management and other popular apps
• Task management apps for Android and iOS

Jira limitations

• The system can be slow at times
• The user interface and dashboard design could be improved

Jira pricing

• Free: Up to 10 users
• Standard: $8.15/month per user
• Premium: $16/month per user
• Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing

Jira ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.3/5 (5,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (13,000+ reviews)

Using Monday.com to manage tasks can make Mondays less dreadful! This simple task management software provides all key features, from multiple task views to task templates, that you’d find in most Monday alternatives .

Still, Monday.com stands out with its smooth interface . Its Work Management feature lets you create no-code workflows. Even project managers enjoy an intuitive layout that allows them to make informed decisions by accessing quick overviews of task progress on a dashboard. 📈

Monday.com allows you to organize workspaces into projects with individual tasks and subtasks, complete with color-coding options to help you track task priorities and statuses easily.

The software offers specific task management features for marketing and PMO teams . For example, marketing teams can benefit from key features like brand asset management , robust Gantt charts, and campaign tracking . Meanwhile, PMO teams rely on features for monitoring OKRs , identifying dependencies, and tracking time for future task planning.

Overall, it’s a well-rounded task management tool—quite similar to ClickUp and Plaky in terms of design and feature set.

Monday.com best features

• Includes 200+ automation options
• Color-coded task statuses and priority levels
• User-friendly 
• No-code workflows setup
• Offers a mobile app for iOS and Android
• Integrates with over 200 apps

Monday.com limitations

• The initial setup tends to be overwhelming
• Some users struggle with custom reminders and experience delays in notifications

Monday.com pricing

• Free: Up to two users
• Basic: $9/month per user
• Standard: $12/month per user
• Pro: $19/month per user

Monday.com ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.7/5 (10,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,000+ reviews)

If you’re a fan of Kanban boards, you’ll have a blast using Trello. This task management software is all about moving tasks like sticky notes on a drag-and-drop Kanban board for easier status tracking.

Individuals can use it to create personalized task lists, while team members can rely on advanced checklists to add context to tasks by adding due dates and assignees. 

This software supports task prioritization through labels like high, medium, or low priority—filter the labels to access a specific batch of tasks . It also has a no-code automation tool called Butler, which lets you create rules, buttons, and commands to automate select recurring tasks.

Trello lets you view your tasks on calendars, timelines, and neatly organized tables, which is often more than enough to manage work in a smaller team . However, if you’re running a larger team that may prefer more flexibility and a wider variety of project views, Trello alternatives with enterprise features may be a better option.

Trello best features

• Butler—a no-code automation tool
• Kanban-based task tracking software
• Includes checklists, calendars, and timelines
• Color coding helps prioritize tasks
• Android and iOS mobile apps

Trello limitations

• Gets costly as users increase in number
• May not support complex project management

Trello pricing

• Standard: $5/month per user
• Premium: $10/month per user
• Enterprise: $17.5/month per user

Trello ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (13,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (23,000+ reviews)

Hive is an all-encompassing project management software that provides any hybrid team with a task management platform to:

• Assign, track, and execute tasks together, regardless of location
• Monitor upcoming tasks across departments
• Collaborate async or live with Hive Notes and Text and Voice Chat

This software lets you observe your tasks from multiple angles . For example, use the Portfolio view to get a detailed overview of tasks across projects or the Label view to categorize subtasks. Focus better by activating the My Actions view to display your task assignments in a concentrated way. 

Rely on key features like task status to easily track progress, templates to customize project layouts, and notifications to never miss a beat.

Plus, Hive offers Workflows App —a no-code task automation tool to help you cut down on manual labor and design personalized automated workflows. 

Like ClickUp, Hive supports project collaboration by letting teammates communicate across projects by leaving comments on action cards or tagging team members.

Hive best features

• Collaborative task management tool
• Supports individual, group, or project discussions
• AI assistant ( HiveMind ) and templates to support standard tasks
• My Actions view tracks all the tasks assigned to you 
• Includes a no-code task automation tool
• Integrates with Dropbox and Google Drive

Hive limitations

• The mobile app has limited functionality
• UX may get compromised with many collaborators

Hive pricing

• Starter: $5/month per user
• Teams: $12/month per user

Hive ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.6/5 (500+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (100+ reviews)

Most alternatives to MeisterTask include Kanban boards as one of their key features. However, MeisterTask excels as Kanban-based task management software because of how user-friendly and intuitive it is. 😻

It provides customizable Kanban-style boards that let you organize and monitor task cards to mark if they’re In Progress , Done , or on the To Do list. These boards keep your work centralized and let you communicate effectively through task comments.

You can mention teammates in the comments, add them as project watchers, and assign them tasks directly from the board. Activate real-time notifications to keep everyone in the loop about the latest project updates.

Besides collaborative boards, the software offers personal pinboards called Agendas, where you can organize all the tasks assigned to you, as well as access additional details like due dates and important files faster.

MeisterTask best features

• Easy-to-use Kanban boards for organizing tasks
• Can serve as a personal task management software
• Task-related collaboration through comments
• Dashboards to track upcoming tasks, time-tracking data, and notifications
• Lets you automate recurring tasks
• iOS and Android mobile apps

MeisterTask limitations

• The software could benefit from adding a workflow calendar to its features
• Notifications may be delayed on mobile devices

MeisterTask pricing

• Basic: Free
• Pro: $6.50/month per user

MeisterTask ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.6/5 (100+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (1,000+ reviews)

nTask serves as a central hub for tracking and scheduling tasks . Use it to assign project tasks or entire task lists to your teammates and set real-time notifications to ensure no action remains overlooked.

Its robust time-tracking capabilities can help you monitor time spent on tasks and estimate the amount of time you’ll need for future tasks and projects. 

nTask is a visual task management tool —it lets you plan and prioritize tasks, manage interconnected delivery timelines, and visualize projects with color-coded Gantt charts. Plan your projects easily by creating tasks and adding descriptions and assignees.

Schedule tasks by setting planned and actual due dates and creating task dependencies and milestones to ensure timely completion. Then, set priorities and track their progress using custom statuses.

nTask best features

• Offers multiple project views (board, grid, list, and calendar)
• Comprehensive task tracking
• Visual task management and task scheduling through Gantt charts
• Recurring tasks feature with daily, weekly, or monthly repeats
• Integrates with 1,000+ tools like Apple Calendar, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams
• Android and iOS support

nTask limitations

• Attaching documents and photos may be challenging
• User interface could be more intuitive

nTask pricing

• Premium: $3/month per user
• Business: $8/month per user

nTask ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (10+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.2/5 (100+ reviews)

ZenHub is a project management solution that primarily caters to software development teams . It provides a native GitHub integration via a browser extension for Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. This helps reduce context switching by keeping project tasks connected with GitHub code. 

Plus, ZenHub offers automatic task updates as users complete issues in GitHub, streamlining task completion by eliminating manual status check-ins from your team’s to-do list. There are also automated hand-offs to update all connected workspaces.

This online task management software brings tasks together on intuitive, drag-and-drop Kanban boards , allowing you to view all current tasks and their status.

Use these boards to prioritize tasks, track projects, and attach pull requests to corresponding issues. Group related issues into Epics or connect various private and public GitHub repos to a single board. 👨‍🏫

Additionally, ZenHub offers sprint planning features , making it a handy tool for agile teams . It lets you set automated sprint cycles, auto-generate new sprints with prioritized and unfinished tasks, and receive periodical reports on progress.

ZenHub best features

• Various key features for agile teams
• Native GitHub integration
• Provides spring planning and tracking
• Boards for easy task management 
• Automate repetitive tasks and hand-offs
• Acts as a visual task management tool with roadmaps and timelines
• Integrates with Figma, Miro, and Loom

ZenHub limitations

• Steep learning curve
• The interface may be challenging to navigate

ZenHub pricing

• Free: 14-day free trial
• For Teams: $8.33/month per user (annual billing)
• For Enterprises: Contact sales for pricing

ZenHub ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.3/5 (30+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (30+ reviews)

Zoho Projects is a project management software with features such as issue tracking, team monitoring , project timesheets, and resource utilization charts. It helps you manage projects in industries like marketing, construction, IT, and consulting.

It also offers a comprehensive toolset for task management that assists you in breaking projects down into milestones, task lists, and subtasks for simpler tracking.

This task management platform is all about details—each task can have attributes like assignees, work hours, priorities, and reminders. Use timesheets and timers to record time spent on each task.

Like many Zoho alternatives , this tool simplifies task organization by providing Kanban-style boards with drag-and-drop task cards and flexible statuses. As for planning and tracking, use Gantt charts to identify your team’s tasks, set dependencies, and monitor deadlines to ensure everything is done on time. ⌛

The software lets you schedule tasks on a calendar, which provides an overview of team members’ capacity. That way, you enjoy balanced task planning and avoid the risk of team burnout. 

Zoho Projects best features

• Quick-access Gantt charts
• Supports versatile task management use cases
• Highly customizable workflows
• Easy task scheduling on calendars
• Integrates with various Zoho, Google, and Microsoft apps 
• Task management apps (iOS 9.0+ and Android 4.1+)

Zoho Projects limitations

• Initial setup may be challenging
• Software customization can be time-consuming 

Zoho Projects pricing

• Free: Up to three users
• Premium: $4/month per user
• Enterprise: $9/month per user

Zoho Projects ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.3/5 (300+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (400+ reviews)

ActiveCollab is all about increasing productivity and meeting deadlines. The tool lets you add due dates, assignees, and detailed task descriptions. Break down complex actions into subtasks, ensuring all assigned tasks get done as planned. You can also:

• Group tasks based on different criteria
• Duplicate repetitive tasks

This online task management software offers three project views to choose from, which is less than what ActiveCollab alternatives typically offer. Still, it includes frequently used views—the Kanban board, Gantt chart, and List view. 📝

ActiveCollab helps you reduce manual labor by automating recurring tasks. And, if you need to ensure actions are completed in a fixed order, just create dependencies between multiple tasks.

ActiveCollab stresses the importance of a personal task manager —it provides a My Work page where you can find and organize your task assignments by project or due date. 

This page also serves as your personal timesheet, offering an overview of all your time records. You can revisit your activity in terms of the comments posted, tasks created or closed, or due dates modified.

ActiveCollab best features

• Excellent personal task management software
• Automation for repetitive tasks
• Dependencies for order-specific actions
• Android and iOS smartphone apps
• Integrates with other task management tools like Asana and Trello

ActiveCollab limitations

• The file-sharing feature of this task management software could be simpler to use
• Adding more customization options could be beneficial 

ActiveCollab pricing

• Plus: $9.5/month 3 users/month
• Pro: $8/month per user/month
• Pro+Get Paid: $11.75/month per user

ActiveCollab ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.2/5 (90+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (300+ reviews)

Wrike is well-known for its robust task and workflow management features. It allows you to prioritize work on personalized dashboards by pinning important tasks from your to-do list and automatically sorting them by priority and due date.

Like most of its competitors , Wrike supports strong teamwork —it lets teams collaborate on real-time project plans, task assignments, and decision-making within the platform.

Wrike’s workflows adapt to your needs, so regardless of your project management methodology, you can visualize your tasks in views like Gantt Chart, Kanban, and Calendar.

Plus, the software includes built-in proofing tools for quick yet detailed task feedback , task automation to save time, and collaboration tools to increase work efficiency.

Additionally, Wrike allows project managers to build customizable reports on task and team performance. They can further optimize workflows by analyzing relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) on dashboards.

Wrike best features

• Comprehensive project dashboards with personalized reports
• Supports feedback-friendly team collaboration
• Multiple project views
• 400+ integrations
• Task automation

Wrike limitations

• Could use more custom display options
• Some users experience task syncing issues

Wrike pricing

• Team: $9.80/month per user
• Business: $24.80/month per user
• Enterprise and Pinnacle: Contact sales

Wrike ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.2/5 (3,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.3/5 (2,000+ reviews)

While many Todoist alternatives on this list offer additional project management features, Todoist is purely focused on task management. It assists you in creating detailed daily to-do lists to ensure optimal day-to-day organization.

The tool is simple to use—just create tasks and subtasks, determine priorities, add due dates, and set reminders to ensure nothing goes overlooked. 👀

Although it’s primarily a task management app, Todoist can help you manage projects as it includes goal-setting features , labels to categorize tasks, and task descriptions to keep information centralized.

You can use its Upcoming calendar view to see which tasks are due urgently and use a drag-and-drop function to reschedule assignments. If you need to focus on tasks that are currently due, simply go to the Today view .

While Todoist’s simple navigation and low price make it a handy tool for personal task management, it’s also a good to-do list app for teams on a tight budget . Its project management features aren’t too comprehensive, but you can still assign tasks and leverage comments for better teamwork and transparency. 

Todoist best features

• Efficient daily task management
• Multiple task views (including Kanban boards and lists)
• Basic team collaboration support
• Easy navigation
• Integrates with various productivity and time-tracking apps
• Has a to-do list app for Android and iOS

Todoist limitations

• Integrating the software with some apps may be challenging
• It would be beneficial if the app displayed tasks when you’re offline

Todoist pricing

• Beginner: Free
• Pro: $4/month per user
• Business: $6/month per user

Todoist ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (700+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (2,000+ reviews)

Besides being a task management tool, ProofHub is a task tracking software that lets you easily create task lists and individual tasks, assign them to team members, and closely follow due dates and priorities across task categories . Got complex tasks? Divide them into subtasks for simpler tracking.

Similar to ProofHub alternatives , the software is fully customizable —it lets you build personalized workflows and use custom fields to capture any task-related data you deem important. Custom fields enhance task tracking —because you can customize them to track virtually anything, be it deadlines or output.

Speaking of tracking, ProofHub has a feature for creating task dependencies to help you ensure tasks are completed in a predetermined order. If you want to offer more clarity to assignees, leave comments on tasks or use mentions to guide them.

Additionally, ProofHub offers various reporting options to help you gain insight into your project’s progress. You can enhance resource allocation by analyzing resource utilization reports or tracking project-specific progress with task completion reports.

ProofHub best features

• Multi-faceted task tracking software
• Customizable workflows
• Supports task-related discussions through comments and mentions
• Reports to gauge task progress
• Various project views like Kanbans and tables
• Mobile-friendly

ProofHub limitations

• Notifications can get difficult to manage
• Some users find its customization features complex

ProofHub pricing

• Essential: $45/month 
• Ultimate Control: $150/month (or $89/month for a limited time offer)

ProofHub ratings and reviews:

• G2: 4.5/5 (80+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (90+ reviews)

SmartTask includes all key features you’d typically find in a task management tool—it lets you create subtasks, set deadlines, add dependencies, and manage tasks in views like calendar, list, and board.

However, this software especially stands out with its tools for managing multiple projects simultaneously in a cross-functional setup. Its Project Portfolios feature allows you to create multiple boards to track separate goals, aligning your marketing, sales, and design teams. To play it safer, you can even share task lists across teams to prevent orphaned actions. 

SmartTask supports team collaboration by letting you comment on tasks and generate real-time notifications for updates. You can also invite clients, vendors, and external stakeholders to collaborate on any task or project by sending them an invitation.

Plus, it provides reports on both project tasks and sales that you can easily find through its advanced search bar. 🔎

SmartTask best features

• Internal and external team communication
• Set recurring tasks (daily, weekly, or monthly)
• Task and sales reports
• Supports managing tasks across projects
• Time tracking for individual tasks
• Task management tools for iOS and Android

SmartTask limitations

• The UI and UX could use some improvement
• Adding more integrations would be useful

SmartTask pricing

• Premium: $7.99/month per user
• Business: $10.99/month per user

SmartTask ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.5/5 (60+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (30+ reviews)

HubSpot Task Management is far from a traditional task manager—it’s a suite designed to help marketers streamline Customer Relationship Management (CRM) processes. Effective CRM depends on properly storing, tracking, and managing lead- and customer-based activities. HubSpot helps you streamline these scattered tasks to boost revenue.

The software reduces the need to switch between multiple tabs when talking to prospects by providing dashboards that centralize all your work. Use them to track your to-do list items, view prospect details, and stay on top of meetings. 

Need to create new tasks? Do that directly from your workflows, email inbox, or to-do list. If you need insights from past task performances, like deals made and activities completed, leverage HubSpot’s reporting tools.

This platform simplifies communication with email templates (for sending messages in bulk) and real-time team chat. 

While sales and marketing teams may enjoy HubSpot’s task management style, some of HubSpot’s alternatives could be a better choice for companies in IT or finance.

HubSpot best features

• A wide array of CRM functionalities
• Live team chats
• Dashboards to centralize prospect-related work
• Integrates with apps like WordPress, Gmail, and Zapier
• iOS and Android mobile app for HubSpot CRM

HubSpot limitations

• Limited option to prioritize tasks
• Workflow automation is limited on the free plan

HubSpot pricing

For individuals and small teams:

• Starter: $15/month
• Professional: $800/month

HubSpot (CRM) ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (11,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (4,000+ reviews)

Paymo is a simple task management software designed for professionals who want to manage client work and resources within one platform . It lets you automatically set up ghost bookings based on the task details you’ve entered in the past and receive a visual overview of all bookings for the entire team on a single screen. 🖥️

Paymo also simplifies managing resources by allowing multiple managers to work on schedule to avoid overbooking or underbooking. You can:

• Book time for time-sensitive tasks by the hour
• Accommodate unscheduled tasks with a simple drag-and-drop function
• Visualize your team’s availability on timelines
• Send booking notifications only to relevant team members

The platform lets employees view their tasks in a single view, while task managers monitor both their personal tasks and team’s work in separate views. Like with most Paymo alternatives , you get project views like Gantt charts, Tables, and Calendars to visualize tasks.

It also encourages team collaboration, offering a detailed Task View to chat in real-time about the latest task updates. Finally, Paymo provides task priority levels like critical, high, normal, or low across teams.

Paymo best features

• Timelines to assess employee availability
• Allows booking time for client tasks by the hour
• Real-time chat
• Project views like Gantt chart and Kanban board
• Integrates with apps like Slack, Google Calendar, and JotForm
• Mobile app support for iOS and Android

Paymo limitations

• The mobile app may be tricky to navigate
• Takes time to train employees to use the platform

Paymo pricing

• Starter: $5.9/month per user
• Small Office: $10.9/month per user
• Business: $16.9/month per user

Paymo ratings and reviews

• Capterra: 4.8/5 (400+ reviews)

While most TimeCamp alternatives on this list include typical task and project management features, TimeCamp shifts its focus to time tracking instead.

With its robust time-tracking capabilities , you can track your team’s working hours, standardize times for specific jobs, plan task assignments, and monitor each team member’s productivity.

TimeCamp also provides features for measuring the profitability of your projects and tracking billable hours , streamlining invoicing and resource management. Basically, the tasks you had to do manually, like creating invoices and approving timesheets, can be automated with TimeCamp.

Although this software highlights time tracking, it’s still a task management tool. Its TimeCamp Planner product helps you organize tasks and monitor their progress on Kanban-style boards. 

If you’re dealing with repeatable tasks, automate them by specifying information like due dates, assignees, and progress statuses. Plus, you can switch from team task overview to your own using the My Tasks feature , which displays your assigned tasks on a list, calendar, or timeline view.

Note that TimeCamp’s time tracking and task management features are available on separate pricing plans .

TimeCamp best features

• Comprehensive time-tracking tools
• Kanban board for easy task tracking
• Personal task lists
• Can automate repeatable tasks
• Includes apps for Android and iOS
• TimeCamp (not the TimeCamp Planner) integrates with tools like ClickUp, Google Calendar, and Slack

TimeCamp limitations

• The user interface and server load time could be better
• The tool may be buggy at times

TimeCamp pricing (for TimeCamp Planner)

• Pro: $2.99/month per user

TimeCamp ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.7/5 (100+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (500+ reviews)

Any.do specializes in providing easy-to-use to-do lists to help you achieve personal or professional goals efficiently. You can organize your to-dos in separate lists and projects, all color-coded to set clear priorities and determine task categories. Enhance your task lists with:

• Subtasks and attachments for added task awareness
• Deadlines and reminders

Sharing responsibilities is also simple—just share a task list with your teammates or family to collaborate on task completion . For example, you can assign different items on a grocery list to family members and track the list to ensure they complete the task successfully. If there’s an urgent matter you wish to discuss, use the chat function to communicate in real time.  

For companies looking for a task management tool with project management capabilities, Any.do is a solid choice as it also offers features like customizable workflows, pre-made templates, and powerful integrations with other work tools.

If you want more comprehensive workflow features, though, explore some more advanced Any.do alternatives .

Any.do best features

• Provides simple to-do lists
• Great as a daily task manager
• Lets you share lists with teams, family, and friends
• Reminders for timely task completion
• Has apps for iOS and Android
• Integrates with other task management tools like ClickUp and Asana

Any.do limitations

• Some users desire more integrations (like with Microsoft Calendar)
• Limited advanced features for this price range

Any.do pricing

• Premium: $5/month per user
• Family: $8/month per four users
• Teams: $5/month per user

*All listed prices refer to approx values billed annually

Any.do ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.2/5 (100+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (100+ reviews)

Smartsheet is a spreadsheet-like task management tool . It’s great for those who are comfortable tracking tasks in Excel but are open to switching to a tool with less complicated calculation work.

Like ClickUp, Smartsheet offers comprehensive project and task management tools for handling different workflows. For example, it lets you schedule tasks, create subtasks, allocate resources, and track assignments efficiently from one platform. ✅

Here, tasks are represented on spreadsheets for individual projects. Like most Smartsheet alternatives , you can add basic task information, like due dates and assignees, in clear fields or columns.

However, these aren’t traditional spreadsheets—they also provide the advanced features of a modern task management tool. For instance, you can use checkboxes, dropdown lists, and comments to interact with tasks on Smartsheet.

This is a great task management software for teams working on extensive projects as it includes templates for agile project management, OKR tracking, budgeting, and resource management.

It also supports task automation, real time collaboration , and advanced analytics. Plus, it integrates with services you may already use, like Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams.

Smartsheet best features

• Spreadsheet-based project management tool
• Advanced functionalities for monitoring complex projects
• Supports real-time team communication
• Templates for agile project management
• Integrates with numerous communication, data visualization, and project delivery apps
• Available as an iOS or Android mobile app

Smartsheet limitations

• There may be a steep learning curve for users figuring out advanced features
• It could benefit from adding more template options

Smartsheet pricing

• Pro: $7/month per user
• Business: $25/month per user

Smartsheet ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (14,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (3,000+ reviews)

Leveraging the Best Task Management Software: Which Tool to Pick

Since all the products on our list are rated well by users, it’s natural to be overwhelmed by the choices. So, what do you really prioritize in a task management platform?

The answer is straightforward— great task management software provides features that help you plan, organize, track, and assign tasks, but you shouldn’t have to pay a fortune for these functions. Don’t settle for a tool that doesn’t include the bare minimum, i.e., reminders, automations, task views, and collaboration features.

Lastly, task management tools are supposed to make your life easier, not vice versa, so ensure your chosen tool is easy to implement and fun to work with! 🥳

If you can’t make a choice, try ClickUp ! It’s got all the features you’ll need to streamline task management with minimal effort. Whether you want to set goals, track and assign tasks, manage time, reduce manual labor, or communicate with your team, the possibilities are endless.

Sign up to ClickUp today and enjoy the best toolkit a free task management software has to offer! 💖 

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What Is Task Management? 10 Key Tools and More

Discover what task management is, roles in this field, and popular software tools you can use to manage tasks.

What is task management?

Task management is the process of effectively and efficiently tracking, managing, and executing the life cycle of a task or many tasks within a project, from inception to execution. The purpose of task management is to improve the decision-making, communication, efficiency, and effectiveness of a task or project.

Managing tasks is something that most adults do in their daily lives. Take running a household, for example. Whether you are single or have a family, you have to manage your time and energy throughout the day to complete tasks like attending work meetings, cleaning up, buying groceries, and more.

On a project team, task management requires you to have organizational skills and strategic thinking. You'll also need to know how to use apps and software, as well as manual methods like task lists and charts.

In this guide, you'll learn all about task management, including job roles that use it, popular software tools, and how to get started learning this skill set.

Benefits of task management

There are many benefits of learning task management skills, whether you're working individually or managing a team.

Enhanced communication between teams and stakeholders or supervisors

Increased collaboration among team members 

Projects staying on task and on time 

More transparency with task flow 

A better understanding of the needs of a project or tasks

Finding issues or concerns earlier 

Preventing major issues that could derail a project 

Completing projects more efficiently and effectively 

Why is task management important?

Task management helps teams communicate the status of various tasks and duties for a project to make sure it is progressing smoothly and in a timely manner. Being able to see what other team members are working on and what tasks have been completed helps teams stay organized and keep the momentum high.

Task management can prevent major errors or confusion from happening on a team. If a project gets stalled, a project manager can identify the source and troubleshoot the problem. Stakeholders and supervisors can also track a project's progress in software tools, maintaining a sense of transparency that can be beneficial for feedback and constructive criticism.

Task management skills 

Task management skills can benefit you, whether you lead a team or are an individual contributor. Here are some skills to build within task management: 

Critical thinking 

Ability to troubleshoot 

Attention to detail 

Effective communication  

Ability to delegate tasks 

Organization

Familiarity with systems and tools

Read more: 11 Key Project Management Skills

10 popular task management software tools

Task management software tools help individuals, teams, and companies organize tasks with the help of an app or systematic approach. These tools may incorporate charts, graphs, grids, and other tools that help visualize and task progress.

In the table below, we've listed task management tools that are rated highly on G2.com, a tech marketplace for rating and discovering software programs. Users rate these software programs 4.6 / 5 or above, according to these user experience criteria [ 1 ]:

Good partner in doing business

Task prioritization

Creation and assignment

To-do lists

Forbes.com's Advisor Small Business Team offers additional insights into task management apps and how they can best be applied. The list below includes task management apps that Forbes recommends based on performance areas such as transparent pricing, employee self-sufficiency, compatibility with third-party integrations, and access to customer support [ 2 ]:

monday.com : Best Overall

Airtable : Best Visual Representation

ClickUp : Best Budget Option

Todoist : Best for Simple Tasks

Teamwork : Best for Remote Teams

Asana : Best for Large Teams

Basecamp : Best Flat-Fee Pricing Option

Wrike : Best for Customization

Trello : Best for Beginners

Smartsheet : Best for Spreadsheet Users

Manual task management tools 

Manual task management tools provide visualization and organization for smaller teams where tasks may not change as often. They can be used alone or alongside software tools. These approaches use physical items like pen and paper, whiteboards, or sticky notes that track and manage tasks visually.  

Common manual task management tools include the following: 

The Kanban board method uses sticky notes and large sections of chart paper. Using this system, you write individual tasks onto sticky notes and move the tasks into new columns based on the tasks' progress (i.e., in progress, in review, completed, etc.). This “pull” method offers a visualization of tasks in progress by categorizing according to task priority.

Read more: Kanban vs Scrum: What's the Difference?

Spreadsheets can be a way to manage tasks manually. This could be a spreadsheet only the task manager uses or a shared document. You could use color coding to separate stages of a task or people working on the project. Spreadsheets are great for organizing tasks visually and can be used in several ways. 

Paper calendars already have built-in dates and a visual sense of time, so you may find them helpful when managing tasks—particularly deadlines and mini-tasks along the way. A calendar allows you to highlight critical dates, give a good outlook at the week ahead, and note any lags in delivery time, etc. 

Tips to improve task management

In addition to these tools and methods, you'll have greater success when you find the framework that works best for you and your team. Here are some tips for effective task management:

Use time-blocking to improve productivity. Time-blocking is the practice of blocking off chunks or sections of your day to devote to a specific task. This method helps to structure your workday and can improve productivity.

Encourage team members to set both long-term and short-term goals. It’s easy to hyper-focus on the "small stuff" when working on a project. Instead, take a step back. Look at the bigger picture and set flexible long-term goals so you can measure your short-term goals against them. When you align tasks to specific goals, you have a stronger roadmap to achieve them. 

Embrace the to-do list. A to-do list may sound simple, but if you can set your intentions for each day based on the previous day’s progress, you can keep a running log of actionable steps to achieve a task and complete projects on time. You can use paper and pencil, the notes feature on your smartphone, or an app to check off tasks as you complete them. 

Maintain a flexible schedule. Keep parts of your daily schedule free and flexible to prevent stress. Stay open to swapping out tasks if you're in the flow with one task, before moving on to the next.

Read more: What Is Time Management? 6 Strategies to Better Manage Your Time

Task management roles 

Depending on the team size and project scope, task management is a skill used in various roles within a company. Some companies have a job defined as strictly a task manager, while others have project managers or team leads who use task management to perform their jobs effectively.

If you are interested in task management and fostering team collaboration, you might consider one of these job roles:

1. Task managers

Annual salary (US): $90,621 [ 3 ]

Task managers may focus on one specific task or a larger project. They usually work with one team of people through the lifecycle of a task or project. Like project managers, they organize, plan, manage, and track multiple aspects of a project, including scheduling, goal setting, and delegating tasks. 

2. Project managers

Annual salary (US): $91,578 [ 4 ]

Project managers lead teams of people through the lifecycle of a project by organizing and planning aspects such as budget, documentation, and resources. They use task management to ensure multiple tasks within a large project are done on time and without error. They usually work with different people outside the project group to ensure a project comes together. 

3. Team leads

Annual salary (US): $68,817 [ 5 ]

Team leads usually work with a subgroup of people who are part of a project. Individuals in this role rely on task management to achieve goals by delegating tasks to members of their group and helping their coworkers reach those goals. 

Get started with Coursera

Taking online courses can be a great way to learn about task management and project management, discover career paths , and prepare for roles in task management. Consider enrolling in the Google Project Management Professional Certificate . Inside, you'll learn how to manage projects using traditional and agile methods, create project documentation, and develop strategic communication skills.

Article sources

G2.com. " Best Task Management Software , https://www.g2.com/categories/task-management?utf8=%E2%9C%93&filters%5Bstar_rating%5D%5B%5D=5&order=g2_score." Accessed September 7, 2023.

Forbes. " 10 Best Task Management Software , https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/best-task-management-software/." Accessed September 7, 2023.

Zippia. " Task Manager Salary , https://www.zippia.com/task-manager-jobs/salary/." Accessed September 7, 2023.

Zippia. " Project Manager Salary , https://www.zippia.com/project-manager-jobs/salary/." Accessed September 7, 2023.

Zippia. " Team Leader Salary , https://www.zippia.com/team-leader-jobs/salary/." Accessed September 7, 2023.

Keep reading

Coursera staff.

Editorial Team

Coursera’s editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact...

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

12 Best Practices for Successful Task Assignment and Tracking

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1. What are the top 12 practices for successful task assignment and tracking?

Key practices for effective task assignment.

The assignment of tasks should always be done strategically to ensure successful completion. Here are six key practices for successful task assignment:

• Clear and concise instructions: Always provide clear steps on how to accomplish the task. Vague instructions may lead to misunderstandings and poor results.
• Assign tasks based on skills and experience: Certain tasks require special skills. Assign tasks to those who have the skills and experience needed to perform them efficiently.
• Establish realistic deadlines: Set achievable deadlines to prevent unnecessary pressure and poor quality of work.
• Communicate the task's importance: Explain why the task is necessary and how it contributes to the overall project.
• Availability check: Make sure that the person assigned to the task has the capacity to do it.
• Empower them: Give them the freedom to do the work in their own way, as long as they meet the project’s quality standards.

Efficient Task Tracking Methods

Task tracking not only ensures timely completion but also guarantees that the quality of work is not compromised. Here are six efficient task tracking methods:

• Use of tracking tools: Implementing task tracking tools like Trello or Asana can automate the tracking process.
• Regular follow-ups: Frequent check-ins allow early detection of issues and timely resolution.
• Setting Milestones: Break down the tasks into manageable chunks or stages with set deadlines.
• Encourage self-reporting: Ask team members to provide status updates on assigned tasks. This makes tracking easier and instills a sense of responsibility.
• Document progress: Keep a record of task progression to easily identify bottlenecks and delays.
• Feedback session: Constructive feedback sessions aimed at learning can be helpful for future tasks.

Comparison Table for Task Assignment and Task Tracking

2. how can i effectively use these best practices in my daily work management, utilizing best practices in daily work management.

Deploying the best practices in your daily work management is all about integration and consistency. Whether you are leading a small team or managing a large project, the successful task assignment and tracking methods will boost productivity and keep everyone on the same page. Here's how you can effectively use these practices:

• Clear Communication: Always communicate task details clearly. Specify the project description, important deadlines, and the expected deliverables. Make use of tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams for smooth communication.
• Team Collaboration: Encourage teamwork, brainstorming sessions and ensure everyone contributes their ideas. Collaborative tools like Google Workspace or Monday.com can assist in shared work.
• Prioritization & Scheduling: Prioritize tasks based on their urgency and importance. Use scheduling tools, like Asana or Trello, to arrange tasks for all team members, ensuring they are aware of their responsibilities.

Implementing Task Assignment Practices

Assigning tasks effectively involves understanding each team member's strengths and weaknesses. The following steps are recommended:

Successful Task Tracking

Tracking tasks helps in maintaining the project's accuracy ensuring that everything is running smoothly. Adopting effective tracking practices can lead to a drop in missed deadlines, an increase in productivity, and a more efficient workflow. Here are some tracking methods:

• Use a Project Management System that offers real-time tracking.
• Conduct regular progress meetings.
• Encourage team members to provide progress reports.

3. Can these best practices for task assignment and tracking be applied to any industry?

Applicability of best practices across industries.

The best practices for task assignment and tracking are versatile, adaptable and can be beneficial to most, if not all industries. This includes but is not limited to the IT, healthcare, construction, education, and manufacturing industries. The principles of clarity, efficiency, and productivity that underscore these best practices are universal needs across business operations.

List of Industries

• Information Technology
• Construction
• Manufacturing

Each of these industries can make use of the best practices in their own unique way. For instance, in the IT industry, these best practices can be utilized to assign and track different coding or debugging tasks. In healthcare, these practices can be used to efficiently assign patient care tasks to different members of a healthcare team. In education, teachers can assign tasks to students and track their progress more effectively. In short, these practices foster a culture of accountability and efficiency.

Tabular Representation of Application in Different Industries

In conclusion, these best practices provide a standard system that is convenient, effective and that can be customized to any industry’s specifics. The consistent theme across all industries is to enhance productivity and optimize resources.

4. What is the first step one should take to apply these practices effectively?

Understanding the task.

The first step towards effectively applying the practices for successful task assignment and tracking is gaining a thorough understanding of the task at hand. To successfully delegate assignments and oversee their completion, you must grasp the task's specifics, objectives, and requirements. The following goals can guide you:

• Determine the nature and scope of the task: Exactly what does this task entail? What are its dimensions and boundaries?
• Identify the expected outcome: What should the ideal result look like once the task is completed?
• Analyze potential problems: What kind of issues may arise during the execution of the task? How can they be addressed proactively?

Establishing Clear Objective and Goals

Once you've comprehended the task, the next step involves establishing clear objectives and goals. These goals should ideally be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). A well-defined goal gives a clear direction to the entire task assignment process. Consider the following points when mapping out your goals:

Identifying the Right People for the Task

Once each task has been clearly defined and its goals set, the next step is to assign the right people to the task. This requires analyzing your team's strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and workload. Here are some factors to consider:

• Skills and capabilities: Does the person possess the necessary skills and abilities to perform the task effectively?
• Workload: Does the person have the necessary time and bandwidth to take on the task?
• Preference: Does the person show an interest in the task? Are they excited about the work they're assigned?

5. Are there specific tools that help facilitate these best practices for task assignment and tracking?

Top tools for task assignment and tracking.

There are numerous tools designed specifically to facilitate task assignment and tracking. They range from simple to-do list apps to complex project management systems. Here are a few popular options:

• Asana: This tool is designed for both individuals and teams. It allows for task assignment, due dates, priorities, comments, file attachments, and progress tracking.
• JIRA: Popular among software development teams, JIRA provides a detailed view of ongoing tasks, project timelines, and allows for personalized workflows.
• Trello: Trello operates on a board-and-card system, allowing for easy visualization of tasks and assignments. It also supports collaboration and progress tracking.
• Basecamp: This is a project management tool that integrates discussions, tasks, files, and timelines in one place. It offers a clear view of who’s working on what.

Choosing the Right Tool for Your Needs

To choose the right tool for task assignment and tracking, you need to consider the size of your team, the complexity of the tasks, and the specific features you need. Equally important is the user-friendliness and cost of the tool. Here's a simple comparison:

Consistent Use of Tools

Regardless of which tool you choose, consistent use is essential. All team members should be trained on how to use the tool effectively. Regular updates and reviews are also crucial to keep everyone aligned and ensure smooth progression of tasks. Remember, a tool is only as good as how you use it.

6. How does clear communication help in successful task assignment and tracking?

Benefits of clear communication.

Successfully assigning and tracking tasks in any business or organization often hinge on clear and effective communication. With effective communication, team members can understand their responsibilities, tasks can be properly tracked, and project deadlines can be met. There are several benefits that clear communication provides:

• Boosts Team Morale: When everyone understands their role in a project, they feel valued, which increases motivation and productivity.
• Prevents Confusion: Clear instructions prevent misunderstandings, ensuring tasks are done correctly the first time.
• Increases Efficiency: When goals and objectives are clear, teams can work more efficiently, saving time and resources.

How to Communicate Clearly

Implementing the right communication strategies can be crucial for successful task assignment and tracking. Here are a few methods to foster better communication:

Elements of Clear Communication

To ensure your communication is clear and effective, consider the following elements:

• Clarity: Ensure the message is simple, direct and that technical jargon is minimized where possible.
• Conciseness: Too much information can confuse. State only necessary details.
• Feedback: Encourage feedback - it helps affirm the message was understood correctly.

7. Why is it important to define expected outcomes when assigning tasks?

Importance of defining expected outcomes.

Defining expected outcomes is a vital step in task assignment and tracking because it sets the direction and provides a clear vision of what needs to be achieved. It helps in setting the standards, improving performance, and ensuring better accountability. The following points will further elucidate its significance:

• Clarity and direction: defining the expected outcome provides clear instructions to the task performer about what exactly needs to be achieved. It gives them a sense of direction and purpose.
• Performance measurement: With a defined outcome, it becomes easier to measure performance. The actual results can easily be compared against the expected results, simplifying performance appraisal.
• Increased Accountability: If expected outcomes are well-defined, it can help increase accountability. Task performers are more likely to take ownership and responsibility of their work, ensuring that they deliver the expected results.

Best Practices When Defining Expected Outcomes

While defining expected outcomes is important, it is equally crucial to ensure they are well drafted. Following are some best practices to consider when defining the expected outcomes:

Defining expected outcomes when assigning tasks is a fundamental step to ensure smooth progress and successful task completion. It not only provides a clear vision of what needs to be achieved but also facilitates performance measurement, leading to improved productivity and increased accountability. Employing the best practices while defining these outcomes can greatly enhance their effectiveness.

8. How can these best practices improve overall team productivity?

Enhancing team productivity through best practices.

Implementing best practices in task assignment and tracking can significantly improve overall team productivity. Effective task assignment ensures that the right tasks are allocated to the right people based on their skills, capabilities, and availability. This eliminates confusion, reduces the chances of mistakes, and improves efficiency. When tasks are tracked effectively, it's easier to identify bottlenecks, improve workload distribution, and ensure timely completion of tasks.

Key benefits include:

• Better task distribution: When tasks are assigned judiciously taking into consideration individual skills and capabilities, it ensures a better distribution of workload. This leads to improved efficiency and higher productivity.
• Proactive problem-solving: Effective task tracking allows for early detection of problems or issues that might arise during the execution of tasks. This allows for proactive problem-solving, ensuring the smooth continuation of work.
• Effective communication: These practices foster better communication within the team as tasks and responsibilities are clear. This reduces chances of misunderstanding or confusion, promoting a more harmonious and productive work environment.

Illustrating Productivity Improvement Through a Table

Here's a simple table illustrating the difference in overall team productivity before and after implementing these best practices:

9. What are some challenges one might face when implementing these best practices and how can they be overcome?

Challenges faced in implementing best practices.

When initiating the best practices for successful task assignment and tracking, several challenges might pop up which could hinder the effective execution of the process. Firstly, resistance to change is a common obstacle that organizations face. Employees might resist the new strategies brought about by these best practices, partly due to their unfamiliarity or because they feel comfortable with the old systems. Secondly, lack of adequate resources such as software and tools for task assignment and tracking can also pose a significant challenge. Lastly, the lack of appropriate training to equip the workforce with the necessary skills can impede the implementation of these practices.

Overcoming the Challenges

The good news is, these challenges aren't insurmountable. Here are a few solutions:

• Resistance to Change: This can be overcome by fostering a culture of open communication where the benefits of the new practices are clearly articulated. Regular feedback forums where employees' concerns can be addressed can also help ease the transition.
• Lack of Resources: For businesses facing this issue, it could be worth investing in project management software or tools which have proven to enhance task assignment and tracking. There are many budget-friendly options available.
• Inadequate Training: Conduct regular training sessions and workshops. Such initiatives would enhance employees' skills, thus boosting their confidence in using new systems.

Considerations for Successful Implementation

10. can these practices be adjusted for small teams or individuals, or are they only relevant for large organizations, adapting practices for different team sizes.

The beauty of best practices for task assignment and tracking is that they can be adapted to suit any team size, from large organizations to small teams and even individuals. Indeed, achieving productivity and efficiency is not merely the preserve of the big players. A small team or self-employed individual can efficiently manage their tasks by adjusting these practices to their unique needs.

• Small teams: Best practices can be refined to a simpler format for smaller teams. For instance, daily huddles could replace full-blown weekly meetings for status updates. Task tracking might also involve a more shared responsibility, with every team member being able to monitor and update their progress. Prioritization is still key, but it takes on a more immediate, flexible form.
• Individuals: For solo entrepreneurs or self-employed professionals, these practices can be tailored to personal task management. Clear objectives and deadlines are just as crucial and can be self-imposed. Tools such as personal to-do lists, digital diaries, or task management software can replace team boards and project management platforms.

Best Practices Table

To sum up, while these best practices were developed with larger organizations in mind, they are certainly not restricted to them. With some adjustments, they can offer immense benefits to the efficiency and productivity of smaller teams and individuals too. Therefore, it is important to experiment with, and adapt these practices to fit the specific dynamics and requirements of your working arrangement.

Best Practices for Successful Task Assignment and Tracking

Successful task assignment and tracking is often the difference between successful and unsuccessful projects. The following are the 12 best practices that can streamline your working process and ensure successful task tracking:

• Clarity: Make certain that instructions are clear and comprehensible.
• Define Objectives: Clearly state the purpose and outcome of each task.
• Relevant Skills: Assign tasks based on individual competencies.
• Priority Tasks: Highlight priority tasks.
• Transparent Communication: Maintain an open communication line to deal with problems quickly.
• Empowerment: Empower your team members in task management.
• Use of Technology: Utilize technology to track and manage tasks efficiently.
• Time tracking: Employ a software to track time spent on each task.
• Regular Updates: Showcase constant updates to keep the team on track.
• Project progress visualization: Represent the progression of the project visually for better understanding.
• Deadlines: Set realistic and flexible deadlines.
• Feedback: Regularly give feedback to promote constant improvement.

In light of the above-mentioned practices, the role of technology in task assignment and tracking cannot be overstressed. Several softwares are available in the market to help you streamline your task assignment and tracking processes but none are more efficient and user-friendly than Retainr.io .

Improve Your Business Operations with Retainr.io

Retainr.io is a whitelabel software that unifies all your task management needs. It enables you to sell, manage clients, orders, & payments with your own branded app, ensuring that all information is kept in one place, thus, making accessibility and tracking easier.

With its vast array of features, it empowers your team members by making task assignment and tracking seamless and efficient. It simplifies project management and enhances transparency in communication. The software's use of visual aids for project progress ensures that all team members have a clear view of where the project stands and what needs to be done.

So, harness the power of Retainr.io to ensure a well-coordinated, proficient, and successful execution of your projects. Start your journey towards efficient task management with Retainr.io today.

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25 Task Management Software & Tools To Work Faster in 2024

• March 14, 2024

The core of task management is the organization of specific pieces of work, coordinated to facilitate maximum collaboration between teams. While some people prefer to manage tasks the old-fashioned way — with a combination of sticky notes, journals, and to-do lists — many teams and individuals in the workplace are using digital solutions to stay organized and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

Today, with more teams working in remote and hybrid environments , it’s become even more important to look for ways to improve collaboration and boost productivity while managing tasks. That’s where task management software can help.

What is Task Management Software?

By definition, task management tools are digital platforms that help individuals and teams manage their tasks. More than simple to-do-lists, task management tools allow teams to collaborate digitally by organizing, prioritizing, and assigning tasks to each other. 

So what exactly does task management software do? As with most software, there is a range of complexity and technological advancement among different systems. With that being said, typical features include: 

• Task scheduling to set deadlines in advance.
• Task customization and editing to update for specific situations. 
• Task assignment , which may include internal coworkers, external partners, or both.  
• Notifications/Alerts to remind users about upcoming tasks and responsibilities. 
• Recurring tasks or templates to standardize repetitive steps in your workflow.  
• Sub-tasks or parent tasks to create additional steps within a task.   
• Time Tracking to record the amount of time spent on tasks.
• Progress reporting to track current positioning in regards to the overall goal.
• Task organization using tags, labels and channels to group by common team or project. 
• To-do-lists for easy task visualization.

Benefits Of Using Task Management Tools

Whether you use task management systems as an individual or as part of a team, there are many benefits to your daily workflow. Some of the top benefits include:

Streamlined workflow. Task management software helps individuals and teams record, assign, and organize all of the processes of a given workflow. This is beneficial because it ultimately reveals where there are redundancies, inefficiencies, and bottlenecks to be fixed. 

Improved productivity. Task management software reduces the number of time workers have to spend sifting through information and getting organized. It also helps workers prioritize tasks, stay on top of current responsibilities, and prevent things from slipping through the cracks. When all is said and done, task management software can significantly improve team productivity .

More effective collaboration. How many times have you discussed next steps during a meeting or over the phone, but then you forget to write them down. Or perhaps you have a new due date for a project you’ve been working on, but now you have to individually tell each member of your team. Task management software brings everyone together on one platform, which helps improve communication and ensures that everyone knows what tasks they are responsible for, and when they need to complete them by. 

The Best Task Management Tools on the Market

1. hive  .

Hive is an all-encompassing productivity software that helps teams work faster. As a task management tool, Hive can be used by teams of all sizes to manage upcoming tasks, assign work to team members, and collaborate within the platform. In addition to being a great task management software, Hive is loved by thousands of teams for its project management capabilities, remote work tools, and powerful team collaboration solutions. 

Some features of Hive: 

• Flexible project layouts: Kanban, Gantt, Portfolio, Calendar, Table, List & more
• Create and assign tasks from meeting notes
• Create and assign tasks from emails
• Assign tasks to internal and external users
• Workflow automation to streamline tasks within and across apps
• Time-tracking and resourcing
• Upload, organize, and attach files to tasks
• Create repeatable tasks with templates
• Communicate on tasks with comments and tags

Managing tasks in Hive begins in Action cards, which function as the building blocks of projects. Within an Action card, you can create sub-actions, assign them to others with due dates, @mention teammates in comments, attach files, and even proof and approve documents. To see all upcoming tasks on your plate, simply use Hive’s My Actions view and filter based on project or status.

Whether you’re looking for a tool to use as an individual or part of a large organization, Hive has a solution for you. Start your Hive 14-day free trial to create your workspace and start managing tasks in minutes.

Todoist is a leading task management tool that helps people see everything they have to do in one place. It functions as an online to-do-list , where users can manage tasks and projects, whether for themselves or as part of a team. People like Todoist for its user-friendly interface and mobile app, which make it quick and easy to use on a daily basis as things pop up, which is why it’s the best task management software for small business.

Because this software is less comprehensive than other task management tools though, Todoist is best for teams or organizations with simple workflows. For more complex needs like Gantt charts or Kanban boards, we recommend checking out other project management software options.  

Some features of Todoist:

• Create subtasks and recurring tasks
• Commenting on projects and tasks
• Favorites for keeping key projects, labels or filters top of mind
• Prioritization levels
• Todoist Karma awards points for completing tasks and maintaining streaks

Milestones in Nifty are a unique way to track the progress of any initiative, big or small. Tasks are attributed to Milestones that display phases of a project, indicating deliverables or sprints, and highlight the progress of a project as tasks are completed. Nifty is fantastic for anyone who wants to see the “big picture” context of whatever they’re working on.

Some features of Nifty:

• Discussions for focused collaboration
• Use Gantt Charts to visualize project milestones
• Tasks to facilitate detailed organizing, prioritizing and managing
• Docs & Files in an organized hub for each project
• Time Tracking for efficiency and smart decision making
• Reporting with overviews across all projects

4. ProofHub

ProofHub is a task management tool and team collaboration software used by teams of all sizes and industries. ProofHub allows you to have complete control over team members which helps in delegating tasks and receiving real-time progress updates when managing project activities. You can create task lists and even divide a task into smaller, more manageable subtasks with ProofHub. ProofHub’s Forms are another splendid feature that helps streamline work requests and gives users the ultimate control.

Furthermore, with the power of this Gantt chart tool in your hands, you may adjust work schedules in response to changing deadlines, highlight key paths, and track progress without jeopardizing the project.

Some features of ProofHub:

• Kanban boards to see work moving in multiple stages
• Gantt charts to visualize and plan tasks
• Custom task fields to store relevant task information
• In-built chat tool to communicate effectively
• Custom reports to see project progress

5. BIGContacts

BIGContacts is a robust CRM that also offers hellpful task management tools. It lets you streamline business processes by bringing all tasks and associated data to a single platform, eliminating the back and forth between platforms. This improves individual productivity and boosts the overall efficiency of tasks. BIGContacts lets you automate recurring tasks and set up reminders to never miss an important deadline.

All your team members can track their pending tasks using to-do lists and get a comprehensive view of the activity calendar to stay updated with upcoming events. Along with providing a comprehensive view of tasks, BIGContacts also offers intelligent reports, enabling you to monitor the progress and effectiveness of tasks with ease.

Some features of BIGContacts:

• Tasks & to-do lists with prioritization 
• Team and individual calendar view  
• Automated reminders and alerts
• Recurring tasks 
• Easy task assignment & tracking

6. MeisterTask

MeisterTask is a task management software that was designed with agile teams in mind, but it can accommodate teams with many different workflows. This software was made with streamlined features that are meant to be intuitive and user friendly. In the platform, teams use customizable Kanban-style boards to organize tasks and monitor the progress of a project. One of the most appealing aspects is MeisterTask’s free basic plan, which offers limited usability (for an unlimited number of project members) for no cost.  

Some features of MeisterTask:

• Varying levels of responsibility with distinction between task “assignees” and “watchers”
• Built in Time-Tracking
• Option to add custom fields to tasks
• Multiple checklists within tasks
• Attach files and images to tasks
• Task relationships and tags

Casual is a visual task management software that lets you arrange your tasks however you work best. Casual is great for all types of small or growing project-based teams, not just project managers. What’s different about Casual is that they don’t show tasks in traditional project layout views, instead letting users organize tasks how they actually see them in their mind. If you have never worked with visual project management, Casual even has pre-set templates that can help you get started. 

Some features of Casual:

• Visual workflow creation
• Task dependencies and grouping
• Assigning tasks and setting deadlines
• Repeatable tasks and projects
• Milestone tracking

nTask is a task management software and project management tool that facilitates tracking project development, collaboration across teams, and risk assessment. The application has an intuitive and minimalistic interface, making it effortless to onboard new users. nTask is also easy-to-access being available on multiple platforms. 

Some features of nTask: 

• Task management
• Risk management
• Team management
• Gantt charts & Kanban boards

9. SmartTask

SmartTask is an all-in-one task management platform that helps solopreneurs, SMBs, and enterprises organize and manage their work from one location. Stop juggling between multiple apps for project & task management, CRM, time tracking, communication, and collaboration as you will get all of them with SmartTask.

It has typical task management features like recurring tasks, subtasks, due dates, and dependencies and lets you manage tasks with the list, board, calendar, and timeline views. You can handle multiple projects with the portfolio view and allocate resources effectively with the workload view.

Team collaboration features in SmartTask let you group chat, audio call, video conference, and share files with anyone in the organization. SmartTask integrates with Zapier, Slack, Jotform, Mailchimp, and many other applications. It also offers a white labeling feature that allows you to show off your branded workspace.

Some features of SmartTask:

• Manage tasks with the list, board, calendar, and timeline views
• Recurring tasks, subtasks, due dates, reminders, and dependencies
• Track time on tasks automatically and manually
• Trigger video conferences and voice calls from tasks
• Comment on tasks
• Import tasks from emails

10. Tasklog

Tasklog is a task management tool specifically designed for freelancers and is a great task management software for small business. Created with typical freelancing functions in mind, this tool helps freelancers manage their daily tasks in one single digital dashboard.

Users can create to-do-lists, manage projects, and assign tasks to clients. Tasklog also shows overviews and data insights to help users understand where they are most productive, what they have accomplished, and how they are pacing overall. 

Some features of Tasklog:

• Assign tasks to specific time entries
• Time-tracking
• Online invoicing and expenses
• Client task assignment
• Customizable Pomodoro Timer
• Reporting and insights

11. Hubspot Task Management

While HubSpot isn’t a traditional task management tool, its CRM platform has project and task management capabilities. If you’re a marketer or a salesperson and you’re looking for an integrated tool, then you might consider HubSpot CRM because of the free marketing, sales, service and, of course, task management tools that are natively integrated.

Once you want to set a task for a contact, simply choose the company, contact or deal in the HubSpot CRM. Click “Create task” and add your details and notes; set a due date; set an email reminder, task type, and task owner (all optional); and then click “Save Task.”

Once you’re ready to tackle your open tasks, you have the advantage of all of your contact information, meeting notes and deal stage in one place.

12. FunctionFox  

FunctionFox is a task management tool specifically loved by creative professionals at marketing agencies, PR firms, and design teams both large and small. These teams love this software because it was created by an ad agency with very specific needs in mind.

This platform is robust enough to support creative teams with the things they need on a daily basis — including creative project management, time-tracking, and resourcing — without additional features that may clutter their workspace. There are various pricing plans, affordably starting at $5 per month per user.

Some features of FunctionFox: 

• Multiple layouts including Gantt/timeline, task boards, and list views
• Client collaboration
• Reporting and analytics

Chanty is a team collaboration tool used for task management and communication between teams of all sizes. It helps you align all your work-related tasks in one place with multiple integrations. Chanty allows you to stay up to date, streamline repetitive activities, and increase productivity without leaving the platform. With over 75,000 companies using Chanty, it is a perfect choice for your team to complete tasks on time, stay connected and be your most productive self. 

Some features of Chanty:

• Be organized with a teambook
• Kanban board
• Turn messages into tasks
• Create, assign and set due-dates to tasks
• Audio and video calls
• Voice messages
• Thread discussions

Paymo is a comprehensive tool that is especially useful for teams who want to manage tasks, estimate costs, and bill clients all in the same platform. Once you’ve planned out your project and corresponding tasks, simply convert it into an estimate with pre-filled tasks, hourly budgets, and costs. After you send it to your client for approval, you can quickly turn it into an invoice right in the app.

Paymo also lets you turn timesheet data into an invoice for clients, so you can stay up to date with payments as the project progresses. Oh and if you’re a freelancer, you can use Paymo for free.

Some features of Paymo: 

• Task prioritization levels
• Ability to attach files to any task
• Kanban and Gantt project views
• Invoicing, estimates, and expense management
• Mobile app for both Android and iOS

15. ProProfs Project

ProProfs Project is an easy-to-use tool that lets you manage and prioritize tasks in a centralized space. Maximize productivity with its quick interface and seamless collaborative capability. You can extract deep insights into project status and identify gaps. You can even view your task status on its interactive Gantt charts and track task progress from start to finish. Meet your deadlines faster with task customization and time tracking.

Some features of ProProfs Project:

• Assign and manage tasks on a centralized dashboard
• Measure task progress effortlessly
• Set task status as open, on-hold, or complete
• Prioritize tasks with simple drag and drop functionality
• Give feedback on each task and subtask
• See team performance with smart reports

16. Timecamp

If you need a reliable app for daily automatic work tracking , TimeCamp will be a perfect choice. Using this app, you can add as many projects, tasks, and subtasks as you wish to create an easily manageable work structure. What’s more, you’ll get an even more transparent project organization if you add tags.

But what’s TimeCamp is the most known of is automatic time tracking . Whether you use a web timer, a desktop or mobile app, or a browser plugin, the tool logs working hours and (if you want it to!) collects the computer activities, so you don’t have to waste time filling timesheets manually. 

Some features of TimeCamp: 

• Automatic time and activity tracking
• Daily and weekly timesheets
• Wide range of built-in and custom reports
• Billable/non-billable hours
• Attendance managemen t
• 30+ direct integrations with tools like Trello, Asana, Jira, Opensearch , Monday & more

Any.do is a simple yet complete task management solution if you are looking for a tool that gives you a quick overview of the tasks on your plate. The software offers an intuitive calendar, helping you to easily see how events and tasks fit together. Any.do allows you to organize tasks and filter your workflow by date or category. The app is available for iOs and Android.

Some features of Any.do:

• Time tracking add-ons
• To-do list reminders
• Daily planner to organize and prioritize to-dos
• Color-coded tasks
• Advanced customized recurring tasks

18. WebWork Tracker

In addition to facilitating task management, WebWork Time Tracker is an awesome time tracking and employee monitoring software suitable for big and small companies. Companies use the tool to increase their profitability, offering the most accurate reports and time tracking. Its features allow users to easily count time spent on every single project, website, or other platforms.

The tool is of significant importance for freelancers and companies that hire remote employees. It is the most straightforward but truthful way to calculate working time and consider work productivity. Time tracking is not the only advantage of the tool — a variety of screenshot monitoring modes allow the software access to an employee’s screen, collecting and presenting valuable data. 

Some features of WebWork Tracker:

• Time Tracking with screenshots
• Attendance Monitoring
• Apps/website usage monitoring
• Activity Level/ Productivity Monitoring
• Task Management

Trello is a project management software that utilizes Kanban boards, lists and cards as its key ingredients to give you a flexible overview of projects and tasks. Trello is an intuitive tool, its no-code automation features help you optimize the time spent on repetitive tasks. 

Additionally, Trello allows you to invite new members to collaborate in your workspace, track tasks, and use color-coded labels for organization. And it integrates with many popular apps like Slack, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams, so there’s no need to stop using software you already love. Trello has a free version , and its paid plans start at $5 per user/month. 

Some features of Trello:

• See your work from multiple angles: Kanban board, timeline, table, calendar, and more
• Automate repetitive tasks and enhance workflow
• Integrate with over a hundred of your favorite tools
• Dozens of premade templates

Check out our guide to the top Trello alternatives to learn about more similar tools on the market.

20. airtable.

Airtable is a task management tool that lets you keep track of completed tasks in a separate view. The solution’s interactive interface helps you to manage your work routine while collaborating with your team. You can view your projects in different views, such as Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and calendar views. Plus, Airtable has several integrations and templates that offer a to-do list or task management structure ready to use. Airtable has a free plan with limited functionalities and a paid plan starting at $10/month. 

Some features of Airtable: 

• Interface customizable designer
• Different views: Kanban, calendar, Gantt chart and list
• Automations and integrations 
• Sync data across teams and tables
• Comprehensive reports 

Unsure if Airtable is the best task management tool for your team? See how Airtable compares to others in the same category.

21. clickup.

ClickUp is a task management software for small business, task management tool with a highly efficient dashboard view and collaboration features. The platform’s free version offers tools that you only get in the paid plans of several other softwares, such as goals, embedded emails, conditional automation, task checklists, custom task statuses, sprints, and 24/7 support. ClickUp also offers native email, several templates and free integrations.

Some features of ClickUp:  

• Workload view
• Custom roles
• Dynamic Recurring Tasks
• Customizable Board View

To compare with other tools, check out these top Clickup alternatives on the market.

Wrike is a project management application with robust features and flexibility to manage tasks, projects, and team collaboration. With Wrike, you can create and assign tasks, set due dates, and track progress, ensuring everyone stays aligned and productive.

One thing I really like about Wrike is its flexibility in adapting to various project management methodologies , including Agile and Kanban. It allows you to customize workflows, create task dependencies, and set up automation rules to streamline your processes. Wrike also provides real-time collaboration features, such as commenting, file sharing, and task discussions, which is great for keeping communication centralized and transparent.

Some features of Wrike:

• Customizable workflows and task dependencies
• Real-time collaboration and commenting
• Project timeline and Gantt chart views
• Automation rules for process optimization

Asana stands out as a task management tool with its unique balance of flexibility and structure. It has a customizable and easy-to-use interface that lets you create a personalized work view and tailor it to your specific needs. It features a “My Tasks” list, which auto-promotes tasks based on due dates, helping you prioritize and focus on what needs to be done now, and the sections and columns layout support Kanban, list, or matrix-style workflows.

There’s search and filtering functions, allowing you to locate any task, comment, or file, and reduce time spent navigating through projects. Asana also has a “Focus Mode” that encourages deep work by minimizing distractions, enabling you to work faster and more efficiently.

Some features of Asana:

• Project timelines and calendars
• Pre-built templates
• Task dependencies
• Automation rules
• Integrations with over 100 other apps
• Workload view to monitor and manage the workload of team members

24. Monday.com 

Monday.com is a good task management software designed for workflow organization and project planning. Its visual dashboards make it easy to comprehend your projects’ statuses and progress at a glance, and it allows you to use customizable templates that match your workflow. It also offers automations that take care of routine tasks, letting you focus on strategic matters. 

Monday.com also offers extensive integrations with popular tools such as Slack, Google Drive, and Mailchimp .

Monday.com features:

• Customizable templates
• Visual dashboards
• Automate repetitive tasks
• Extensive integrations with many popular third-party apps and tools
• Timeline and Gantt views
• Collaborative workspaces and team communication within the platform

Check out some alternatives to Monday.com and compare them to find the best task management platform for your company.

Quire is a task management tool with robust features and a free plan. Nest your list of tasks or view your project in Kanban board view, with the flexibility of Quire you can also add folders, sections and permission control to your projects and tasks. Quire is available for iOs and Android mobile apps and offers integration to third-party applications, such as Google Drive, Slack, and Zapier. Customization is another plus of Quire, you can personalize your workspace, change the theme, add widgets, and create custom templates even on its free plan. 

Quire’s features: 

• Kanban board, Gantt chart
• Document management
• Communication tools
• Discussion boards

Do you have another task management software that would be a great addition to this list? Let us know how you manage your personal and professional tasks in the comments below. And check back for updates as we explore more tools and options.

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I Tried 4 To-Do List Methods. Here’s What Worked.

• Kelsey Alpaio

…and what didn’t.

There are a lot of methods out there for staying organized. But which method prevails? Over four days, I tried four ways of organizing my to-do list. I tracked my overall productivity and stress levels to see which worked best.

• Monday: Get rid of your to-do list and instead schedule out your tasks in your digital calendar. This method is good for people who like structure, aren’t afraid of a crowded calendar, and love planning ahead.
• Tuesday: Keep a running list but do just “one thing” on it. This method is good for daydreamers, multitaskers, and people who are easily distracted.
• Wednesday: Use a digital task manager. This method is good for techies and people who have A LOT of tasks to organize, or are working on a variety of projects.
• Thursday: Make three lists, one for immediate tasks, one for future tasks, and one for tasks you’re never going to get done. This method is good for self-motivated people with competing priorities who love crossing the easy items off their list (a little too much), and don’t need much support to stay focused.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

You know that slimy, green ghost from Ghostbusters ? The one that floats around eating everything in sight?

• KA Kelsey Alpaio is an Associate Editor at Harvard Business Review. kelseyalpaio

Partner Center

How to Create an Effective Task Management System?

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on creating a task management system. In this article, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of developing a customized system to organize and prioritize your tasks effectively. Whether you're an individual looking to enhance personal productivity or a team aiming to streamline workflows, this guide will provide you with actionable tips and best practices to create a task management system tailored to your needs.

1. Identify the Purpose and Scope of Your System

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Before diving into the technical aspects, it's crucial to clearly define the purpose and scope of your task management system. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What are your specific goals and objectives?
• Are you managing tasks individually or within a team?
• What types of tasks will be included in your system?
• What level of detail do you need to track for each task?

Understanding the purpose and scope will help you design a system that aligns with your requirements.

Actionable Tips:

• Make a list of your goals and objectives to refer back to throughout the process.
• Consider involving key stakeholders in this initial planning phase to gather different perspectives and ensure buy-in from all involved parties.

2. Determine the Necessary Features and Functionalities

Now that you have a clear understanding of your system's purpose, it's time to determine the features and functionalities you need. Consider the following aspects:

• Task creation and assignment: How will tasks be created, assigned, and tracked within the system?
• Deadline management: Do you require reminders and notifications for approaching deadlines?
• Collaboration and communication: Will your system facilitate collaboration and communication between team members?
• Progress tracking: How will you measure and visualize the progress of individual tasks and projects?

By identifying the essential features, you can narrow down your choices when selecting tools or software for your task management system.

• Create a checklist of features and functionalities you need for your task management system.
• Prioritize your requirements to ensure you focus on the most critical aspects first.

3. Select the Appropriate Tools or Software

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Choosing the right tools or software is vital for the success of your task management system. Consider the following factors when making your selection:

• User-friendly interface: Ensure the tool or software has an intuitive and user-friendly interface to encourage adoption.
• Customization options: Look for tools that allow you to customize fields, layouts, and workflows to fit your specific needs.
• Integration capabilities: Determine if the tool can integrate with other software or apps you currently use, such as calendars or communication tools.
• Mobile accessibility: Consider whether you need mobile access to your task management system for on-the-go productivity.

Research and compare different task management tools to find the one that best aligns with your requirements and budget.

• Read reviews and testimonials from other users to gain insights into the usability and effectiveness of the tools you are considering.
• Take advantage of free trials or demos to test out the tools before making a final decision.

4. Design the User Interface

The user interface (UI) of your task management system plays a crucial role in its usability and adoption. Consider the following design principles:

• Keep it simple: Avoid clutter and excessive complexity. A clean and intuitive UI will help users navigate the system more efficiently.
• Visual cues: Use visual elements such as color-coding, icons, and progress indicators to convey information and improve task comprehension.
• Customization options: Provide users with the ability to personalize their UI based on their preferences and workflow.

Remember, a well-designed UI enhances user experience and encourages consistent engagement with the system.

• Sketch out a wireframe or prototype of your task management system's UI to visualize the layout and make adjustments before implementation.
• Seek feedback from potential users during the design phase to ensure the UI meets their needs and preferences.

5. Implement Your Task Management System

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Now that you have defined the purpose, determined the features, selected the tools, and designed the UI, it's time to implement your task management system. Follow these steps to ensure a smooth implementation:

• Data migration: If you are transitioning from an existing system, ensure a seamless transfer of data to your new system.
• Set up workflows: Configure the system to match your desired workflows and processes.
• User training: Provide thorough training to users on how to navigate and use the system effectively.
• Pilot testing: Conduct a pilot test with a small group of users to identify any potential issues or areas for improvement before rolling out the system to the entire team.
• Develop an implementation plan with clear timelines and responsibilities for each step.
• Communicate the benefits and objectives of the new system to gain user buy-in and encourage adoption.

6. Best Practices for Task Organization and Prioritization

To get the most out of your task management system, it's essential to follow best practices for task organization and prioritization. Consider the following tips:

• Categorize tasks: Group tasks by project, client, or priority level to enhance organization and facilitate easier retrieval.
• Use task labels: Apply labels or tags to tasks to provide additional context or to filter tasks based on specific criteria.
• Set priorities: Prioritize tasks based on urgency, importance, or deadlines to ensure focus on critical activities.
• Regularly review and update: Schedule regular reviews of your task list to ensure tasks are up to date and aligned with your goals.

By following these best practices, you can maintain a clear overview of your tasks and make informed decisions on where to allocate your time and resources.

• Experiment with different categorization and prioritization techniques to find the approach that works best for you.
• Leverage automation features within your task management system to streamline repetitive tasks and reduce manual effort.

7. Track Progress and Adapt

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A task management system is only effective if it helps you track progress and adapt to changing circumstances. Consider the following strategies:

• Regular updates: Encourage team members to provide regular updates on task status and progress.
• Visualize progress: Use charts, graphs, or progress bars to visualize task completion and overall project progress.
• Agile methodologies: Explore agile project management methodologies, such as Scrum or Kanban, to enhance flexibility and adaptability.
• Continuous improvement: Regularly assess the effectiveness of your task management system and make adjustments based on feedback and lessons learned.

By tracking progress and adapting your system as needed, you can optimize productivity and achieve better outcomes.

• Celebrate milestones and achievements to boost motivation and team morale.
• Use retrospective meetings to reflect on completed tasks and identify areas for improvement in your task management system.

Creating a task management system tailored to your needs is a valuable investment of time and effort. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can design an effective system that enhances your productivity and helps you stay organized. Remember to regularly review and adapt your system to ensure it remains aligned with your goals and evolves with your changing needs. Start implementing your task management system today and unlock the potential for greater efficiency and success in your personal or professional endeavors.

Go to The Main Guide: Foundations of Task Management for Peak Productivity

Tools and Resources: Create an Effective Task Management System?

Understanding task management.

• Task Management Principles: Read articles and resources that explain the fundamentals of task management.
• Task Management Books: Explore books like “ Getting Things Done ” by David Allen for in-depth insights.

Task Management Methodologies

• GTD (Getting Things Done): Learn about the GTD methodology for organizing tasks and priorities.
• Kanban: Understand the Kanban method for visualizing and managing tasks on a board.

Task Management Apps

• Todoist: Utilize Todoist for creating task lists, setting due dates, and organizing priorities.
• Asana: Implement Asana for project management, task tracking, and team collaboration.

To-Do Lists and Prioritization

• Eisenhower Matrix: Learn how to prioritize tasks using the Eisenhower Matrix (urgent vs. important).
• Time Blocking : Implement time blocking to allocate specific time slots for different tasks.

Task Tracking and Progress Monitoring

• Trello: Use Trello to create boards, lists, and cards for tracking task progress.
• Microsoft Planner: Utilize Microsoft Planner for visual task tracking and collaboration.

Calendar Integration

• Google Calendar: Integrate task deadlines and appointments with Google Calendar.
• Outlook Calendar: Sync task due dates and events with Microsoft Outlook Calendar.

Task Breakdown and Subtasks

• Subtask Organization: Learn how to break down larger tasks into manageable subtasks.
• App Integration: Use task management apps to create and manage subtasks effectively.

Deadline Management

• Task Due Dates: Set realistic deadlines for tasks based on their priority and complexity.
• Task Alerts and Reminders: Utilize alerts and reminders to stay on top of upcoming deadlines.

Task Dependencies

• Task Relationships: Understand how tasks depend on each other and establish task dependencies.
• Gantt Charts: Use Gantt charts to visualize task dependencies and project timelines.

Collaboration and Delegation

• Task Assignments: Assign tasks to team members based on their expertise and availability.
• Communication Platforms: Use communication tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams for collaboration.

Automation and Templates

• Recurring Tasks: Automate the creation of recurring tasks using task management apps.
• Task Templates: Create templates for common task types to save time on task setup.

Review and Reflection

• Weekly Review: Establish a routine for reviewing and updating your task list weekly.
• Task Analysis: Reflect on completed tasks and adjust future tasks based on insights.

Learning and Training Resources

• Task Management Courses: Enroll in online courses to learn effective task management techniques.
• Time Management Workshops: Attend workshops that cover time management and task prioritization.

Productivity Communities and Forums

• Task Management Forums: Join online communities to discuss task management strategies and tips.
• LinkedIn Groups: Participate in LinkedIn groups focused on productivity and task management.

Personal Experimentation and Adaptation

• Tailor to Your Needs: Experiment with different task management methods to find what works best for you.
• Continuous Improvement: Continuously adapt and refine your task management system based on your experiences.

By leveraging these resources and tools, you can create an effective task management system that helps you stay organized, prioritize tasks, and achieve your goals efficiently. Experiment with different approaches to find the best ways to integrate task management techniques into your workflow.

References:

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How To Create A Task Management System Design? [Ultimate Guide]

FAQs: How to Create an Effective Task Management System?

What is a task management system, and why is it important.

A task management system is a structured approach to handle tasks, projects, and activities efficiently. It helps individuals and teams organize their work, set priorities, track progress, and ensure timely completion of tasks. An effective task management system is essential for maximizing productivity, reducing stress, and achieving goals in a systematic and organized manner.

How do I start creating a task management system?

To create a task management system, start by identifying your goals and objectives. Understand the tasks and projects you need to accomplish, and break them down into smaller, manageable components. Utilize tools like to-do lists, digital task managers, or project management software to organize and track your tasks effectively.

What are some popular task management tools and software?

There are various task management tools and software available to streamline your workflow. Popular options include Trello, Asana, Microsoft To Do, Todoist, and Wunderlist. These platforms offer features like task categorization, due dates, reminders, and collaboration capabilities, making them valuable assets in managing tasks efficiently.

How can I prioritize tasks effectively in my task management system?

Prioritizing tasks is crucial to ensure you focus on what matters most. Use techniques like the Eisenhower Matrix, where tasks are categorized based on urgency and importance. Urgent and important tasks should be handled immediately, while important but not urgent tasks should be planned for later. Delegate or eliminate not important but urgent tasks, and avoid not important and not urgent tasks to maximize productivity.

Should I use a digital or a physical task management system?

The choice between a digital or physical task management system depends on personal preference and work style. Digital systems offer flexibility, easy access across devices, and collaboration features. Physical systems like paper planners can provide a tangible and visual approach, reducing screen time and distractions. Experiment with both to find the one that suits you best.

How can I stay consistent with my task management system?

Consistency is key to the success of any task management system. Make it a habit to review and update your task lists regularly. Set specific times each day or week to plan, prioritize, and evaluate your progress. Incorporate tasks and deadlines into your system as they come up to prevent overwhelm and ensure nothing is overlooked.

How do I prevent task overload and burnout in my task management system?

Avoid task overload and burnout by being realistic about what you can achieve. Don't overcommit to too many tasks and learn to say no when necessary. Set achievable goals and break down complex projects into smaller milestones. Take breaks, practice self-care, and celebrate your accomplishments to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Can I use my task management system for both personal and professional tasks?

Yes, your task management system can be used for both personal and professional tasks. Combining both aspects in one system can provide a holistic view of your responsibilities and commitments. Use labels or tags to distinguish between personal and work-related tasks, and consider color-coding to differentiate them easily.

How can I improve collaboration with others using a task management system?

If you work in a team or collaborate with others, choose a task management system that allows for seamless collaboration. Assign tasks to team members, set deadlines, and use comment features for communication. Regularly update the status of tasks to keep everyone informed and engaged in the project's progress.

 Is there a one-size-fits-all approach to creating an effective task management system?

No, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to task management systems. Each individual or team may have different preferences and requirements. Experiment with various tools, techniques, and methodologies to find what works best for you. Be open to adapting and refining your system based on feedback and experiences to achieve optimal productivity and organization.

Related Posts:

• How to Prioritize and Balance Work and Personal Tasks?
• How to Master the Eisenhower Matrix for Task Prioritization?
• How to Double Your Daily Productivity?
• How to Prioritize Tasks Effectively for Improved Productivity?
• How to Break Tasks into Smaller, Manageable Steps for Improved Productivity?
• How to Achieve Inbox Zero and Boost Your Productivity?

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Task assignment is the process of assigning tasks to individuals or groups within an organization . It involves determining which tasks should be done, by whom, and when they should be completed. Task assignment requires managers to assign tasks that are suitable to each individual's skills and abilities , and ensure they are allocated in a way that best utilizes resources and optimizes outcomes. It is important to consider both the short-term and long-term objectives of the organization when assigning tasks, as well as the individual's ability to manage the workload. This helps ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and effectively.

• 1 Example of task assignment
• 2 When to use task assignment
• 3 Types of task assignment
• 4 Steps of task assignment
• 5 Advantages of task assignment
• 6 Limitations of task assignment
• 7 Other approaches related to task assignment
• 8 References

Example of task assignment

• Project Manager : A project manager is responsible for assigning tasks to team members and ensuring that the project is completed on time and on budget. The project manager must consider each team member's skills and abilities when assigning tasks and ensure the tasks are allocated in a way that best utilizes resources and optimizes outcomes.
• Department Manager : A department manager is responsible for assigning tasks to employees in their department. They must consider each employee 's skills and abilities when assigning tasks, and ensure that tasks are allocated in a way that best utilizes resources and optimizes outcomes.
• IT Administrator : An IT administrator is responsible for assigning tasks related to the maintenance and upkeep of the IT infrastructure. They must consider the complexity of the tasks and the skills and abilities of the IT staff when assigning tasks, and ensure the tasks are allocated in a way that best utilizes resources and optimizes outcomes.
• Marketing Manager : A marketing manager is responsible for assigning tasks related to marketing campaigns and initiatives. They must consider the complexity of the tasks and the skills and abilities of the marketing team when assigning tasks, and ensure the tasks are allocated in a way that best utilizes resources and optimizes outcomes.

When to use task assignment

Task assignment is a useful tool for managers to ensure that tasks are allocated in a way that best utilizes resources and optimizes outcomes. It is an effective approach to assigning tasks and can be used in a variety of situations. Examples of when to use task assignment include:

• When launching a new project - Task assignment can help ensure that the right people are assigned to the right tasks, and that each person is working on something that is within their capabilities .
• When delegating responsibilities - Task assignment helps managers to assign tasks that are suitable to each individual's skills and abilities, and also ensures that tasks are distributed evenly across the team.
• When managing a remote team - Task assignment helps managers to ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and effectively, even when team members are located across multiple locations.
• When dealing with a lack of resources - Task assignment enables managers to assign tasks in a way that optimizes the use of limited resources, ensuring that the most important tasks are completed first.

Types of task assignment

Task assignment involves assigning tasks to individuals or groups within an organization. There are several different types of task assignment that managers must consider when allocating work :

• Individual Tasks : This involves assigning tasks to one individual, who is responsible for completing the task.
• Group Tasks : This involves assigning tasks to a group of individuals, who collaborate to complete the task.
• Team Tasks : This involves assigning tasks to a team of individuals, who share the responsibility for completing the task.
• Shared Tasks : This involves assigning tasks to several individuals, who share the responsibility for completing the task.
• Rotational Tasks : This involves assigning tasks to individuals on a rotating basis, allowing each individual to gain experience in different tasks over time.
• Delegated Tasks : This involves assigning tasks to someone else, who is responsible for completing the task.
• Time-Bound Tasks : This involves assigning tasks with a specific deadline, ensuring that tasks are completed on time.

Steps of task assignment

Task assignment is an important part of organizational management and involves assigning tasks to individuals or groups within an organization to ensure optimal utilization of resources. The following steps should be taken when assigning tasks:

• Define the objectives : The manager should define the long-term and short-term objectives of the organization and determine the tasks that need to be completed to reach these goals.
• Assess individual skills : Taking into account the skills of each individual, the manager should assign tasks that are suitable to their abilities and experience.
• Ensure collaboration : When assigning tasks, it is important to consider how different team members can collaborate on tasks to ensure that the workload is shared and managed effectively.
• Set deadlines : Deadlines for completing tasks should be set and communicated to team members to ensure that tasks are completed on time.
• Monitor progress : The manager should monitor team members' progress and provide feedback and support as needed to ensure tasks are completed efficiently.

Advantages of task assignment

Task assignment is an important part of any organization's operations and offers numerous advantages. Such advantages include:

• Increased productivity : By assigning tasks to the most suitable individuals, organizations can ensure that tasks are completed in a timely and efficient manner. This can result in increased overall productivity and better outcomes.
• Improved team morale : By assigning tasks fairly and equitably, organizations can foster a culture of collaboration and trust, which can lead to improved team morale and better team performance.
• Increased accuracy and quality : By ensuring that tasks are assigned to the most suitable individuals, organizations can ensure that tasks are completed accurately and to the highest possible quality.
• Improved resource utilization : By assigning tasks to the individuals with the appropriate skills and abilities, organizations can ensure that resources are used efficiently and effectively.
• Increased motivation : Assigning tasks to individuals can provide them with a sense of purpose and can help to motivate them to complete the tasks in a timely and efficient manner.

Limitations of task assignment

Task assignment can be a powerful tool for managing workloads and ensuring tasks are completed efficiently and effectively. However, there are a few potential limitations to task assignment that must be addressed:

• Lack of resources : If there are not enough resources to complete the task, it can be difficult to assign the task in an equitable manner.
• Poorly defined tasks : If the scope and objectives of the task are not clearly defined or understood, it can be difficult to assign tasks properly.
• Unclear deadlines : Without clear deadlines, it can be difficult to assign tasks in a timely manner.
• Unclear responsibilities : Without clear responsibilities, it can be difficult to assign tasks effectively and efficiently.
• Unmet expectations : If the task is not completed to the expected standard , it can lead to dissatisfaction and create tension among the team.
• Inadequate training : If individuals are not adequately trained to complete the assigned task, it can lead to mistakes or a slower completion time.

Other approaches related to task assignment

Task assignment is an important process in any organization, and there are a number of other approaches related to it. These include:

• Delegation : This involves assigning tasks to a team or individual with the authority to make decisions and manage their own tasks. This allows the manager to focus more on strategic objectives , while the team or individual can take ownership of their own tasks.
• Collaboration : This encourages teams or individuals to work together on tasks to maximize efficiency and create a better outcome. This helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page and can work together to reach the desired outcome.
• Goal setting : This involves setting targets and objectives for teams or individuals and ensuring that tasks are aligned with these goals. This helps to ensure that tasks are completed in a timely and efficient manner, and that progress is measured against the goals.
• Accountability : This involves ensuring that tasks are completed in a timely manner, with clear expectations and deadlines. This helps to ensure that tasks are completed correctly and that any issues are addressed in a timely manner.

In summary, task assignment is an important part of any organization, and there are a number of other approaches related to it. These include delegation, collaboration, goal setting, and accountability. These approaches help to ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and effectively, and that everyone is on the same page when it comes to completing tasks.

• Salman, A., Ahmad, I., & Al-Madani, S. (2002). Particle swarm optimization for task assignment problem . Microprocessors and Microsystems, 26(8), 363-371.
• Lo, V. M. (1988). Heuristic algorithms for task assignment in distributed systems . IEEE Transactions on computers, 37(11), 1384-1397.
• Ho, C. J., & Vaughan, J. (2012). Online task assignment in crowdsourcing markets . In Proceedings of the AAAI conference on artificial intelligence (Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 45-51).
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Table of Contents

Guideline for Assigning Tasks to Team Members

Assignment of tasks is part of daily office life for meeting organizational goals. When the project manager delegates work to the task receiver, the receiver reacts to the delegated task.

Assigning tasks can differ from person to person concerning different offices. For this reason, it is necessary to look into guidelines when assigning tasks to team members for effective delegation.

Assigning tasks is one of the processes of major importance in an organization. When the members fail to assign tasks legitimately, you cannot expect good results from the delegated task.

Assigning tasks requires understanding, direction, focus, and answerability to doubts within a certain time with a step-by-step guide.

The biggest secret lies in the task assigner and task receiver’s understanding of the delegated task. 

Why is Assigning Tasks to Team Members Important?

Every team is strong when members work together with trust and team spirit. The different types of tasks need division and distribution and knowledge of the capacity of each team member .

Here are some reasons why task assignment is important for assigning tasks to team members:

1. Improvement in Project Efficiency

Tedious tasks are divided among different team members, then the overall efficiency of the team increases.

Without task distribution, the project is unmanaged and vague without effective delegation.

2. Improvement in Project Productivity

When the correct tasks are assigned to team members, each project sector is looked after as responsibilities are divided.

This situation aids in enhancing productivity from every member’s side to complete the task with time management.

3. Highly Developed Morale

Assigning duties to each individual makes them happy, accepts responsibility, and works confidently to reach better goals for delegating effectively.

Project management software with a project management tool helps the project manager assign tasks to team members.

4. Habit of Consideration

The Duties assignment teaches the whole team to consider different situations while completing a project.

Each member earns to support the other, building a stronger team for better outputs and delegating effectively.

Some Guidelines to Assign Tasks To Team Members

A team lead cannot assign tasks to team members without proper planning and experience and the habit of providing feedback .

Task assigners need a good experience of previous task assignments, and the new members can showcase their ability in different types of tasks. 

Another major concern is the impact of employee engagement , for which task holders need interest and passion to continue the work assigned. Some guidelines for assigning tasks to team members are:

1. Assign Tasks Positively

Assigning tasks to employees requires positivity and when you ask them to do a certain task, provide them with details.

A positive attitude will help them know that it is possible to conduct the task in the way the leader wants them to.

If you assign common tasks negatively or doubt their capability, employees will feel demotivated to begin their task.

A hint of positivity will brighten their day and make them complete assigned tasks with full confidence.

2. Be Clear of Goals and Objectives

Before assigning any duties to employees, the assigner needs to know the work’s goals and objectives to know how employees perform. Task givers need to understand what they want and expect from the work process.

When goals and objectives are unset, the task giver is confused due to lack of vision and cannot command the task completers to do a role in a certain way. The task providers need to set clear ways and methods with proper delegation strategies.

3. Right Task to Right Employee

Allotting the right task to the right employee is the key to productivity and needs a step-by-step guide.

But before dividing and designating the work for employees, the role provider needs to know the type of each employee.

The leader should build a delegation strategy including the different capacities of different employees and give duties that fit the employees perfectly .

When a task demands an exceptional employee and a lack of talent, the leaders themselves should conduct the task without a workforce or emergency.

4. Get Ideas and Hold Meetings

Before giving away responsibilities to team members, a discussion with all members is essential.

The team lead can ask each employee to express their assigned duties and get ideas via unlimited access to team meetings.

After attending the meeting with employees, you can get a vivid idea of who is responsible for what and how deliberately they can finish the task.

Getting ideas from employees assures the lead of the task completion from every team member’s side.

5. Communicate Efficiently

There are situations in which employees may let go of duties given. The reasons may include lack of employee engagement , absenteeism, and presenteeism.

When assigning tasks, you should figure out how to deal with lazy employees. Project management tools allow proper communication between team members.

Communication is a great way to improve employee engagement and advise lazy employees to know how employees perform.

If you wish to change plans in the middle of a project process, you can re-explain the team members. Communication also decreases the chance of conflict in an organization.

6. Mark Deadline with Timeline

The best way to finish a work in a team is by properly planning the entire resources like cost, time, and workforce.

When you make a timeline and ask others to conduct work, you can give them deadlines—management software helps track employees’ time.

When each employee finishes the task at the right time, the project takes off smoothly. Assigning tasks with deadlines to follow a timeline is a very good organizational practice that helps in reducing organizational risks.

7. Track Progress and Ask Feedbacks

After task distribution, you cannot just throw tasks away and let the employees handle everything else.

Proper task assigning also includes getting feedback from employees during work processes and tracking their progress.

Tracking productivity with different tools is an easy process. Productive employees yield better results and complete tasks on time.

So it is essential to stay in touch with employees’ progress and know their situation while working.

8. Train and Supervise

Completing a project requires the fusion of different delegation skills and a high level of dedication from team members with proper planning and implementation.

For producing a skilled workforce, there is a necessity to train the team members and meet the team daily.

The training includes unlimited access to skill-enhancing resources like courses from Udemy or Coursera.

After the training phase, the work conduction requires supervision from the expert to check up on the application of skills learned via the project management tool.

Training and supervision are equally important before and during the task assignment and completion among multiple people.

9. Follow up to Stay Connected

It is essential for work professionals to follow up on their team members to get notified of the obstacles and problems faced by the group workers.

It is important to stay connected with each member to check on work progress and complete the task.

Issues like stress and pressure can tangle the employees and slow them down, so following up on common tasks helps them cope with pressure and increase work productivity.

Micromanagement is not a good idea as it leads to employee burnout. It is better to set employees free by casual follow-ups.

10. Authority and Control Handover

Decentralization of authority relieves an employer for managing tasks. When you assign duties, make sure you allocate a certain amount of power to the employees via management apps.

The control handover makes employees empowered and responsible for finishing tasks.

Providing very little power can result in problems as employees lose interest in the work while giving too much power can overpower employees, making them forget basic duties.

The strength lies in giving enough power to each member that only deserves it and providing feedback.

11. Respect and Support

Every employee in an organization deserves equal respect and support. Each role has its significance, and without equal respect from the employer’s side, it is impossible to reflect the same behavior from the employee’s side.

Respect is mutual, and when working, it is important to let go of judgments and unnecessary assumptions about each other.

Acceptance is a way to help each other during any technical, moral, emotional, or skill-related difficulties.

Supporting and working along in a team is a great idea for completing a task. The task assigner is responsible for setting such a culture, keeping in mind the importance of time management.

12. Learn from Last Project

Before planning for the upcoming project, it is essential to reflect upon the past projects and learn from the delegation’s mistakes.

Leading other team members requires experience and, more than that demands the idea of accepting mistakes and learning from them while assigning responsibility.

When you assign new team members, use the same strategies and ideas you did in the previous project.

If there were errors in the previous try, assign tasks to correct the previous ones and accept the changes as a stepping stone for success.

13. Evaluate Project Post-Assigning

After all, employees are done with their tasks, and it is time for you to evaluate the quality of work and check if all the criteria are fulfilled. Sometimes some tasks are incomplete, and some are full of bugs.

You will have to re-assign the same tasks to members due to lack of perfection and inefficiency to deliver proper output by tracking time.

It is better to analyze the task output and ask the responsible person to fill gaps in the work provided. 

14. Brain-map to Assign Tasks Again

All projects have different tasks and require different approaches to reach goals. Task assigners must detect which approach is better for a certain project, i.e., which methodology to follow, like the agile model or the waterfall project method .

The research for the new project includes ideas for task division and finding the best employees.

The leader needs to brainstorm accordingly so that the newer ideas are included. The foremost task of assigning tasks to others runs smoothly for the overall conduction of the project in a directed and glorious way.

Some More Guidelines for Task Assignment

Team members require extra care and a lot of patience to understand the objective of common tasks and delegation strategy.

When conflict arises, it is upon the person to solve the matter. Soft skills with proper guidelines help assign employee tasks and remedy conflict resolution.

Some other guidelines for assigning tasks to team members are mentioned below:

15. Focus and Direction

After tedious tasks are provided to every team member, it is important to know where each member is heading with their duties.

In the first place, the task giver should have clear ideas of responsibilities and follow directions. 

Secondly, it is upon the task to stay focused and move in the correct direction of task competition.

The team leader’s responsibility is to guide the employees in the correct direction so they don’t lose focus and get distracted by unnecessary things during office time.

16. Avoid Stressing and Pressure

When you distribute tasks, ensure you don’t stress employees without beginning the task. Complications during task completion are common, but a good leader does not pressure the employees for task assignments.

You must understand the situation of employees and take steps accordingly. Working under stress and pressure may decrease workers’ productivity as they cannot deal with such complications . This situation hampers the employee’s well-being and wellness.

17. Be Answerable to Doubts

Questions can arise anytime regarding the task completion, and it is upon the task provider to clear doubts and queries of the seekers.

When you fail to deliver the correct answer or provide what the employees are seeking, that may harm the process of task completion. 

As team managers, it is upon you to remove the veil of doubts from their minds in the bigger picture, so they conduct the work with dedication and enthusiasm .

It is bad to leave employees confused as a confused state is a dormant state that hampers the speed of work completion and demotivates multiple people.

18. Honest Feedbacks to Employees

Speaking softly and not hurting others is a good virtue, but there are times when you have to act abruptly and state the employees’ mistakes.

It is essential to give honest feedback to employees who need to work on their mistakes.

If you don’t give them honest feedback before assigning tasks, there is no hope for completion. Honest feedback helps employees rise in their respective works and provides a great chance for improvement in their careers.

19. Do Not Assign Same Task to Different People

Assigning the same task to different people is a waste of time and resources unless you want to compare the results of two task receivers.

It is better to plan the task division than mess up assigning tasks to team members at the last moment.

Healthy competition between the team members is a good idea but make sure you don’t hurt the feelings of any of them.

Working and learning are part of every employee’s journey, and it is important to keep them interested in any task.

20. Listen to Your Employees

When you assign tasks, it is equally necessary for you to listen to your employees. Some employees may not be sure about a certain task and can ask you to switch tasks with other members.

So it is needed for the team leader to understand each member and listen to them from the beginning of a task to the end of a work assignment.

Assigning tasks to team members is the most important step for task completion. Delegation mistakes are common while managing tasks, and so it is important to take help from management apps while assigning responsibility to employees.

Marketing automation and other features are provided by project management tools that help in better task assignments.

The guideline for task assignment helps in employee development and setting aside time tracked; employees remain engaged.

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How to Assign Tasks and Responsibilities to Team Members

As a manager or team leader, it’s important to effectively assign tasks and responsibilities to team members in order to ensure that work is completed efficiently and effectively.

This can be a challenging task, especially if you have a large team, are working on a complex project, or are leading a team with no experience .

In this blog post, we will provide tips and best practices for assigning tasks and responsibilities to team members in a way that helps your team succeed.

We’ll cover topics such as setting clear expectations, delegating tasks appropriately, and providing support to team members as they complete their work.

By following these guidelines, you can create a productive and collaborative work environment that helps your team achieve its goals.

Setting Clear Expectations

One of the key elements of effective task assignments is setting clear expectations for team members.

This includes outlining the specific tasks that need to be completed, as well as any deadlines or goals that need to be met. It’s also important to communicate the purpose of the tasks and how they fit into the overall goals of the project or organization.

This helps team members understand the context of their work and why it’s important.

To set clear expectations, it’s a good idea to create a written document or task list that outlines the specific responsibilities of each team member.

This can be a simple spreadsheet or project management tool, or a more detailed project plan. Make sure to include details such as the task description, any necessary resources or tools, and any deadlines or milestones.

It’s also a good idea to discuss the task assignments with team members individually, to ensure that they understand their responsibilities and have any questions answered.

By setting clear expectations, you can help team members stay organized and focused as they complete their work.

Delegating Tasks Appropriately

Effective task assignment also involves delegating tasks to the right team members.

This means considering the skills, experience, and workload of each team member, and assigning tasks that are appropriate for their abilities and capacity. Delegating tasks appropriately helps to ensure that work is completed efficiently and effectively, and helps to avoid overloading any one team member or causing delays due to a lack of resources.

To delegate tasks appropriately, it’s important to have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each team member. This may involve reviewing their previous work or having candid conversations about their interests and capabilities.

It’s also important to consider the workload of each team member and ensure that they are not taking on more work than they can handle.

Another key aspect of effective task assignments is empowering team members to take ownership of their work . This means giving them the autonomy to complete tasks in their own way, within the parameters set by the project plan or task list.

Empowering team members to take ownership of their work can help to foster a sense of ownership and responsibility, and can lead to higher quality work and greater job satisfaction.

Providing Support to Team Members

Effective task assignment also involves providing support to team members as they complete their work.

This includes making sure that team members have the necessary resources and tools to complete their tasks, as well as offering guidance and assistance when needed. Providing support helps to ensure that team members are able to complete their work efficiently and effectively, and can also help to foster a sense of teamwork and collaboration within the team.

There are several ways that you can provide support to team members as they complete their work. This may include offering training or development opportunities, providing access to necessary resources or tools, and offering feedback and guidance as needed.

It’s also important to be available to team members if they have questions or need assistance with their tasks. By providing support and assistance, you can help team members to feel more confident and capable as they complete their work.

In conclusion, effective task assignment is an important element of managing a team or project. By setting clear expectations, delegating tasks appropriately, and providing support to team members, you can create a productive and collaborative work environment that helps your team succeed.

Communicating Task Assignments and Updates

Effective task assignment also involves effective communication with team members.

This includes not only clearly outlining the tasks and responsibilities that need to be completed, but also keeping team members informed of any updates or changes to the tasks or project plan. This can help to ensure that team members are aware of their responsibilities and are able to stay on track with their work.

There are several ways that you can communicate task assignments and updates to team members. This may include using a project management tool or task list to keep track of assignments and deadlines, as well as regularly holding meetings or check-ins to discuss progress and address any issues that may arise.

It’s also important to be available to team members if they have questions or need clarification on their tasks.

Effective communication is key to ensuring that team members are able to complete their work efficiently and effectively.

By keeping team members informed and providing clear guidance, you can help to ensure that work is completed on time and to the required standards.

Assessing and Adjusting Task Assignments

Effective task assignment also involves ongoing assessment and adjustment of task assignments as needed. This means regularly reviewing the progress of team members and the overall project, and making adjustments to tasks or responsibilities as needed to ensure that work is completed efficiently and effectively.

To assess and adjust task assignments, it’s important to regularly check in with team members and review their progress.

This may involve holding meetings or check-ins, as well as reviewing any project management tools or task lists that you are using to track progress. If you notice that a team member is struggling with their tasks or is unable to complete them on time, it may be necessary to adjust their assignments or provide additional support.

Similarly, if you notice that a team member has extra capacity or is particularly skilled in a certain area, you may want to consider reassigning tasks or increasing their responsibilities.

By regularly assessing and adjusting task assignments, you can ensure that work is completed efficiently and effectively, and that team members are able to make the most of their skills and abilities.

Encouraging Team Input and Feedback

Effective task assignment also involves encouraging team input and feedback.

This means soliciting ideas and suggestions from team members and actively listening to their concerns or issues related to their tasks or the project as a whole. Encouraging team input and feedback can help to foster a sense of ownership and engagement among team members, and can also lead to better decision-making and problem-solving.

There are several ways that you can encourage team input and feedback. This may include holding regular team meetings or check-ins, as well as setting aside time for open discussion and brainstorming sessions.

It’s also a good idea to create a culture of open and honest communication within your team, where team members feel comfortable speaking up and sharing their ideas or concerns.

By encouraging team input and feedback, you can create a more collaborative and inclusive work environment that helps your team succeed.

Providing Recognition and Rewards

Effective task assignment also involves providing recognition and rewards to team members who excel in their work. This can help to motivate team members and encourage them to continue performing at a high level, as well as foster a positive work culture.

There are many ways that you can provide recognition and rewards to team members. This may include offering verbal praise or written feedback, as well as more tangible rewards such as gift cards, paid time off, or additional responsibilities.

It’s important to consider the preferences and motivations of individual team members when deciding on recognition and rewards, as different people may respond differently to different forms of recognition.

By providing recognition and rewards to team members who excel in their work, you can show appreciation for their efforts and help to motivate and inspire them to continue performing at a high level.

Wrapping Up

Effective task assignment is an important element of managing a team or project.

It involves setting clear expectations for team members, delegating tasks appropriately, and providing support and assistance as needed.

Effective task assignment also involves ongoing communication and assessment, as well as encouraging team input and feedback and providing recognition and rewards for excellent performance.

By following these guidelines, you can create a productive and collaborative work environment that helps your team succeed.

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Your To Do List and Beyond: 8 Powerful Ways to Manage Your Tasks

There are so many things you need to do, and so many ways you could keep track of them. Search the App Store for "to do list," and you'll find thousands of tools that all promise to help you increase your productivity and get more done.

An app is only the start. There are also the various methods of keeping track of your to dos, each with their strong points and some so complicated there are entire books about them. It can be so tough to find the right method and app for you, it's often easier to just give up and try to juggle all of your tasks in your head.

It doesn't have to be that way. In this article, we'll take you through the most popular task management methods so you can pick out the perfect way to manage the things you need to do. Then, in a related article, we'll show you the best apps for each of those methods. That'll give you the tools you need to stay productive this year and beyond.

Choosing the Right Task Management Method

When it comes to task management, there's no one-size-fits-all option. Just as some people learn better visually while others learn far better audibly, there are task management methods that'll fit you perfectly—and others that'll never work for you no matter how hard you try.

That's why it's important to research different methods of managing your tasks to find what works for you. Just by reading though this article, a couple of the methods will likely stick out to you. You can then try them out and see which one's best for you.

In this article, you'll receive an overview along with the pros and cons of each of the following task management methods:

Getting Things Done®

Plain Text Tasks

Rows, Columns n' Sheets

Team-Based Productivity

Pen and Paper

The Kanban Method

String-Around-The-Finger

The "Grocery List" Method

The "Grocery List" method, or just organizing tasks in simple lists, is by far the most popular task management method. It's the way you'll likely organize tasks without even thinking about it. It puts all tasks and their respective due dates front-and-center with no fluff. There are dozens of apps that use this method of organizing your tasks, and their straightforward lists make the apps look and feel very similar to a grocery list you'd make when heading to the store.

These simple apps are great for people like myself that get a rush from finally checking tasks off of a list and moving onto the next task. When using a grocery list style app, there are no small details to check off, so you're left with the big picture for all of your tasks.

Grocery List apps often have some essential organization features to go along with the bare tasks. For instance, most have the ability to set a due date and some can set reminders for tasks using a device's location.

That being said, Grocery List-style apps may not be practical for everyone. If you need to manage small tasks within larger tasks or like being able to track the progress of a task or project, Grocery List methods aren't for you. Don't fret though, because there are plenty of other task management strategies for you.

The Grocery List Method Pros and Cons

Pros: Grocery List- esque applications are generally simple enough that they require little setup and are easy to use.

Cons: Not as great at tracking small details or handling large projects.

Getting Things Done® (often abbreviated as GTD®), is the Grocery List method on steroids. This method of task management, popularized by the book with the same name , is simply a powerful way of using lists and details like tags to manage your tasks. Apps based on this method may look similar to standard grocery list-style apps, but they'll also have sub-lists, time management tools, and more built in.

Getting Things Done ® and GTD ® are registered trademarks of the David Allen Company.

For example, when working on an article, I can use a powerful list-based task management app to make a new project for the article and then add tasks for sections of an article, reminders to proofread, and make a list of all additional resources required to complete the article. At the same time, I can have projects for my home tasks, other ongoing projects at work, and more.

Most standard GTD apps have note taking and file-drop capabilities. This is very useful when starting a project, as you can attach all of your ideas and related files to the task, ensuring you won't forget any small details and giving you a one-stop-shop for your task's resources.

Some GTD applications also have built-in calendars that show your tasks and projects with their respective due dates. This can be an absolute godsend when juggling multiple projects for different clients with separate due dates. You'll also usually be able to keep up with notes and files related to your tasks in the apps.

The basic idea with GTD is that you can get everything out of your head and into your to do list app, organized in lists of related tasks with each task tagged (or categorized) according to the place or context in which you’ll do the task, and with any data related to that task attached as a note. It’s a lot of stuff in each tasks to make sure you won’t have to juggle anything in your head and can focus on what you’re doing.

GTD applications are generally desktop-focused and for good reason: creating tasks and adding additional criteria can be tough when typing on a smartphone keyboard. However, many GTD apps—including OmniFocus —have created great mobile apps that sync with their desktop counterparts, making for a seamless on-the-go task management experience.

Getting Things Done Pros and Cons

Pros: GTD applications can track every step of a task and often have other interesting features.

Cons: These applications can be confusing to set up and too cluttered for some.

One powerful GTD app feature is start dates, in addition to due dates. Learn how to use start dates when managing your tasks . Or learn more about how to implement GTD with our guide.

The Text Editor Method

Using text editors for task management has been around for quite some time. In fact, the 'emacs' app in Terminal has its own text-based task management command. Text editors give you the freedom to manage tasks how you'd like and be free of the visual distractions of a Grocery List app.

If you already have a preferred text editor, there's no need to download another task management app: Just use what you already know. On top of this, the text file you use to manage your tasks is universal, so you can switch devices and platforms without disrupting your workflow.

There are many different methods of using a text editor to manage tasks. Two of the more popular are Todo.txt and Today.txt . With Todo.txt, you can create single-line tasks within a text file. These can be arranged by priority and can be tagged with its corresponding project. To create different lists, just create a new text file, it's that easy. If you prefer to edit in plain text on your mobile devices, you can do that as well using your favorite mobile text editor.

Today.txt is even simpler than Todo.txt: it's a three line paragraph stressing one task. The text file starts with "If nothing else, today I am going to __ ." and ends with "If I do this and only this, it will be a good day." This makes the method more motivation than anything else, but it a good way to keep yourself focused when feeling distracted.

Either method—or your own personal method of organizing stuff you need to do in a text editor—could work equally well. And, if you already have a to do list app you like but want a way to keep yourself focused on what needs done today , Today.txt could be a good addition to your workflow.

The Text Editor Method Pros and Cons

Pros: Using a text editor is a simple and free way to manage your tasks. You can set up your workflow however you'd like, using programs you're familiar with.

Cons: Plain text lists can often be too barebones for some and require some setup and management to keep organized.

For more information on using text to manage your tasks, check out our roundup of unique ways to manage your tasks without special software .

Take pen-and-paper to do management a step further with Kanban productivity. This method, in its purest form, takes Post-It notes, a cork board, and labels, and organizes tasks by progression. To start with Kanban, split your cork board into three sections: to do, doing, and done. Write tasks on color-coded Post-It notes and stick them in their respective step of progression. As your tasks progress, move them to their new spots on the cork board to track them. You can color-code tasks by client, project, or any other differentiator, and can add as much or little detail to each task as you want.

If you prefer tracking tasks digitally, Kanban can still fit your workflow. Apps like Trello and LeanKit all use the Kanban method to manage tasks in the cloud. They also offer great collaboration features, so remote teams can get in on the Kanban action.

Kanban is great for teams and those who like to see the big picture at a glance. When using the method, you'll have all of your tasks, due dates, and task progress in front of you, so there's nothing keeping you from diving right into your work. And you can even make a Kanban board in Google Sheets .

The Kanban Method Pros and Cons

Pros: The big picture is always in front of you and your team.

Cons: Small details can be left out, which may cause information overload for some.

Kanban 101 : Learn everything there is to know about this task management strategy.

The Rows, Columns n' Sheets Method

Spreadsheets are often overlooked when it comes to task management, especially in the mobile space. But they can be as powerful of a tool for task management as you let them be. Due to spreadsheets' flexibility, they're an especially great way to manage a ton of projects and tasks.

When using a spreadsheet, you can make different sheets for different types of tasks. For example, one sheet can be for work tasks and another for home errands, each with columns to keep track of data that makes sense for each. Tasks can be placed in individual rows, and cells can be color-coded to represent their importance or other key parts of a task.

Like the text editor method, you can make spreadsheets work any way you'd like, and you can use applications that you're already familiar with. There are also a ton of free task management templates available for Google Sheets, Excel, and Numbers, making setup a breeze.

If you're working in a team, you can use Google Sheet to make a no-frills group task management system. Just make a new shared Sheet, add your team members, and create color-coded cells to assign tasks. And since Google Sheets has a built-in chat client, it's easy to collaborate with team members.

The Rows, Columns n' Sheets Method Pros and Cons

Pros: You can use familiar tools to create a versatile environment for your tasks.

Cons: Like text-based applications, using spreadsheets for task management can be too basic for some. On top of this, using spreadsheets aren't the prettiest way to manage tasks.

See how to make Google Sheets your to do list app in our tutorial.

To do apps aren't just for managing your own tasks. When you're working with your team, you need a way to keep up with what everyone's working on and what's left to finish your team projects.

Enter team-based productivity apps.

Team-based productivity apps are often list-based applications that let everyone have their own accounts. They're also usually web apps that'll run in any browser, with mobile apps to work on the go. Team members can add and edit tasks as well as discuss tasks within a comment thread or IM-like service, making collaborating and group task management far simpler.

Many team-based applications have features similar to that of the aforementioned GTD method. Beyond setting due dates, tasks can often have sub-tasks and the larger projects can be organized in their own boards or lists to keep everything organized for each of your different projects or clients. Most will even let you add files to tasks, so you can keep everything needed to complete the task in one spot.

If you end up using a team-based productivity suite with your team and want to use it for personal tasks, don't fret. Most of these applications—such as Trello and Asana — allow you to create single-user task boards that are not associated with your work board, so you can transition seamlessly between work and personal tasks.

Team-Based Productivity Pros and Cons

Pros: Team-based apps are generally cross-platform and are great for keeping teams on track and encourage collaboration. Additionally, they can be used for personal work if needed.

Cons: These applications can be time consuming to set up and expensive for a full team.

Good Ol' Pen and Paper

I'm sure you didn't expect to see this mentioned alongside methods of managing tasks with apps, but sometimes it's best to use pen and paper for task management—especially if you have a problem with checking Twitter instead of staying on task. When using a notebook to manage tasks, you're completely disconnected from the internet and its distractions, keeping you on track.

I've found something refreshing about using pen and paper to manage tasks. Checking tasks off of a notebook is a lot more rewarding than swiping it away, but perhaps that's just me. There are also plenty of ways to digitize the pen-and-paper method , with mobile scanning apps or tools like Evernote . Back up your to do list to the cloud, and you'll have the best of both worlds. Your tasks will live on paper, but will also be ready for you anywhere you need them.

Pen and Paper Pros and Cons

Pros: Paper notes are distraction-free and require no connectivity.

Cons: Not as versatile as other methods in this list, and can be tough to back up.

The String-Around-The-Finger Method

Even though a notification on your phone can be a great reminder to complete a task, nothing jogs your memory like a change in something you use everyday. A classic example of this is tying a string around your finger. Or if you prefer a modern take on the method, wrap a rubberband around your phone.

The basic idea is: Put something in your way when you're thinking of something you need to do. Then, the next time you notice that thing—string, rubberband or whatever—your mind will be jogged to remember the task.

Getting a bit more technical with this idea, rearranging app icons or changing your phone's wallpaper are other good ways to jog your memory. If you're using this method on the desktop, you can set special photos or text as your screensaver or my personal favorite: putting a Post-It note in the center of my laptop's screen. Either way, doing something that's out of the ordinary can be a great way to make sure you remember what you need to do.

The String-Around-The-Finger Method and Cons

Pros: The simplest possible way to remind yourself to do something.

Cons: You might end up forgetting why you tied the string in the first place, and it works only well for single, one-off tasks.

Picking the Best Method for You

Like various learning methods, different task management strategies place focus in different areas. For example, the "Grocery List" method of task management places all crucial information upfront, while leaving many small details out of the picture. That's a great option if you just want a simple way to keep track of what needs done now .

But, if you're a more detail-oriented person, using a powerful task management will be more your speed. You'll be able to keep track of every tiny detail, manage multiple projects, and much more, all from one app. You can plan your whole life here, not just the stuff you're doing today.

Both the simple Grocery List apps and more advanced Getting Things Done apps, though, often have fancier interfaces, and they force you to work the way they're designed. If you're the kind that likes your tools to be deeply customizable or if the fancy interfaces of both of these methods throw you off, managing tasks in a text editor or spreadsheet may be best.

Working together? Give the team task management apps—or even a shared spreadsheet—a shot. Or if you'd rather a low-tech solution, mix everything up and write team tasks on a whiteboard.

There's no perfect way to manage your tasks, and you might even need more than one method to keep up with everything you're doing. Just experiment with your own variant of any of these methods, and start getting your tasks organized.

Go Get Things Done

If you're planning on using an app to manage your tasks, there are dozens of to do list apps that could work for you. But which one is the best for your needs? Here are our recommendations:

The Best To Do Apps for Task Management

The Best To Do Apps for iPhone and iPad

The Best Android To Do List Apps

The Best To Do List Apps for Mac

The Best Windows To Do List Apps

Originally published in January, 2015, this post has been updated with more recent details and links. Zapier marketer Matthew Guay contributed to this post.

Paper todos photo via IvanWalsh.com via Flickr ; Kanban Photo by Oliver Tacke via Flickr ; String around finger photo by Flood G. via Flickr ; Research header photo by Neil Conway via Flickr ; Trello photo via Trello Press Pack ._

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Andrew Kunesh

Andrew is a freelance writer and user experience nerd from Chicago, IL. In his free time, you’ll find Andrew trotting the globe in search of the perfect cup of coffee. Follow @andrewkunesh on Twitter.

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Task assignment and organizational form

• Published: 29 July 2008
• Volume 96 , pages 149–168, ( 2009 )

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This paper shows that a firm prefers a process-based task assignment compared to a function-based one if the tasks are from functional areas which are neither too complementary nor too substitutable. We consider several projects (processes) with contributions from several functional areas. The organization can be structured along processes like product lines ( M -form) or along functional areas like marketing or production ( U -form). The U -form enables cost savings due to specialization or scale economies. The more effective incentives under the M -form might outweigh these savings if the functions are neither too complementary nor too substitutable.

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Puschke, K. Task assignment and organizational form. J Econ 96 , 149–168 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00712-008-0033-z

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