task assignment communication

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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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 .

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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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Introduction to Distributed System

• What is a Distributed System?
• Features of Distributed Operating System
• Evolution of Distributed Computing Systems
• Types of Transparency in Distributed System
• What is Scalable System in Distributed System?
• Middleware in Distributed System
• Difference between Hardware and Middleware
• What is Groupware in Distributed System?
• Difference between Parallel Computing and Distributed Computing
• Difference between Loosely Coupled and Tightly Coupled Multiprocessor System
• Design Issues of Distributed System
• Introduction to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)
• Limitation of Distributed System
• Various Failures in Distributed System
• Types of Operating Systems
• Types of Distributed System
• Centralized vs. Decentralized vs. Distributed Systems
• Three-Tier Client Server Architecture in Distributed System

Communication in Distributed Systems

• Features of Good Message Passing in Distributed System
• Issues in IPC By Message Passing in Distributed System
• What is Message Buffering?
• Multidatagram Messages in Distributed System
• Group Communication in Distributed Systems

Remote Procedure Calls in Distributed System

• What is RPC Mechanism in Distributed System?
• Distributed System - Transparency of RPC
• Stub Generation in Distributed System
• Marshalling in Distributed System
• Server Management in Distributed System
• Distributed System - Parameter Passing Semantics in RPC
• Distributed System - Call Semantics in RPC
• Communication Protocols For RPCs
• Client-Server Model
• Lightweight Remote Procedure Call in Distributed System
• Difference Between RMI and DCOM
• Difference between RPC and RMI

Synchronization in Distributed System

• Synchronization in Distributed Systems
• Logical Clock in Distributed System
• Lamport's Algorithm for Mutual Exclusion in Distributed System
• Vector Clocks in Distributed Systems
• Event Ordering in Distributed System
• Mutual exclusion in distributed system
• Performance Metrics For Mutual Exclusion Algorithm
• Cristian's Algorithm
• Berkeley's Algorithm
• Difference between Token based and Non-Token based Algorithms in Distributed System
• Ricart–Agrawala Algorithm in Mutual Exclusion in Distributed System
• Suzuki–Kasami Algorithm for Mutual Exclusion in Distributed System

Source Management and Process Management

• Features of Global Scheduling Algorithm in Distributed System

What is Task Assignment Approach in Distributed System?

• Load Balancing Approach in Distributed System
• Load-Sharing Approach in Distributed System
• Difference Between Load Balancing and Load Sharing in Distributed System
• Process Migration in Distributed System

Distributed File System and Distributed shared memory

• What is DFS (Distributed File System)?
• Andrew File System
• File Service Architecture in Distributed System
• File Models in Distributed System
• File Accessing Models in Distributed System
• File Caching in Distributed File Systems
• What is Replication in Distributed System?
• Atomic Commit Protocol in Distributed System
• Design Principles of Distributed File System
• What is Distributed shared memory and its advantages
• Architecture of Distributed Shared Memory(DSM)
• Difference between Uniform Memory Access (UMA) and Non-uniform Memory Access (NUMA)
• Algorithm for implementing Distributed Shared Memory
• Consistency Model in Distributed System
• Distributed System - Thrashing in Distributed Shared Memory

Distributed Scheduling and Deadlock

• Scheduling and Load Balancing in Distributed System
• Issues Related to Load Balancing in Distributed System
• Components of Load Distributing Algorithm - Distributed Systems
• Distributed System - Types of Distributed Deadlock
• Deadlock Detection in Distributed Systems
• Conditions for Deadlock in Distributed System
• Deadlock Handling Strategies in Distributed System
• Deadlock Prevention Policies in Distributed System
• Chandy-Misra-Haas's Distributed Deadlock Detection Algorithm
• Security in Distributed System
• Types of Cyber Attacks
• Cryptography and its Types
• Implementation of Access Matrix in Distributed OS
• Digital Signatures and Certificates
• Design Principles of Security in Distributed System

Distributed Multimedia and Database System

• Distributed Database System
• Functions of Distributed Database System
• Multimedia Database

Distributed Algorithm

• Deadlock-Free Packet Switching
• Wave and Traversal Algorithm in Distributed System
• Election algorithm and distributed processing
• Introduction to Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) - Client-Server Software Development
• Difference between CORBA and DCOM
• Difference between COM and DCOM
• Life cycle of Component Object Model (COM) Object
• Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM)

Distributed Transactions

• Flat & Nested Distributed Transactions
• Transaction Recovery in Distributed System
• Mechanism for Building Distributed File System
• Two Phase Commit Protocol (Distributed Transaction Management)

A Distributed System is a Network of Machines that can exchange information with each other through Message-passing. It can be very useful as it helps in resource sharing. In this article, we will see the concept of the Task Assignment Approach in Distributed systems.

Resource Management:

One of the functions of system management in distributed systems is Resource Management. When a user requests the execution of the process, the resource manager performs the allocation of resources to the process submitted by the user for execution. In addition, the resource manager routes process to appropriate nodes (processors) based on assignments. 

Multiple resources are available in the distributed system so there is a need for system transparency for the user. There can be a logical or a physical resource in the system. For example, data files in sharing mode, Central Processing Unit (CPU), etc.

As the name implies, the task assignment approach is based on the division of the process into multiple tasks. These tasks are assigned to appropriate processors to improve performance and efficiency. This approach has a major setback in that it needs prior knowledge about the features of all the participating processes. Furthermore, it does not take into account the dynamically changing state of the system. This approach’s major objective is to allocate tasks of a single process in the best possible manner as it is based on the division of tasks in a system. For that, there is a need to identify the optimal policy for its implementation.

Working of Task Assignment Approach:

In the working of the Task Assignment Approach, the following are the assumptions:

• The division of an individual process into tasks.
• Each task’s computing requirements and the performance in terms of the speed of each processor are known.
• The cost incurred in the processing of each task performed on every node of the system is known.
• The IPC (Inter-Process Communication) cost is known for every pair of tasks performed between nodes.
• Other limitations are also familiar, such as job resource requirements and available resources at each node, task priority connections, and so on.

Goals of Task Assignment Algorithms:

• Reducing Inter-Process Communication (IPC) Cost
• Quick Turnaround Time or Response Time for the whole process
• A high degree of Parallelism
• Utilization of System Resources in an effective manner

The above-mentioned goals time and again conflict. To exemplify, let us consider the goal-1 using which all the tasks of a process need to be allocated to a single node for reducing the Inter-Process Communication (IPC) Cost. If we consider goal-4 which is based on the efficient utilization of system resources that implies all the tasks of a process to be divided and processed by appropriate nodes in a system.

Note: The possible number of assignments of tasks to nodes:

But in practice, the possible number of assignments of tasks to nodes < m x n because of the constraint for allocation of tasks to the appropriate nodes in a system due to their particular requirements like memory space, etc.

Need for Task Assignment in a Distributed System:

The need for task management in distributed systems was raised for achieving the set performance goals. For that optimal assignments should be carried out concerning cost and time functions such as task assignment to minimize the total execution and communication costs, completion task time, total cost of 3 (execution, communication, and interference), total execution and communication costs with the limit imposed on the number of tasks assigned to each processor, and a weighted product of cost functions of total execution and communication costs and completion task time. All these factors are countable in task allocation and turn, resulting in the best outcome of the system.

Example of Task Assignment Approach:

Let us suppose, there are two nodes namely n1 and n2, and six tasks namely t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, and t6. The two task assignment parameters are:

• execution cost: x ab refers to the cost of executing a task an on node b.
• inter-task communication cost: c ij refers to inter-task communication cost between tasks i and j.

Note: The execution of the task (t2) on the node (n2) and the execution of the task (t6) on the node (n1) is not possible as it can be seen from the above table of Execution costs that resources are not available.

Case1: Serial Assignment

Cost of Execution in Serial Assignment:

Cost of Communication in Serial Assignment:

Case2: Optimal Assignment

Cost of Execution in Optimal Assignment:

Cost of Communication in Optimal Assignment:

Optimal Assignment using Minimal Cutset:

Cutset: The cutset of a graph refers to the set of edges that when removed makes the graph disconnected.

Minimal Cutset: The minimal cutset of a graph refers to the cut which is minimum among all the cuts of the graph.

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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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How to Give Assignments to Team Members

Table of Contents

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:

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.

Use Clockify to assign tasks with ease

Now you’re a master of task delegation — congrats!

But there’s more to it than meets the eye.

In fact, what if you used a digital tool like Clockify to increase the likelihood that each job would be completed on time and on point?

In Clockify, you can easily create highly descriptive assignments that contain information like:

• Start time,
• Billability status,
• Name of the employee,
• Period for getting the assignment done,
• Hours per day to spend on the assignment, and more.

That way, you can plan who works on what, how long, and when.

Similarly, Clockify allows you to create project milestones to achieve results faster.

With the Milestones option, you can select dates for deadlines, allowing you to pin down important events in your projects.

For example, if your client expects you to keep them in the loop about developments, you can inform them promptly on whether your team has reached the agreed-upon milestones.

Refocus on your company’s big picture with a project and time tracking tool.

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

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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.

Mosaic is something you really have to see for yourself.

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Task Assignment

Task Assignment is the process of allocating specific tasks or responsibilities to individuals or teams within an organization. It involves determining who is responsible for completing a task, providing them with the necessary information and resources, and setting clear expectations for the desired outcome.

Why is Task Assignment important?

Task Assignment is important for several reasons:

• It ensures that work is distributed efficiently and effectively among team members.
• It allows for better utilization of individual skills and expertise.
• It helps in balancing workload and avoiding bottlenecks or overload.
• It promotes accountability and clarity regarding responsibilities.
• It improves productivity and task completion within desired timelines.
• It facilitates effective collaboration and coordination among team members.

What factors should be considered when assigning tasks?

When assigning tasks, consider the following factors:

• Individual skills, knowledge, and expertise required for the task.
• Availability and workload of team members.
• Deadlines and priority of tasks.
• Communication and collaboration requirements.
• Dependencies and relationships between tasks.
• Consideration of individual development or growth opportunities.
• Balancing workload and avoiding overburdening or underutilization.

How can tasks be effectively assigned to team members?

To effectively assign tasks to team members, consider the following practices:

• Clearly communicate task expectations, objectives, and desired outcomes.
• Match tasks to individuals' skills and strengths.
• Provide necessary resources, tools, and information to complete the task.
• Set realistic deadlines and establish a timeline for completion.
• Encourage collaboration and open communication to address questions or concerns.
• Monitor progress and provide ongoing feedback and support.
• Adjust Task Assignments as needed based on changing priorities or circumstances.

How can Task Assignment be coordinated among multiple team members or teams?

Coordinating Task Assignment among multiple team members or teams can be done through the following approaches:

• Clearly define roles and responsibilities for each team member or team.
• Use project management or task management tools to track and allocate tasks.
• Foster effective communication channels to facilitate coordination and collaboration.
• Conduct regular team meetings or check-ins to discuss progress, challenges, and dependencies.
• Ensure clarity and transparency regarding task priorities, deadlines, and interdependencies.
• Assign a central point of contact or project manager to oversee Task Assignments and resolve any conflicts or issues.

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Task Management: Importance, Best Practices, & Tools

Mandy Schmitz is a consultant and project management expert with 10+ years of experience working internationally for big brands in fintech, consumer goods, and more.

Sarah is a project manager and strategy consultant with 15 years of experience leading cross-functional teams to execute complex multi-million dollar projects. She excels at diagnosing, prioritizing, and solving organizational challenges and cultivating strong relationships to improve how teams do business. Sarah is passionate about productivity, leadership, building community, and her home state of New Jersey.

Struggling to understand how your project tasks contribute to larger project goals? This comprehensive guide will help you understand how to plan, prioritize, and manage tasks. Plus, how to track progress and keep the project team in the loop.

Task management bridges the gap between the goals you documented in your project charter and what work needs to happen for your fledgling project to get off the ground. 

It tends to be a glossed-over capability in project management because, while it sounds simple in theory, it can be trickier to execute in practice (although it’s made much simpler through the use of task management software rather than Excel spreadsheets).

What Is Task Management In Project Management?

Task management is a critical aspect of project management that involves:

• Identifying the tasks necessary to fulfill project goals : Break down project objectives into smaller, more manageable activities that can be assigned to individual team members. Ensure each task is clear, specific, and achievable, with a well-defined purpose and deadline. Unclear guidance may compromise timely, quality task completion.
• Assigning those tasks to team members : Consider the relative priority of each task or deliverable and assign it to the appropriate team member based on their skills and availability. 
• Monitoring and tracking progress towards completion : This involves identifying potential roadblocks, removing impediments to execution, and making adjustments to the project timeline, as necessary.

The ultimate goal of task management is to ensure that each task is completed on time, to the required standard, and within budget.

Task Management vs Project Management

While task management and project management are related, they are not the same thing. Project management involves overseeing the entire project from inception to completion with a focus on key milestones, while task management focuses on the individual tasks and activities that make up the project.

Task management breaks down high-level project goals into smaller, more manageable tasks. Creating a project plan that outlines each task and its associated deadline (and inputting that information into your task management platform) makes it easier to track task progress and identify any potential roadblocks that may arise.

Why Is Task Management Important?

Task management offers several benefits, including:

• Increased efficiency and productivity. By having a clear understanding of what needs to be done and when, your team members can focus their efforts on completing their tasks rather than wasting time trying to figure out what they should be doing. This means faster turnaround times, increased output, and, ultimately, greater profitability.
• Improved communication and team collaboration. Through the process of breaking down projects into smaller, more manageable tasks, team members share ideas and insights with one another about their work. Gathering cross-functional perspectives leads to better decision-making and more innovative solutions to problems.
• Clearer understanding of project goals and objectives . When team members know what is expected of them and understand how their work impacts project and organizational goals, they are more likely to stay motivated and focused.
• Greater visibility into project progress. By tracking team tasks and monitoring progress, project managers can quickly identify potential issues and take corrective action before they become major problems. This can help to reduce the risk of missed deadlines and scope creep , which can be costly and damaging to a project's success.

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How To Manage Tasks

Here’s a closer look at each step in the task management process:

Step 1: Identify Tasks

The first step in task management is to identify the set of tasks that need to be completed to achieve project goals.

To generate this list, brainstorm what steps you would need to take to execute against project goals and organize those tasks into categories. Consult the project plan, statement of work, and other foundational project documents to help you. 

For example, if you’re building a website, you would probably include steps for design, development, and QA. You can categorize tasks based on priority, complexity, or the team or individual responsible for completing them.

Validate the task list with subject matter experts and other project team members and compare against prior projects that you or your organization has completed to be sure you don’t miss anything.

Once you have a list of tasks, you can further break them down into sub-tasks to make them more manageable. This will help you to identify any dependencies between tasks and ensure that you have a clear understanding of the work that must be accomplished.

Step 2: Schedule Tasks

Scheduling involves determining the start and due dates for each task and creating a timeline for the project. To do this, you can use a project management tool that allows you to create a Gantt chart or provides a timeline view.

When you are scheduling and prioritizing tasks, consider any task dependencies or recurring tasks. For example, if Task A needs to be completed before Task B can start, you need to ensure that Task A is scheduled before Task B. You also need to consider any constraints, such as internal or external deadlines, resource availability , or budget limitations.

Step 3: Assign Tasks

Effectively managing resources and assigning the project tasks to team members involves understanding each assignee’s skills and abilities and allocating tasks based on team workload and availability.

You can use a project management tool to assign tasks and track their progress. This will make it more interactive and help you to ensure that each team member knows what they need to do and when they need to do it. It will also help flag any potential bottlenecks or issues that may arise during the project.

Step 4: Track Progress

This involves monitoring the status of each task and making any necessary adjustments to the schedule. Task management software can help streamline how you monitor and report progress.

Effective task tracking requires regular communication with your team members. Building trusted relationships with your team gives you insights into any issues or challenges they may be facing when it comes to their project tasks. You can use this knowledge to help remove any blockers they may be facing and ensure tasks are accomplished more efficiently.

Step 5: Complete Tasks

The final step in task management is to ensure that each task is completed successfully. This involves reviewing the work to ensure that it meets the required quality standards and approving the task for completion.

To do this, you can use a checklist or a quality assurance process to ensure that each task meets the project requirements.

At the end of the project, don’t skip the opportunity to collect lessons learned . You can implement these findings to improve your task management process on future projects.

Task Management Best Practices

Best practices for task management include:

• Don’t work in a vacuum! Consult subject matter experts, your project sponsor, and other project managers to validate the activities that you’ve identified, what the work entails, their duration, and how you’ve allocated workload across the team. The better your planning, the smoother things will go in execution.
• Verify that completion of the tasks you’ve identified will help further your project objectives . If a task doesn’t help you do that, be wary of adding it to your project plan, as it may be a sign of scope creep.
• Schedule tasks realistically based on project constraints , like budget, timeline, and resource availability. If your stakeholders want a task completed by a certain date, but there’s just no way, don’t create a schedule that promises delivery by that deadline. Instead, meet with the team to formulate a workaround—whether that’s adjusting the deadline, adding resources, or reducing scope.
• Align team member motivations, capabilities, and availability with assigned tasks , where possible. This reduces the risk that you’ll fail to meet deadlines and/or quality thresholds.
• Document and communicate progress . Make sure you keep your stakeholders apprised of project progress and potential issues along the way, so you can course correct, as needed.

Common Pitfalls Of Task Management

While task management can lead to success, there are also common pitfalls that you should try to avoid:

• Micromanagement , which can lead to decreased motivation among team members. Instead, give team members the information they need to complete tasks but don’t be overly prescriptive about how they execute the work. Set up regular check-ins that you both agree upon at task outset to monitor interim progress
• Failure to prioritize tasks , which can result in missed deadlines
• Failure to provide sufficient detail when assigning tasks, which can lead to confusion and mistakes
• Overloading team members with too many tasks , which can result in burnout and decreased productivity. Instead, consider resource availability and workload when assigning tasks
• Failure to track progress , which can lead to missed deadlines and scope creep.

Benefits of Task Management Software

Task management software is an essential tool for large and small businesses, teams, or individuals that are looking to organize their tasks and projects efficiently. Benefits of task management systems include:

• Easier schedule management with calendar views
• Intuitive designs and templates that align with agile methodologies and sprint schedules
• User-friendly drag-and-drop functionality to reprioritize tasks on the fly
• Customizable task management features based on organizational needs and desired pricing (whether paid plans or free plans)
• Ability to adjust user permissions
• Integration with customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

Here’s a list of the 15 best task management software tools available on the market right now.

• 1. monday.com — Best for visual project planning
• 2. Confluence — Best for team knowledge sharing and collaboration
• 3. ClickUp — Best free task management software for teams
• 4. Connecteam — Best for mobile usage and non-tech savvy employees
• 5. Quickbase — Best for customizability
• 6. Zoho Projects — Best for resource management
• 7. Bonsai Agency Software — Best for integrated task management, time tracking, and invoicing
• 8. Miro — Best for visual collaboration
• 9. Nifty — Best for milestone tracking
• 10. Paymo — Best for freelancers

Different Types Of Task Management Tools

Task management tools can help you stay organized when it comes to work management, increase productivity, and foster teamwork. Examples include:

• To do lists. To do lists are an essential tool for managing tasks and keeping yourself organized. Ranging from sophisticated mobile apps like Todoist to analog lists, there are a variety of ways to keep track of tasks, master your workload, and improve efficiency.
• Kanban boards. Kanban boards are a type of task management tool that provides teams with a visual system to manage projects, workflows, and communication. They consist of columns representing different stages of a team’s workflow and cards representing individual tasks. As cards move through the workflow, teams use the board to spot inefficiencies in task progress, limit work in progress, and enhance collaboration.
• Project management software. Project management software (which is slightly different from task management software ) helps plan, organize, and manage projects. Tools typically include features such as task lists, calendars, and project timelines. Some popular project management software includes Asana , Wrike , monday.com , Clickup , and Trello .
• Task management software. Task management solutions help manage individual tasks and to-do lists. It typically includes features such as task lists, notifications, reminders, and progress tracking. Some popular task management apps include Todoist, Wunderlist, and Any.do, which are available for iOS and Android devices.
• Collaboration tools. Collaboration tools are designed to help teams work together more effectively. These tools typically include features such as task lists, project timelines, and communication tools , and are particularly useful for geographically dispersed or remote teams. Project managers can use Trello , Asana, Slack, and other tools for collaboration.
• Time tracking software and integrations. Time tracking software tracks how much time you spend on different tasks, and is useful for individuals or teams who need to invoice clients based on hours logged or automate their tracking of project expenses. It can also help you identify areas where you may be spending too much time (read: budget) and make adjustments to your workflow.

What’s Next?

Looking for more task management tips and best practices? Sign up for DPM membership and join the conversation in Slack with 100s of other digital project managers.

3 Ways To Increase Your Project Management Software Security

How to complete a project evaluation: tips & benefits, 9 expert tips for managing your all-star team of subcontractors.

Stay on track with task management in Slack

By managing tasks and priorities in Slack, you can keep everyone in the loop and move projects forward, one to-do at a time.

• INTEGRATIONS

ORGANIZATION

• PRIORITIZATION

Integrations

A few of the best task management apps for slack.

Slack integrates with all kinds of task management apps — from ones you already use to new apps that can help your team stay focused. These apps can send important reminders, up-to-date notifications and more into Slack, or allow you to create new tasks from where you're already collaborating with your team.

Team communication in one place

Work in Slack happens in collaborative spaces called channels. Conversations and files related to your tasks stay organized in the appropriate channel for that project or initiative, allowing you to focus on specific tasks and manage your time as needed.

Channels are where you can share files and messages with your teams. They can be created for every project, topic, department, or whatever makes sense for your company.

proj-campaign-q4-2019

Fast-moving projects keep track with daily check-ins about tasks in progress.

feat-checkout

Large teams stay in the loop by relying on central channels for long-term projects like product features.

Prioritization

Bring balance to delegation and deadlines.

Collaboration in Slack happens in real time — you can find support or delegate tasks in the flow of conversation. And when those conversations happen in channels, you can prioritize your effort on just the tasks and work that need your attention.

Integrations like Asana help you create and assign tasks from messages in Slack, perfect for incident management channels.

team-finance-weekly

One channel for weekly planning and stand-up messages gives you a platform for prioritizing tasks with your team.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can use Slack for all your task management needs. From task reminders to specific channels for project updates to seamless team collaboration, Slack helps you never miss a task or deadline. Go further by integrating with thousands of tools such as Asana, Wrike, Monday.com and many more to manage every task in Slack, your productivity platform.

Here is how you can create and assign tasks in Slack: 1. Integrate with an app like Asana, Trello, or Jira. 2. Once you’ve set up the app, you can add or update tasks from any channel or direct message (DM). 3. Create and assign tasks to teammates and mark tasks as complete, without leaving your Slack workspace.

Slack integrates with all kinds of task management apps so you can manage all of your work in your Slack workspace!

You can use Slack for all of your task lists! Learn more about how to save messages for later, pin messages, integrate with task management apps and more.

Resources for task management

Create and assign tasks

Collect and respond to requests as a team

Intake creative project requests

Try slack with your team for free.

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

How to make sure a task assignment was clear?

I guess you know the situation, that with some of your colleagues you manage to establish a common way of communication right away (whatever you talk about is understood perfectly by the other one), whereas with others it takes a while or maybe never gets established.

I understand that to a large extent that's related to communication skills in general, but I think it is particularly important when you as a project manager assign tasks. You explain the overall objective, how this fits into the overall project, within which time the results are expected, maybe give indications how you think this can be solved, and your colleague agrees and indicates everything was well understood (which may or may not be true).

What seems to me very important in that regard, is that just because of fear of not being understood to start micro-managing.

So which possibilities come to your mind how to make sure that you managed to express yourself understandably? How do you deal with people that, for whatever reasons, would not come back with questions for clarification to you and rather spend a day or even week on something that does not contribute to the overall progress?

• communication
• micro-management

4 Answers 4

I believe that offer to the colleague the opportunity to let him explain what he's going to do is one of the most simple and effective way to review if you made yourself clear enough.

Notice you don't need to actively asking him 'okay, so what you're going to do now?' but offer enough space to let him explain how he's intended to do the task, what he believes he may need and if he can see any possible obstacle.

In case you have clear in your mind what the goal is (if you don't know / understand what you're asking, you need to clarify your questions first!) you might foresee possible problems / scenarios to be discussed. In case none of them are raised, maybe the colleague didn't get a vision of the whole scenario or he misunderstood your message. Either way, recap the topic before move on.

• Thank you, I think particularly lining out that there is no need to ask actively 'okay, so what you're going to do now?' but still offering enough space for proper feedback can be quite useful. –  bonifaz Commented Mar 19, 2011 at 20:34

I don't believe that the assignee should describe how he/she will complete the task, as suggested by @Tiago. It is the assignee's job to determine how the task will be accomplished. It's not the project managers job to determine how ; instead, his/her job is to determine what needs to be accomplished.

What I typically do is have the assignee repeat back what the goal of the task is. If he/she doesn't understand the goal, I'll be able to clarify, based on his/her original interpretation of what he/she thought the task was about. Some people repeat back this information on their own, and I've come to appreciate the people who understand the importance of repeating back communications as confirmations of understanding.

This is also why face to face communication is paramount to making sure instructions and goals are crystal clear. Body language can help communicate understanding versus confusion, as well as apathy and listlessness.

A great example of how confirmations are helpful is in the military. The military uses confirmations to help avoid accidentally blowing up troops or civilians because one soldier said 7 degrees and the other soldier heard 10 degrees. When the artillery unit confirms "10", the soldier on the front line can confirm/reject the instruction and re-clarify. No one does anything until the front-line says "Yes, you understand. FIRE!".

In addition to confirmations, I also set pre-determined, scheduled check-in dates where one of us will approach the other to see how things are going. I always leave the door open for the assignee to come to me at any time with a question or a problem, but I try not to bother them until the check-in dates we agreed upon.

Not only do the check-in dates help me Avoid Being a Micro-Manager , they also hold both of us accountable for managing the communications. This gives the assignee plenty of room to breathe and ownership of the task, while still giving room for any adjustments, should we discover discrepancies in the check-in meetings.

• Sorry, I think I do not understand the exact difference between "the assignee should NOT describe how he/she will complete the task" and "the assignee repeats back what the goal of the task is", where you seem to be against the former, whereas supporting the latter. Naturally, the assignee often is not aware of each and single step required to achieve the final goal, but in my understanding, the difference is not that substantial. Can you please clarify? Thanks. –  bonifaz Commented Mar 19, 2011 at 20:39
• 1 @bonifaz - If you're working at McDonalds, you'll probably want your teenage, about-to-go-hide-behind-the-dumpster-and-smoke employee to explain, in detail, the steps you want him/her to take to properly clean the fryer without damaging it. But when you're dealing with highly educated, highly motivated, experienced professionals who are capable of working independently and solving their own problems, you let them choose how to complete that task. What you're asking them to read back to you is what the goal of the task is, not the steps required to get to that goal . –  jmort253 Commented Mar 19, 2011 at 20:57
• 1 To elaborate, I may tell you "@bonifaz, the deployment absolutely 100% must not break as the client is counting on 100% uptime.". This doesn't mean I should tell you how to do your job. It's up to you, the expert, to determine how you will make sure that 100% uptime is maintained. All I need you to say is "@jmort253, I understand the client needs 100% uptime and cannot afford any downtime. I have some ideas for how to do this, I'll get started and check in with you in 3 days so we can review and make adjustments to the plan that I will create ". –  jmort253 Commented Mar 19, 2011 at 21:01
• @jmort253, thanks for your clarification. In general I agree with you then, however keeping in mind that there is still some "it depends" in it, e.g., level of knowledge of assignee in that particular domain, how well you are able to estimate his insights, ... –  bonifaz Commented Mar 20, 2011 at 14:21
• @bonifaz - Agreed. You have to use your best judgement. However, you can eliminate the need to micro-manage by selecting the best, most qualified person for that task. –  jmort253 Commented Mar 21, 2011 at 4:37

I suspect that the task assignment was perfectly clear (how can you not understand "I want you to complete Task X by Friday"?) but the task scope was vague. Specific acceptance tests are strongly encouraged on all tasks, even when adequate specs are available.

• @Steven - Can you give an example? I'm not sure I understand. This seems to me like you're suggesting waiting until the deadline to determine if the assignee understood the task? As a PM, I want to know you understand what you're going to need to do so you don't come to me in 5 weeks with a 2 door sedan instead of a dump truck. –  jmort253 Commented Mar 19, 2011 at 6:39
• @jmort253 - you're on the right track in your answer: verify the goal of the task with the assignee. Whenever possible, each task should also have tests to ensure that the goal is met. In your example, I can think of two obvious tests: (1) a picture of a dump truck and (2) a spec like 'vehicle must be able to routinely carry 2000 pounds of dirt 300 miles, and to unload in less than 1 minute' –  Steven A. Lowe Commented Mar 19, 2011 at 14:53
• @Steven, I think that basically everything can be misunderstood, therefore I think that both of your dimensions mentioned should be verified. –  bonifaz Commented Mar 19, 2011 at 20:42
• @bonifaz everything can indeed be misunderstood; i don't understand your comment, for example ;-) –  Steven A. Lowe Commented Mar 20, 2011 at 1:58
• 1 Wow, you both make very good points! Communication is tough, and I think that if we combine what @Steven is saying regarding acceptance tests with what @Pawel said about making people feel comfortable asking questions, then we can help overcome communication challenges. –  jmort253 Commented Mar 21, 2011 at 4:40

There's one piece we're missing here. One thing is to hear recap of the assignment from the assignee but another thing is clearly setting expectations.

For me the problem starts earlier - if we just deal tasks and expect people would know how they're expected to act we basically ask for communication issues. We should start with clearly setting your expectations, e.g.:

• if anyone has any issues they should ask
• if they aren't sure whether they should ask they should ask
• if they're stuck with the task for longer than [put something reasonable here] and they used [Google/local knowledge base/etc] they should ask
• if they make any assumption they should at least make PM aware of it or ask
• if, for whatever reason, neither of above rules doesn't apply they should ask

The same (setting expectations) applies to reporting, Make it clear how often you expect updates and what information they should include. Also, if possible, make it more comfortable to people who report to you - if one developer hates to drop you an email at the end of day, let him come to you for a quick chat or call you instead and share his update. The more comfortable people feel the more likely they're going to follow the rules. Of course another perspective is the size of the project - you're not going to have a hundred chit-chats everyday if you run such a big project.

• Thank you @Pawel, I think the points you are mentioning contribute to the overall communication network to be established with your team members. Even though contributing, I think it does not help to fulfill clarification of properly communicated task assignment directly. –  bonifaz Commented Mar 19, 2011 at 20:44

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

Sudarshan Somanathan

Head of Content

June 12, 2024

Just a few years back, I was always stuck in a cycle of frustration and self-blame—all because my professional workload was spiraling out of control . I’d make ambitious plans for me and my team and watch in agony as they fell flat. Things became so bad that I got used to the anxiety that accompanied my zillion unattended tasks. What followed was constant overwhelm, a clear lack of motivation , and even sneaky health repercussions. 😔

Eventually, I confided in some peers and realized that I was definitely not alone. In fact, there’s research revealing that as many as 41% of workers experience stress due to their heavy workloads. 

I was able to get out of this rough patch over time, and I cannot emphasize enough how life-changing it was for me to find the right task management software. You see, it’s never the amount of work that creates chaos—but poor task management.

In my case, for instance, I once unknowingly orchestrated a team burnout as I had the habit of setting over-enthusiastic ( read: unreasonable ) deadlines and delegating tasks without realistic workload considerations. It was only after I found my perfect task management tool that I had the knowledge and visibility needed to make more practical choices.

I’d call myself a much saner task manager now, and I hope my team here at ClickUp agrees. We have worked together to bring you this article exploring the 20 best task management software , with a special focus on tools that can assist you in assigning tasks and optimizing priorities effectively in 2024. You can learn about their key features, limitations, and pricing before locking your ideal task manager tool. 🌻

What Should You Look for in a Task Management Tool?

• 1. ClickUp—best overall project & task management software

2. Asana—best for remote teams

3. jira—best for experienced it professionals, 4. monday.com—best for marketing and pmo teams, 5. trello—best for small teams, 6. hive—best task management software for multi-layered 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 for client-based workflows, 12. wrike—best for scalable workflow management, 13. todoist—best for teams on a budget, 14. proofhub—best for granular 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, leveraging the best task management tools: which one to pick.

For cross-collaborative teams like mine, task management software doesn’t just help identify, monitor, and manage tasks . It goes beyond supporting a simple to-do list and offers features to efficiently collaborate on elaborate workflows for effective goal completion .

The best task management software allows my team to set deadlines, prioritize tasks , track progress, and adjust schedules with ease, which results in smoother decision-making. Other useful functionalities that we prioritize include:

• Flexibility: In my experience, good task management software is always the one that has a user-friendly interface. Bonus points if it runs smoothly on all major operating systems across devices, giving my team more control over everyday work
• Time tracking: We find it’s best to go for a task management solution that lets us improve our time management through seamless time tracking
• Task automation: As your business grows, automation plays a key role in expanding your task base sustainably. The best task management software lets us automate recurring admin tasks, leaving everyone more time to focus on cognitively demanding, high-level assignments
• Communication support: Because I’m running a busy, distributed team, I value tools that support productive task-related discussions, file sharing, and instant announcements
• Reporting and analytics: We’ve noticed that 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: Now this may be a personal preference, but I like it when my task management system integrates with other software we use, like messaging apps , project management tools , and writing assistants , simply because this eliminates context switching and makes team collaboration and task monitoring way easier 😇

20 Best Task Management Software for Balanced Task Planning and Execution

When we started testing out the tons of task management apps available on the market, one aspect was clear—they’re not all cut from the same cloth. For instance, some are versatile tools, while others focus on nailing specific functions like task dependencies.

We eventually narrowed down to 20 best task management software that just had to be on our list. We cherry-picked them after considering diverse criteria like feature set and affordability, so you’re sure to find something that addresses your immediate needs. 🧐

Here’s a snapshot of our list, which will be followed by detailed and honest reviews of each software:

1. ClickUp —best overall project & task management software

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

We might be a bit biased here, but ClickUp has repeatedly proved itself to be the best task management solution for individuals, professionals, and teams alike. 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.

How we use ClickUp for hands-on task management

The way we leverage ClickUp for my team is pretty straightforward—for starters, we go to ClickUp Tasks for everything, from centralized task planning and scheduling to tracking individual assignments.

I love how the platform makes our task management process super intuitive and data-rich. We get to categorize team tasks by type and set Custom Task Status from To Do to Done to make tracking effortless. We can use as many Custom Fields as we want to set deadlines, add assignees, and define further details we want to track or filter through. For each task assignment, our team can also: 

• Add links and comments to centralize contextual knowledge and discussions
• Specify task dependencies to offer visibility for schedule management
• Define subtasks and checklists to support extensive deliverables 
• Use @mentions and action items to delegate tasks and share updates

Our Task View is by default a pop-up window, but we can also minimize it to a sidebar or Task Tray if we want to keep our individual to-do lists accessible or track time as we go.

If you are a visual task manager like me, there’s good news! I frequently use the 15+ project views of this task management software for comprehensive visibility over our entire workflow—I manage tasks on Kanban boards, sort through them in the List view, and visualize timelines with colorful Gantt charts. 🌈

ClickUp comes with a drag-and-drop Calendar view that aids our granular task planning. We also make use of the Recurring Tasks feature to schedule routine stuff, like meetings and sprint retrospectives, and visualize or adjust our day-to-day directly on the Calendar.

At any given day, we have 100+ active tasks across departments, and it’s near impossible to follow up on each one of them. Thankfully, we can stay on top of our task lists with ClickUp Reminders . We create them from any task comment or notification, which gives us more flexibility to manage team tasks seamlessly from any device we’re on without losing sight of inter-departmental dependencies.

And, if we’re dealing with an overwhelming workload, we identify what to prioritize and deprioritize using ClickUp Task Priorities and its color-coded tags. We also lighten team workloads with ClickUp Automatons , which lets us automate time-consuming tasks like checking emails or organizing documents.

Bonus! Our secret to stress-free productivity? ClickUp Brain and pre-made templates

Beyond tracking and prioritizing tasks, ClickUp also lends us a hand with Project Management . For instance, we 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 the team’s tasks, documents, and discussions living on the platform—it helps us extract and summarize information and action items through simple prompts and questions.

We also take our productivity to new heights with numerous customizable ClickUp templates that help us standardize task assignments immediately! If you’re new to the platform, the ClickUp Task Management Template can be a great starting point. By downloading this free template , you can organize your tasks into Lists like Action Items , Ideas , and Backlog for easier navigation. Open separate views to track assignments by department or priority label. 🚩

ClickUp best features

• 1,000+ templates to kickstart skillful task management
• Intuitive task scheduling platform with time tracking
• 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

ClickUp limitations

• It takes time to explore all its task management features (you can leverage the ClickUp Help Center to ease the learning curve)
• A dedicated subtask reporting feature would be a great add-on

ClickUp pricing

Most of ClickUp’s task management features are accessible on the free plan. The price-to-features ratio on the paid options is one of the best in this space.

• Free Forever (supports unlimited tasks and members)
• 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

ClickUp ratings and reviews

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

The platform has garnered largely positive reviews as a task management solution. Here’s how one user describes their experience :

My favorite feature is the ‘add to’ function for tasks, which enables me to have a central location for all major projects. Within the project/Epic, subtasks can be assigned to the correct space/list to be worked on by whoever needs it. Having a top-down view of the location and status of each subtask is invaluable to keeping track of what is completed and incomplete. Adding custom fields wherever I need them is also fantastic.

There’s no milder way to put it—we just love Asana as an online task management software for remote teams! For starters, we can use pre-built templates to organize our remote projects and coordinate on tasks and updates using the centralized Inbox feature.

As we tested the tool further, we noticed that it was incredibly easy to add and track cross-team tasks across multiple projects. Essentially, I can ensure the same task is never duplicated in another department, which is a common pain point for remote teams!

Its breadth of features is quite similar to ClickUp (you can check out a detailed ClickUp vs. Asana comparison here ). For instance, I can add task descriptions in the form of bulleted lists, embed files to add context, set due dates, and add assignees in a few clicks. It’s also effortless to create subtasks, identify blockers, and streamline approvals on task changes.

What makes Asana stand out among its alternatives for me is the Workflow Builder feature —it gives us a smooth interface to create workflows without coding, helping us automate routine tasks and expedite projects. This quality task management software also features a My Tasks list , which helps prioritize work by auto-promoting tasks based on due dates.

Overall, Asana is a collaborative task management tool for anyone working remotely —my distributed team was able to communicate directly within the app, encouraging cross-functional collaboration with minimal friction. For added transparency, we recommend adding relevant collaborators to your team’s tasks to keep them updated on progress async.

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, as well as ClickUp
• Mobile app for Android and iOS

Asana limitations

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

Asana pricing

• Personal: Free forever (for up to 10 users)
• 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)

Many users have favorably reviewed Asana’s auto-reminders feature, like this one :

I like how Asana helps us to make and assign tasks to employees in our team, and also it auto gives them reminders to complete the tasks on time. Their reminder emails are very much helpful, this way our co-workers have the list of To-Do’s ready without checking multiple messaging platforms and emails.

When I first started exploring Jira, it was evident to me that this was not as beginner-friendly as other alternatives due to a somewhat complex feature set. But then, Jira is a popular task management software option among seasoned professionals in industries like IT, finance, marketing, and HR, so it was worth a try.

To give you some context, Jira was first launched by Atlassian as an issue-tracking tool for software developers—but has now branched out to become a useful tool for project managers and task managers alike. In my experience, I found it to be an incredibly handy tool for Agile project management .

My team tried to set up a sample workflow for a complex Agile project, and we were able to break everything into manageable sprints . We got the option to set up tasks under:

• Company-managed projects: A standard admin-controlled workflow
• Team-managed projects: A more self-contained workspace for independent teams

Jira’s multiple views, like boards and timelines, makes it easy to track sprint tasks and identify roadblocks to ensure continuous improvement . The tool also supports team collaboration by allowing members to brainstorm and exchange task information across departments through shared workflows.

Moving to productivity, it’s worth noting that Jira, like ClickUp , lets us update custom task statuses in real time, while its automaton feature allows for running manual actions in the background. Plus, project managers can automate work using its numerous task management templates . 😀

Tip: Explore the Jira-ClickUp integration to manage your Agile workflow better!

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
• Effective 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’s business support is only available on paid tiers. However, free plan users can seek out community support .

Jira ratings and reviews

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

Bonus read: Check out these Jira alternatives !

Can using Monday.com for managing tasks can make Mondays less dreadful? We think yes! This simple task management software provides all key features, from multiple task views to task templates, that you’d find in most Monday alternatives .

However, what our research team loves the most is the software’s 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 (to build task timelines), and campaign tracking . Meanwhile, PMO teams rely on features for monitoring OKRs , identifying dependencies, and tracking time for future task planning.

I think Monday.com also stands out with its smooth interface . Its Work Management feature lets you create no-code marketing workflows for specific functions like content creation, social media, and event planning.

I consulted a few project managers who use the tool, and they even appreciated its intuitive layout. For example, the platform allows them to make informed decisions by accessing quick overviews of task progress on a dashboard. 📈

Plus, 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.

Overall, it’s a powerful task management tool—quite similar to ClickUp and Asana in terms of design and feature set. Plus, the platform integrates with top marketing tools as well as other collaborative platforms ( including ClickUp ).

Monday.com best features

• Includes 200+ automation options
• Color-coded custom task statuses and priority levels
• User-friendly project templates
• 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

You can access the following plans by first signing up for a 14-day free trial:

• 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)

I’m a religious fan of Kanban boards, which is partly why I always have a blast using Trello. One of the main reasons why I put it high up on our list is simplicity—most project management software are not as easy to learn as Trello, which makes it perfect for managing linear tasks on a smaller scale.

This good 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. 

As far as basic task management is concerned, this software supports task prioritization through labels like high, medium, or low priority. Say I want to access a specific batch of tasks and prepare a quick status report—all I have to do is filter through these labels.

Trello’s no-code (and cute!) automation tool called Butler is also incredibly comfortable to use. Even the less tech-savvy members of my team can automate recurring tasks by creating simple rules, buttons, and commands.

Trello lets us view tasks on calendars, timelines, and neatly organized tables, which is often more than enough to manage workloads in smaller teams. However, if you’re running a larger team or a more complex project that requires agility 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
• Integrates with other task management systems like ClickUp and Jira

Trello limitations

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

Trello pricing

Trello’s free plan is pretty generous and supports up to 10 boards. You need to get a Premium tier to access more views and AI-driven features, which are necessary for effective task management in modern workspaces.

• 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)

Here’s what one user had to say about completing tasks and projects with Trello:

Trello provides software development projects with a smooth platform for managing Agile and Kanban workflows. Tasks can be easily created and organized because of its user-friendly interface and customisable boards, lists, and cards. While Trello’s ease of use is one of its main advantages, it might not have all the complex project management capabilities of more all-inclusive applications. 

I had little idea of what Hive is like when I first started testing it. The platform advertises itself as an all-encompassing project management software with use cases ranging from project and resource management to client engagement. While I mostly explored features for task management, I can confidently say that this tool wins when it comes to facilitating team collaboration.

Hive provides any hybrid team with a task management platform to:

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

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

Collaboration here is smoother because you get to observe your tasks from unique angles . For example, we can use the Portfolio view to get a detailed overview of tasks across projects or the Label view to categorize subtasks. I thought I could focus better by activating the My Actions view to display my task assignments in a concentrated way. 

We can also rely on key features like task status to easily track progress, templates to customize project layouts and business processes, 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. 

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

Hive’s free plan neatly supports basic task management for all your projects, but you’ll have to upgrade to paid plans for features like custom fields, task labels, and an in-app calendar.

• 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)

Bonus: Check out these Hive alternatives !

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

The tool is beautifully crafted and provides customizable Kanban-style boards that let us organize and monitor task cards. We can mark if tasks are In Progress , Done , or on the To Do list (or create custom sections). What’s cool is that we can also switch to a Gantt-like timeline view to access more linear scheduling.

These boards keep all work centralized and let us communicate effectively through task comments. We can mention teammates in the comments, add them as project watchers, and assign them tasks directly from the board. Whenever you manage projects prone to changes, just activate real-time notifications to keep everyone in the loop about the latest updates.

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

Many user reviews for MeisterTask compliment the tool’s pretty interface —here’s what a verified user shared:

The colorful Kanban-type interface, the multiple project lists you can have, tags, integration from MindMeister, easy integration from other websites to spawn tasks. I use it on my phone, tablet, and iPad.

MeisterTask best features

• Easy-to-use Kanban boards to track project progress
• Can serve as a personal task management software
• Task-related collaboration through comments
• Dashboards to track 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 (doesn’t allow integration with other apps)
• 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 an SMB-focused hub for tracking and scheduling tasks under three sections: To-Do, Workflow, and Projects . The idea is to create both personal and professional task lists, as well as define workflows for specific functions like designing, fund management, and freelancing. 

In my opinion, the Projects tab has quite a clutter-free interface to design granular schedules and assign tasks or entire task lists to your teammates. If you’re new to the platform, you can start with a weekly scheduling sheet to create a baseline of tasks, along with descriptions and assignees. Then, you can use the Task Builder to add tasks as needed.

As a visual task management tool, my team was able to use nTask to plan and prioritize tasks on a Kanban layout, manage interconnected delivery timelines, and visualize projects with color-coded Gantt charts.

For example, we scheduled tasks by setting planned and actual due dates and creating task dependencies and milestones to ensure timely completion. Then, we set priorities, custom statuses, and real-time notifications to ensure no action remains overlooked.

nTask’s robust time-tracking capabilities help us stay within realistic timeframes. I can monitor time spent on tasks and estimate the time my team will need for future tasks, which makes scheduling (and invoicing) easier over time.

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 images to tasks may be challenging
• User interface could be more intuitive

nTask pricing

You can access a 7-day trial period for all plans. NGOs may be able to get up to 50% off upon contacting sales.

• 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 and software development tool brings tasks together on intuitive, drag-and-drop Kanban boards , allowing teams to view all current tasks and their statuses.

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 us set automated sprint cycles, auto-generate new sprints with prioritized and unfinished tasks, and receive periodical reports on progress.

I’ve also heard pretty exciting things about ZenHub AI (automatic issue categorization, sprint reviews, etc.). However, I wasn’t able to get past the waitlist to try out its beta program.

ZenHub best features

• Various key features for agile teams
• Native GitHub integration
• Provides spring planning and tracking
• Boards with intuitive task management capabilities
• 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

• For Teams: $8.33/month per user (annual billing after a 14-day free trial)
• 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 reliable project management software with features such as issue tracking, team monitoring , project timesheets, and resource utilization charts. From the range of use cases we explored, this platform can be excellent for managing complex projects in industries like marketing, construction, IT, and consulting.

Zoho Projects offers a comprehensive toolset for task management that assists us 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. Plus, we can use timesheets and timers to record time spent on each task.

We were able to schedule tasks on a calendar and get an overview of team members’ capacity simultaneously. This, I think, is crucial for balanced task planning and avoiding the risk of team burnout.

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 complex workflows, we can use Gantt charts to identify granular team tasks, set dependencies, and monitor deadlines to ensure everything is done on time. ⌛

I believe that using Zoho Projects is great for consolidating your task ecosystem when you use other Zoho applications, such as Zoho Mail or Zoho CRM, as the tool gives you a unified view of your tasks across sister platforms.

Zoho Projects best features

• Quick-access Gantt charts
• Supports versatile task management use cases
• Highly customizable workflows with project templates
• 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 (10-day trial)
• Enterprise: $9/month per user (10-day trial)

Zoho Projects ratings and reviews

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

Reviews mostly mention the product to be useful, albeit confusing at times. Here’s an excerpt :

Zoho Projects is useful when using to assign tasks, getting multiple projects done, and needing to know who will do it by when. It allows people to go in and time themselves to track how long it took them to do it. It does get really confusing at times to create tasks because of the many tedious needs that can be miscommunicated while trying to assign (tasks). 

ActiveCollab is all about increasing productivity and meeting deadlines with ease in client-based workflows. Whether you’re a startup or a small creative team, the tool lets you invite unlimited clients to the platform for improved collaboration and feedback loops. In my opinion, this alone can help eliminate those hard-to-keep-track-of client meetings and follow-up email chains.

My experience? Besides adding tasks for my team, I was also able to break down complex actions into subtasks for my clients, ensuring all assigned tasks got done as planned. Additionally, we saw functions to:

• Add due dates, assignees, and detailed task descriptions
• Group tasks based on different criteria
• Duplicate repetitive tasks

This online task management software offers only 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. 📝

I know automation is a recurring theme at this point, but still worth a mention—ActiveCollab can reduce manual labor by automating recurring tasks like drafting weekly reports. 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, which freelancers may find useful. It provides a My Work page where you can find and organize your task assignments by project, client, or due date. 

ActiveCollab’s timesheets also impress me quite a bit. Besides getting an overview of all my time records, I can access project-level time tracking for easier billing. I can even revisit my productivity in terms of the comments posted, tasks created or closed, or due dates modified.

ActiveCollab best features

• Excellent personal task management software
• Tools to automate repetitive tasks
• Dependencies for completing tasks in a specific order
• 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

All plans come with a 14-day free trial. However, you have to subscribe to the most expensive plan for features like workload management and days-off planning.

• 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. But what many users miss is how beautifully scalable it is! For instance, the platform lets me build a library of custom tasks that mimics our core processes—we can use it as a baseline for all our future workflows. And the best part is, we can expand this library to build a workspace tailored to a role, department, or even industry.

During the time we tested this tool, we created multi-level task lists across levels like folders, milestones, phases, and projects. Some of us even created personalized dashboards by pinning important tasks from our to-do list, all automatically sorted by priority and due date.

Like most of Wrike’s competitors , the platform supports strong teamwork —we can collaborate on real-time project plans, task assignments, and decision-making within the platform. Plus, the software includes built-in proofing tools for quick yet detailed task feedback and task automation to save time and increase work efficiency.

Additionally, Wrike allows project managers to build customizable reports on task and team performance. I was, for instance, able to 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
• Visualize tasks in views like Gantt Chart, Kanban, and Calendar
• 400+ third-party integrations
• Task automation

Wrike limitations

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

Wrike pricing

Wrike offers integrations and additional cloud security features for an extra fee, but all of the following plans contain task management features:

• 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 our list offer additional project management features, this veteran app is purely focused on task management. I think Todoist is one of the few apps that consistently upgrades itself within its niche space. For instance, we can now create detailed daily to-do lists and set recurring tasks using natural language.

The tool ticks all the boxes for basic task planning and management—we can 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 small-scale projects as it includes goal-setting features , labels to categorize tasks, and task descriptions to keep information centralized.

I personally loved its Upcoming calendar view —it displays which tasks are due urgently, and if anything’s too demanding, I can use a drag-and-drop function to reschedule assignments. And if I need to focus on team tasks that are currently due, I 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. Here’s what a small business owner had to share after using the tool :

Extremely easy to use for all levels of technological understanding. I use Todoist several times a day and we have integrated this across our whole team. We’ve experienced far less chance of tasks being lost or forgotten and people stay accountable because of the notifications received upon completion.

Tip: ClickUp has a neat Import from Todoist feature if you need to switch to a more extensive project management tool in the future.

Todoist best features

• Efficient daily task management
• Multiple task views (including Kanban boards and lists)
• Basic team collaboration support
• Easy navigation to monitor project progress
• 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 good task management tool, ProofHub is a task tracking software that lets you easily create task lists and individual tasks, assign them to more than one team member, and closely follow due dates and priorities across task categories . I am particularly in awe of the platform’s Table view for task tracking—I get to monitor progress percentages for actions in different categories (without being a pesky micromanager). 😁

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

Speaking of tracking, ProofHub has an intuitive interface for creating task dependencies for ensuring 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 gain insight into a project’s progress. You can enhance resource allocation by analyzing resource utilization reports or track 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

Note that ProofHub currently avoids the per-user billing format, which may make it appealing for some teams.

• Essential: $45/month for unlimited users
• 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. You can set deadlines, add dependencies, and manage tasks in views like calendar, list, and board. I’d highlight that you can create a realistic workflow here by optimizing dependent, overlapping, and ignored tasks—this is the kind of visibility you need when your team is juggling 5+ projects simultaneously.

This software stands out for me especially because of 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 us comment on tasks and generate real-time notifications for updates. We can also invite clients, vendors, and external stakeholders to collaborate on any task or project by sending them an invitation.

Plus, it provides dashboard 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

SmartTask may offer discounted pricing to NGOs upon contact. Eligible startups can also apply for a $1,000 worth of credit.

• Free Forever
• 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)

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

We explored this software extensively and can confirm that it reduces the need to switch between multiple tabs when talking to prospects, all thanks to dashboards that centralize all CRM work. In terms of use cases, utilize the dashboards 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. And 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. You can even consider the HubSpot-ClickUp integration if you want to organize your customer-facing processes more diligently.

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 and invoicing app rolled into one, so I can see how it holds enormous appeal for professionals and freelancers who want to manage client work, time tracking data, and resources within one platform . It lets you automatically set up ghost bookings based on the task details you’ve entered in the past, as well as receive a visual overview of all bookings for the immediate team on a single screen. 🖥️

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

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

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

Paymo 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, which we can adjust based on our delivery commitment to clients.

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

• Free (for up to five clients)
• 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)

I have talked to many freelancers about their task management routines, and I think one of their main problem areas is connecting tasks to tracked hours and, eventually, invoices. That’s precisely why I made sure this handy all-in-one tool was on our list.

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

With its one-click time-tracking capabilities , you can track your or your team’s working hours effortlessly. You can use this data to standardize times for specific jobs, plan and create task assignments and invoice estimates, 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, are automated on this platform.

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
• ClickUp (you can use this integration to time your ClickUp tasks and enjoy billing accuracy)
• Google Calendar

TimeCamp limitations

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

TimeCamp pricing (for TimeCamp Planner)

• Starter: $2.99/month per user (best for freelancers)
• Premium: $4.99/month per user (ideal for businesses tracking profitability)
• Ultimate: $7.99/month per user (for better analytical reporting)
• Enterprise: $11.99/month per user (for higher security and custom integrations)

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 both personal or professional goals efficiently. It caters to individuals, families, and teams, and is available via 10+ platforms, including Mac, Safari, and iPad.

During my time with this tool, I was able to organize my to-dos in separate lists and projects, all color-coded to set clear priorities and determine task categories. We can enhance our 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, views, 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 (via Zapier)

Any.do limitations

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

Any.do pricing

Remember to get a Family or Teams plan to access shared lists.

• Premium: $2.99/month per user
• Family: $8.33/month per four users
• Teams: $4.99/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)

At the time of reviewing this tool, we noted a few less-than-positive reviews by Android and iOS users, mostly about some UX elements. However, the reviews for the overall functionalities are quite positive. Here’s what a sales manager who uses the product had to say :

With Any.do, organizing my tasks is simple and fast. The app works fine, and it does the job that it’s supposed to do, setting daily reminders and scheduling to keep myself on track of what’s going on. I love apps that offer a simple, minimalistic professional design.

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. The tool is popular in construction, healthcare, and education industries where task management is all about working with scattered data.

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 , we can add basic task information, like due dates and assignees, in clear fields and columns. We can also merge several spreadsheets to have a consolidated view of our tasks across categories.

However, these aren’t traditional spreadsheets—they also provide the advanced features of a modern task management tool. For instance, we 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 we may already use, like Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams.

Bonus read: Explore ClickUp vs. Smartsheet !

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

• Free (for up to two task editors)
• 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)

Our first-hand experience with these tools has been both adventurous and enlightening. We think each of these options understands their target users and strives to deliver. However, if you’re still struggling to find “the one,” make a list of what you really prioritize in a task management platform.

Typically, 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. Some features, like reminders, automation, and task views, are the bare minimum, and we see them in almost every tool we discussed.

What you can explore is the overall functionalities you get for a given price. Say Tool A gives you 30 advanced features and the more popular Tool B gives you 25 advanced features at the same price point—you know what to pick!

Lastly, the best 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 absolutely can’t make a choice, we’ll be cheeky and persuade you to 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! 💖

Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.

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Guideline for Assigning Tasks to Team Members

• Post author: Anup
• Post published: January 12, 2023

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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• Task Assignment: How to simplify Your Workflow with Viindoo
• Business management

Task  Assignment   is crucial for optimizing productivity and ensuring that each team member knows their responsibilities, deadlines, and contributions to the overall success of a project. In this article, we will explore the importance of task assignment and task management in optimizing workflow efficiency. We will also introduce  Viindoo , a powerful software solution that streamlines these processes and enhances productivity in organizations. Whether you run a small business or manage a large team, understanding how to effectively distribute and manage tasks is critical for success . 

So let's dive in and uncover the secrets to seamless task distribution and management with HR software  - Viindoo HRM.

What is Task Assignment?

Task Assignment refers to the process of assigning specific tasks and responsibilities to individuals or teams within an organization. It involves breaking down larger projects or goals into smaller, manageable tasks that can be allocated to different individuals based on their skills, expertise, and availability. Effective  task distribution  ensures that work is evenly distributed, maximizing productivity and fostering collaboration among team members.

>>>> Read More About:  Best Shift Scheduling Software Should Know

The Benefits of Task Assignment

Task management  involves overseeing and coordinating the various tasks assigned to individuals or teams. It includes planning, organizing, tracking progress, and ensuring timely completion of tasks. Effective task management is crucial in keeping projects on track, avoiding delays, and achieving desired outcomes.

Efficient  task distribution  offers numerous benefits, including:

• Improved Productivity:  By distributing tasks effectively, you can avoid bottlenecks and ensure that each team member is working on their assigned tasks without overwhelming them. This leads to enhanced productivity and faster project completion.
• Enhanced Collaboration:  Task distribution encourages collaboration among team members as they work together towards a common goal. Each person's skills and strengths can be utilized optimally, leading to better outcomes.
• Optimized Resource Allocation :  By distributing tasks strategically, you can allocate resources more efficiently. This includes not only human resources but also equipment, software, and other necessary tools.
• Reduced Stress:  When tasks are distributed properly, individuals feel less overwhelmed by their workload . This reduces stress levels and promotes a healthier work environment.
• Increased Accountability:  Clear  task distribution  establishes accountability within a team. Each person knows their responsibilities and is accountable for their assigned tasks, which fosters a sense of ownership and ensures that deadlines are met.

>>>> Read more:   8 Effective Strategies to Increase Employee Productivity  

Unleash the power of Viindoo in Task Management

Viindoo is a comprehensive task management software designed to simplify your workflow and boost productivity. With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, Viindoo streamlines task distribution, enabling you to manage your projects efficiently.

Key Features of Viindoo for effective task assignment:

Actively Task Assignment

Not only Project application, Viindoo allows managers to distribute specific tasks involved by various different departments. The managers even can assign the task actively and discuss the tasks in any application in Viindoo. Therefore, team members are able to communicate, share ideas, and seek clarification on specific tasks from anywhere within the platform.

Task Assignment in Viindoo CRM by assigning Opportunities and discussing in Chatter

Task Assignment and Tracking

Viindoo enables easy task assignment, allowing you to allocate tasks to specific team members with just a few clicks. You can also track task progress, set deadlines, and receive real-time updates on project status. Moreover, managers can take advantage of Viindoo in monitoring and following up on the work progress, including:

• Plan and manage tasks in order of priority.
• Task Assignment and track the performance of team members.
•  Track the work progress of each employee: tasks, execution time, due date, overdue, etc.
• Record actual working time instead of employee presence time thanks to the integration of logging timesheets right on the task.
• Revolutionize time tracking by using project accounting technique. This eliminates the need to rely on generic presence times, ensuring accuracy in project cost assessments.

Task Assignment and Track in Viindoo 

Collaboration and Communication

Viindoo fosters seamless collaboration among team members through built-in communication tools. You can leave comments, share files, and have discussions within the platform, eliminating the need for scattered emails and multiple software applications. With Cloud-Based Access and dedicated Mobile Applications, the user can manage tasks on the go. They can access when the managers have assigned the task from any internet-connected device, such as a computer, tablet, or smartphone, thereby ensuring that team members can stay updated and engaged even if they are not at their desks. See more details about how  to use the feature in Viindoo.

Easy Collaboration and Communication in Task Distribution in Viindoo

Gantt Chart Visualization

A Gantt chart is a popular project management tool used to visualize project schedules. It displays tasks or activities along the horizontal axis (timeline) and resources or team members along the vertical axis. Each task is represented as a horizontal bar on the chart, with its position indicating its start date and its length indicating its duration. Viindoo's Gantt chart feature provides a visual representation of project timelines, dependencies, and milestones. This allows you to easily identify potential scheduling conflicts and adjust task allocation accordingly.

Task Automation

Viindoo automates repetitive tasks, freeing up time for more critical activities. You can create task templates, set up recurring tasks, and automate notifications, reducing manual effort and minimizing errors.

Task management with Scrum/Agile framework​

The Scrum framework is of significant importance in task distribution for project management due to the following reasons:

• Improved Collaboration
• Transparency and Visibility
• Empowerment of Team Members
• Adaptability to Changing Priorities
• Continuous Improvement
• Reduced Risk of Overload
• Task Prioritization

Overall, the Scrum/Agile framework provides a structured, transparent, and collaborative approach to task distribution, resulting in better team alignment, improved productivity, and successful project outcomes. It enables teams to be adaptable, responsive, and customer-focused, making Scrum a valuable methodology for effective task distribution in project management. 

Viindoo Project supports  task allocation  by Scrum/Agile framework. The users can initially organize project reviews with information such as tasks, Epics, User Stories, and Poker cards in the project. Then, the Product Owners (PO) and Scrum Masters (SM) of the team can assign tasks, and track the development progress (Burndown chart) and the project’s profit loss report. Finally, the users will have a chance of evaluating the performance of teams and members and gather information for planning future projects.

Automated Reminders and Notification

With Viindoo, you can bid farewell to missed deadlines and overlooked tasks. The platform provides automated reminders and notifications, ensuring that everyone stays on track and receives timely updates. Managers can set up alerts for upcoming deadlines, task assignments, and important milestones, keeping the entire team informed and accountable.

Easy discussion and reminder when task distribution

Performance Analytics and Reports​

Viindoo's performance  analytics and reporting  tools provide valuable insights into individual and team performance. Managers can analyze task completion rates, identify productivity trends, and measure the efficiency of their task assignment strategies. These data-driven insights help organizations fine-tune their workflows and enhance overall productivity.

Conclusi​on

Task Assignment  and Management play a vital role in enabling organizations to achieve optimal productivity,   streamline collaborations, and foster a culture of transparency. Viindoo's intuitive interface, smart automation, and real-time collaboration features make it a powerful tool for simplifying and optimizing your approach to task allocation.   Embrace Viindoo today and revolutionize the way you distribute and manage tasks within your organization.

The ultimate Project and Task management

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Accurate and timely project planning and progress tracking on one and only software.

START NOW - FREE FOREVER  or Contact us

Why is practical task assignment important in the workplace?​

Practical task assignment is crucial in the workplace because it ensures that work is distributed appropriately, promotes productivity and efficiency, reduces confusion and conflicts, and maximizes employees' potential.

What are the fundamental principles to consider when assigning tasks to employees?

The fundamental principles for assigning tasks to employees include understanding their skills and strengths, considering their workload and capacity, providing clear instructions and expectations, fostering open communication, and offering opportunities for growth and development.

What should be included when providing clear instructions for assigned tasks?

Clear instructions should include a concise description of the task, its objectives and desired outcomes, specific guidelines or deadlines, available resources, and contact information for clarification. Clear instructions help employees understand expectations and reduce misunderstandings.

How can I effectively communicate tasks to employees?

Effective communication of tasks involves face-to-face discussions, written instructions or task briefs, utilizing digital tools for sharing information and providing opportunities for employees to ask questions and seek clarifications. Tailoring the communication method to individual preferences can also enhance understanding.

What should I do if an employee feels overwhelmed with assigned tasks?

If an employee feels overwhelmed, listening and providing support is necessary. Consider redistributing tasks, prioritizing urgent and essential assignments, or providing additional resources or training if needed. Collaborate with the employee to find the best solution for them and the team.

>>>> Continue With:

•   Competency Framework: How to Build and Common Difficulties
• What is work performance? Methods and templates of the assessment table

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15 Communication Exercises and Games for the Workplace

Cooperation and collaboration underpin how we work together, and done brilliantly, can determine our competitive advantage.

At the human level, our social resources play a massive part in our happiness and well-being in the workplace.

We can brush it all off as too soft and fuzzy, or we can embrace communication as one of the keys to an emotionally intelligent workplace. But because the way we get along is so fundamental to organizational success and human flourishing, many more companies are focusing on the latter.

In this article, you will find 15 communication exercises, games, and tips to help you improve teamwork and collaboration in your workplace. If you have any great activities that we haven’t covered, do let us know!

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free . These science-based tools will help you and those you work with build better social skills and better connect with others.

This Article Contains:

What are communication exercises and games, the importance of communication in the workplace, 7 tips on improving communication skills at work, 3 games and exercises to improve workplace communication skills, 3 activities to improve communication between employees, 3 active listening games and exercises for the workplace, 3 team building communication games and exercises, 3 communication exercises and activities for groups, a take-home message.

Typically, communication is seen as a ‘soft’ skill—because it’s not easily quantifiable. Compared to profits, losses, and even risk, it is intangible. Unless it’s either terrible or completely absent. Communication exercises and games are interactional activities that aim to develop how we relate to one another, including how we share information and get along.

They can be one-on-one or team exercises, but the goal is the same: they help us develop our interpersonal skills and improve our capacity to relate.

Communication is a whole lot more than just talking—although, that is a fundamental part of relationship-building and knowledge-transfer. To really grasp how big of an impact it has, we can touch on some of the theory. Surprisingly, taking a step back to look at some theory can sometimes be just as helpful, if not more so, than ‘getting on with it’.

What are Workplace Communication Skills?

Succinctly, they help us convey information to others in an effective way. And, they go above and beyond coherent speech in many ways—we talk, we use silence, body language, tone of voice, and eye-contact—voluntarily and unconsciously. With a broad and beautiful rainbow of ways to communicate, then, how do we know what’s considered a skill? What’s noise and what’s a message? What matters?

Drawing on empirical literature on communication skills in the workplace, we can look at Maguire and Pitcheathly’s (2002) study of doctors for a good example. In medical professions, it’s particularly critical not just to extract and interpret information—often, from conversation partners who lack crucial information themselves—but to convey it empathetically and with clarity.

The authors described several key communication skills as follows:

– The ability to elicit patients’ problems and concerns.

Swap ‘patients’ with clients, co-workers, managers, and so forth, and we can see that this is readily applicable in many other work situations. That is, the ability to understand, explore and clarify what others are talking about, and to solicit more details if and when the situation requires it.

Doctors also described effective communication as being able to summarize what the patient/other had related to correct information and display understanding.

Benefits: In an objective sense, we need to extract information so we can channel our efforts accordingly. Deadlines, role boundaries, budgets, and the ‘why, how, what’ of tasks. But active listening encourages pleasant social interactions, which in turn, these boost our well-being and life satisfaction (Baumeister & Leary, 1995).

– The ability to deliver information effectively.

The doctors studied also checked with their patients what their beliefs were about what was wrong. In other workplaces, team situations call for clarity—a shared goal is the ideal, but very often we come at situations with at least a few different beliefs. Alternatively, we may be quick to assume that others understand what we are saying when situations actually require further explanation.

To deal with this, the doctors:

• Reorganized information where required (e.g. into categories);
• Checked that patients understood them before moving on; and
• Checked whether they wanted further information.

Benefits: Our messages need to make sense if we want to convey information in a meaningful way. That applies both to our language and the extent to which we empathize. Effective information delivery helps us define goals , transfer knowledge, and successfully accomplish shared tasks.

– Discussing treatment options.

Communication, in its most basic form at least, is dyadic—a two-way, and (one would hope) mutually beneficial flow of information. In this study, giving a diagnosis and treatment options was only one part of the job. Doctors described how important it was to see whether patients wanted to participate in choosing their treatment.

They determined their perspectives before decision-making; in other settings, this is inviting participation and engagement.

Benefits: As discussed, information delivery is crucial, but our focus here is opening up discussions. Giving others a chance to contribute allows us to factor in more perspectives and diverse opinions. We can encourage more engagement, commitment, and complement one another’s different skills for better results.

– Being supportive.

Doctors described empathy in terms of feedback and validation. They showed that they understood how their patients were feeling to relate at an interpersonal level; where they didn’t know, they at least made a stab at empathizing through educated guesses.

Benefits: We don’t need to look too far to find sources of workplace stress that might be impacting our colleagues. By empathizing, we not only build better relationships, but we show that we are available as key ‘job resources’ – social support for those around us to reduce the negative impacts of our job demands (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007).

Put even more simply, we make work a nicer place to be while avoiding unnecessary conflict.

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Maguire and Pitcheathly’s (2002) clinical review offered several learning tips, the first of which was an emphasis on proper communication skills training. As well as identifying key communication deficits and their root causes, these included several that relate to our knowledge of positive psychology and communication.

3 Tips for Creating a Supportive Learning Environment

First, we need to create an optimal learning environment if we want to maximize our improvement; in this sense:

• Communication skills need to be modeled and practiced, not simply taught – a nod to experiential learning, which is frequently emphasized in emotional intelligence learning (SEL) (Haertel et al., 2005; Kolb, 2014);
• They are best learned and practiced in safe, supportive environments, which studies show are central to learning behavior (Edmonson et al., 2004); and
• Constructive performance feedback is helpful, but “only once all positive comments have been exhausted” (Maguire & Pitcheathly, 2002: 699). Peer feedback is also a useful job resource when it comes to work engagement; as a form of social support, it can help stimulate our learning and development—that includes communication skills (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007; Bakker et al., 2008).

4 Tips for Enhancing Communication Skills

We can also look at the business literature for some more support of what we identified earlier as key communication skills. Breaking these down into tips, here are 4 fairly broad ways we can enhance our communication skills to increase our effectiveness and well-being.

– Work on your emotional perception

Perception of emotions is a key component of Mayer and Salovey’s emotional intelligence framework and covers the ability to read others’ non-verbal cues as well as their potential moods (Salovey & Mayer, 1990).

At the individual level, we can make conscious use of this EQ skill to gauge how others are feeling. Is your colleague overwhelmed, perhaps? Is now the best possible time to ask them for help on a task? Or, have you noticed someone in the corner of the room who has been dying to contribute to the meeting?

– Practice self-awareness

Our non-verbal behavior and the way we speak is critical. Different studies vary on exactly how much of our intended message (and credibility) is non-verbal, but it’s undoubtedly important (DePaulo & Friedman, 1998; Knapp et al., 2013).

When the words we speak convey one message and our body another, we risk confusion and potentially, we jeopardize our intended impact. To enhance our influencing skills and the quality of our working relationships with others, it helps to practice being aware of your own non-verbal behaviors.

– Give others a chance to engage

Communication is a two-way street, at the very least. And as more than one collective intelligence researcher has pointed out, teams are more than the sum of their parts (Woolley et al., 2010).

When we get together as humans, we need a chance to communicate just as much as we need our individual ‘smarts’, and essentially, it comes down to social sensitivity—emotional perception once again. We can look at Leary’s Rose for more insights on how and why, but this time, the tip is to understand when to communicate or step back (Leary, 2004).

– Practice listening

Talking is essentially a form of content delivery, and it’s not really communication unless we listen. Active listening involves engaging with our co-workers and bringing empathy to the table to enhance the quality of our dialogue.

Sometimes mentioned along with ‘reflective questioning’, it involves, “restating a paraphrased version of the speaker’s message, asking questions when appropriate, and maintaining moderate to high nonverbal conversational involvement” (Weger Jr et al., 2014: 13). It helps us create more clarity, take in information more effectively, and develop our workplace relationships through empathetic engagement (Nikolova et al., 2013).

Some of these activities will require a facilitator, and some just a group of colleagues. None of them require professional facilitation per se, and any participant can easily volunteer to keep the process on track.

1. Back-to-Back Drawing

This exercise is about listening, clarity and developing potential strategies when we communicate. In communicating expectations, needs, and more, it helps to clarify and create common ground. This can show what happens when we don’t…

For this activity, you’ll need an even number of participants so everybody can have a partner. Once people have paired off, they sit back-to-back with a paper and pencil each. One member takes on the role of a speaker, and the other plays the part of the listener.

Over five to ten minutes, the speaker describes a geometric image from a prepared set, and the listener tries to turn this description into a drawing without looking at the image.

Then, they talk about the experience, using several of the following example questions:

Speaker Questions

• What steps did you take to ensure your instructions were clear? How could these be applied in real-life interactions?
• Our intended messages aren’t always interpreted as we mean them to be. While speaking, what could you do to decrease the chance of miscommunication in real-life dialogue?

Listener Questions

• What was constructive about your partner’s instructions?
• In what ways might your drawing have turned out differently if you could have communicated with your partner?

2. Effective Feedback in “I” Mode

Defensiveness is a root cause of miscommunication and even conflict in the workplace. We’re not always ready to receive and learn from criticism, especially when it’s delivered insensitively. This exercise introduces “I” statements, which describe others’ behavior objectively while allowing the speaker to express the impact on their feelings.

Employees can pair off or work alone, in either case, they will need a worksheet of imaginary scenarios like this one . Together or solo, they can create “I” statements about how the imaginary scenario makes them feel. When done in pairs, they can practice giving each other feedback on ‘meaning what you say’ without triggering defensiveness in the other.

3. Storytelling with CCSG

Storytelling is an engaging way to convey information; when it’s positive information, narratives are also highly effective means of motivating and inspiring others (Tomasulo & Pawelski, 2012). Appreciative Inquiry, for example, is one type of positive psychology intervention that uses storytelling in a compelling way, as a means to share hopes and build on our shared strengths.

Through this exercise, we can practice structuring our narratives—essentially we’ll have one ‘information delivery’ tool to draw on when we feel it might help (like the doctors we looked at earlier). CCSG is a structure, and it involves:

C : Characters C : Conflict S : Struggle G : Goal

To use the structure as an exercise, participants simply relate a narrative using CCSG. For example, one team member might describe a past success of the group or team, where their collective strengths helped them succeed. The Characters would then be whoever was involved, the Conflict may be a challenge the team faced (a new growth opportunity, perhaps).

The Struggle might be something like geographical distance between team members, and the Goal would be just that: their objective or success.

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Because communication is so multi-faceted, we’ve included a selection of different activity types. These interpersonal and team communication games cover topics such as misinterpreting information, awareness of our assumptions and engaging others.

1. Direction Direction

This activity is a slight twist on Chinese Whispers in that it uses a complex set of instructions rather than just a sentence. And here, we have only one link rather than an entire chain of people. Otherwise, the idea is identical—information gets misinterpreted thanks to noise, but we can improve our verbal communication and listening skills to minimize this risk.

First, pick a game with enough instructions that the information is a challenge to memorize. With 2+ co-workers, pick one person (a speaker) to whom you’ll explain the instructions. They are responsible for passing the information on to the rest of their team. The group then needs to play the game with only the instructions from the speaker.

Once they’ve finished the game, start some dialogue about what happened:

• Was there any lack of clarity around the instructions?
• What might have contributed to this confusion?
• What are some key things to be aware of when we give or listen to instructions?

This activity comes from The Wrecking Yard of Games and Activities ( Amazon ).

Here’s an exercise on the pivotal role of clarification. When it comes to tasks and expectations, it goes without saying that clarity helps us avoid lots of unwanted things. And clarity plays a role on a larger scale when it comes to our roles more broadly, in fact, it’s a psychological resource under the Job Demands-Resources model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007).

Succinctly, ambiguity contributes to stress, and clarity is empowering—something that is easy to overlook and which this game reminds us of.

Any number of co-workers can participate in this very simple mime game. You’ll need a list of topics for people to act out, then invite players to break off into groups of two. In these pairs, they will take turns being a mime and being an asker. The mime reads the card, then attempts to act out what’s on it (you’ll first need to decide on a theme, like weather, activities, or what have you).

While the asker can pose questions, the mime can only act out their answers.

It might unearth an awareness of implicit assumptions, bringing our conscious attention to the role these play in our judgments. Potential discussion questions will help you unpack this further:

• How did your questioning skills help you comprehend what was going on?
• What value do questioning skills have when we’re trying to understand others?
• What factors sometimes prevent us from asking questions when they might actually be useful?

3. Let’s Face It

This exercise from The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games is about self-awareness . How large of a role does it really play, and how does it influence our communication?

There is no limit to the group size for this game, which requires only enough pens and paper for everybody. It doesn’t take very long, either, and can be played in as little as ten to twenty minutes—perfect for breaking up the day.

Start with groups (or sub-groups) of between four and ten players; in each of these, someone will need to volunteer as a facilitator. This facilitator simply keeps the game on track and gets the discussion going afterward.

Each player writes down a feeling on a small piece of paper, folds it, then passes it to the volunteer facilitator. From him or her, they take another piece that someone else has written, and tries to act out that feeling to the rest of their group—using only their facial expressions. The other participants try to guess that emotion and this should lead to a talk about the role of expressions. Useful discussion points include:

• What feelings do we understand the easiest, when only facial expressions are used? Why might that be?
• Describe some contexts where facial expressions play a particularly important role in communication?
• In what ways can facial expressions influence our ability to deal with misunderstandings?

How to improve communication skills at work – Adriana Girdler

Through active listening, we can enhance our understanding of other people’s perspectives (Drollinger et al., 2006). Practicing it during our interactions with others enables us to validate their feelings and potentially avoid the stress of misunderstandings.

Exercises that boost our active listening skills help us engage better, through empathy, body language, and non-judgment where required (Rogers & Farson, 1957).

At the end of the day, active listening games can impact positively on our relationships by encouraging us to practice specific techniques, and these, in turn, find support in the empirical literature (Weger et al., 2014).

1. Concentric Circles

This large group exercise works best when you already have a topic for discussion. It is used a lot during inclusive strategy sessions, where diverse opinions are valuable but team size can hamper rather than facilitate good communication. For this exercise, everybody has a handout that summarizes the goals of the discussion.

Two circles of chairs are set up, one inside the other. Participants who sit in the middle are ‘talkers’ while those in the outer ring are ‘watchers’, and these roles should be allocated prior to the exercise. Armed with their handouts, talkers begin to engage with the topic. They use the goals as a guide for the conversation, while the watchers listen carefully and make notes.

After fifteen minutes of discussion, the watchers and talkers switch circles—those who were listening before now sit on the inner circle for a fifteen-minute conversation. It can be on the pre-chosen topic or on a different one, but the activity must conclude with a debrief.

During this debrief, they reflect collectively on the experience itself:

• How was being a watcher, compared to being a listener?
• What did you feel when you were observing from the outer circle, listening but not contributing? How did this influence your learnings, rather than providing your own input?
• In what ways did being a watcher impact your perspectives of the talkers? What about their dynamics?

This gamestorming communications exercise is based on a team coaching technique by Time To Grow Global .

2. 3-minute Vacation

Here is another talker and listener exercise that can be done in pairs. In a larger group of participants, this can be done multiple times as players pair up with different conversation partners. And in each pair, of course, team members will take turns being listener and talker.

The talker discusses their dream vacation for three minutes, describing what they would like best about it but without specifying where it should be. While they talk, the listener pays close attention to the explicit and underlying details, using only non-verbal cues to show that they are listening.

After the 3-minute vacation, the listener summarizes the key points of their conversation partner’s dream vacation—as a holiday sales pitch. After they’ve ‘pitched’ the ideal vacation spot in the space of a few minutes, the pair discuss how accurately the listener understood the talker.

They outline how they could improve their dialogue with regard to active listening, then swap roles. A twist on this team coaching exercise might involve allowing the listener to make notes during the talker’s description, revealing them as a point of discussion only after they deliver the ‘sales pitch’.

Used with permission from Time To Grow Global .

3. Pet Peeve

How about a chance to blow off some steam and get that empathetic listening ear at the same time? And at the same time, helping your co-worker practice active listening?

In this game, one colleague has a full 60 seconds to rant about something which irks them. It’s best if this isn’t inappropriate for the workplace, but at the same time, it doesn’t have to be work-related. If you hate pop-up ads, for instance, you’ve already got great material for your rant.

The first colleague (Player A) simply lets loose while the second person (Player B) listens carefully, trying to cut through the noise by singling out:

• What Player A really cares about – for instance, smooth user experience on the internet;
• What they value – e.g. clarity and transparent advertisements;
• What matters to them – e.g. getting work done, doing their online shopping in peace, or a more intuitive, user-friendly adblocker.

Player B then ‘decodes’ the rant by repeating it back to Player A, isolating the key positive points without the fluff or negativity. They can use some variant on the following sentence stems to guide their decoding:

• “You value…”
• “You care about…”
• “You believe that…matters a lot”

Then, they can switch over and repeat the game again. As you can probably see, the activity is aimed at helping teammates appreciate that feedback has positive goals.

When we give attention to our relationships as well as the task(s) at hand, we create trust and collaborate more effectively. The games and exercises in this section are about connecting on a human level so that we can communicate with more emotional intelligence in the workplace.

1. Personal Storytelling

In large organizations especially, we may only bring a part of ourselves to the workplace. If we want to communicate empathetically and build relationships with co-workers—important social resources—personal storytelling is one way we can build our teams while developing communication skills.

There is no set time or place for storytelling, but it works best when a story is followed by an invitation to the group to give input. Feel free to use the CCSG technique described earlier in this article, and that the speaker uses a reflective tone, rather than purely informative, when addressing the group.

To try out personal storytelling, set aside a team-building afternoon, meeting, or workshop. Ask the group to each prepare a reading that they will share. Here are some ideas that nicely blend the emotional with the professional:

• Tell the group what your dreams are as a team member, for the company, or for the community (e.g. Whitney & Cooperrider, 2011);
• Tell them about your first job, or your very first working experience;
• If you’ve got a budget, give team members a small amount of money each to do something good with. Then, let them share the story of what they did with it;
• When onboarding new people, invite the group to bring in an object which symbolizes their wishes for the new team member. Then, let them share the story behind the object.

2. I’m Listening

We learn from our peers’ feedback, and that learning is most productive in a supportive work environment (Odom et al., 1990; Goh, 1998). Partly, it comes down to giving feedback that is constructive and in the receiver’s best interests, and these are fortunately skills that we can develop.

I’m Listening can be played with an even number of participants, as they will need to find a partner for this one-on-one game. In the book mentioned below, there are also hand-outs, but you can prepare your own for this activity. Ideally, more than one ‘Talker Scenario’ and more than one ‘Listener Scenario’:

• A ‘Talker Scenario’ will describe something like a bad day at work, or a problem with a client. In a small paragraph, it should outline what’s gone wrong (maybe it’s everything from a cracked smartphone screen to a delay during your commute). This scenario is followed by an instruction for the Talker to play a role: “ You call up your colleague for some support ” or “ You decide to let off some steam by talking to your co-worker ”.
• A ‘Listener Scenario’ is a bit different. In several sentences, the scenario outlines a situation where they are approached by a colleague with problems but might have other things on their plate. They might be up to their ears in work, or their colleague’s complaints might seem trivial. After reading the scenario of their context (e.g. it’s a hectic day, your computer’s just crashed), the Listener’s role is to act it out while they respond, for example: “ Show with your body language that you’re far too busy ”.

The exercise is a good starting point for a conversation about constructive listening strategies. Together, the pairs can come up with more productive, empathetic, and appropriate responses, with the acting experience fresh in mind. Some discussion points include:

• As Talker, what feedback did your Listener appear to give?
• How did you feel about the feedback you received?
• How might you create some listening and feedback approaches based on this?

This game comes from The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games ( Amazon ).

3. “A What?”

Inspired by the kid’s game Telephone, this exercise draws on different elements of effective communication between team members, while highlighting where things often go wrong. It works with any sized team and requires only a facilitator and some novel objects that can be passed between participants. So, plush toys, tennis balls, or similar—but the more imaginative they are, the better.

Players stand in a circle and pass two of the objects along to each other. One object should be passed clockwise, and the other counter-clockwise. Prior to passing on the toy, ball, or what have you, players ask something about the object and answer a question about it.

Essentially, the message will change as the object gets passed along, and players will need to stay sharp to remember who they are passing and talking to.

For instance:

• The facilitator starts out by handing one of the items to the person on their right, saying “Ellen, this is a tattered elephant with pink ears.”
• Ellen then needs to ask “A What?”, prompting you to repeat the item’s name.
• Taking the item, Ellen turns to her right and repeats the same with Pedro: “Pedro, this is a tattered elephant with pink ears.” Pedro asks, “A What?”
• Before she passes the item to Pedro, however, Ellen’s answer to his question must come back to the facilitator, who says it aloud. This way, it’s possible to see if and how the message changes as it goes around the group. By the time it reaches Hassan, who is Person 5, for instance, it might be “A grey elephant with tattered ears.”
• Once people get the gist of how to play with one item, the facilitator adds in the second by passing it to the left.

Debrief with a chat about the communication that went on. Did anybody end up with both items at once? How did they cope? Did others help them?

Other questions include:

• How did communication look with a longer or shorter chain? Where was the weakest link, and why?
• In what ways did players support each other?
• How did you feel during the game? What was the impact of that emotion on you and on others?

This exercise comes from a Teambuilding Facilitation Manual: A Guide to Leading and Facilitating Teambuilding Activities , by Penn State University.

17 Exercises To Develop Positive Communication

17 Positive Communication Exercises [PDFs] to help others develop communication skills for successful social interactions and positive, fulfilling relationships.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

A lot of team situations are about creativity. We each have unique experiences, competencies, and viewpoints, the way we collaborate inevitably decides whether we synergize or fall flat. Here are two activities that will help your team work together creatively to solve a problem, as well as one about the role of silence.

1. Crazy Comic

This is a fun game in communication skills that will also give team members some creative freedom. They will need to communicate those creative ideas to one another, but also engage in joint decision-making for the activity to be a success. And that activity is to create a comic together, using their complementary skills and communication to realize a shared vision.

You’ll need more than 9 participants for this activity, as well as paper, drawing, and coloring materials for each colleague. From your larger group of co-workers, let them form smaller groups of about 3-6 participants and tell them their task is to produce a unique comic strip, with one frame from each person. So, a 6-person group will make a 6-frame strip, and so forth.

Between them, they need to decide the plot of the comic, who will be carrying out which tasks, and what the frames will contain. The catch is that they all need to draw at the same time, so they will not be seeing the preceding frame in the strip. Make it extra-hard if you like, by instructing them not to look at one another’s creative progress as they draw, either.

Afterward, trigger some discussion about the way they communicated; some example questions include:

• How critical was communication throughout this exercise?
• What did you find the toughest about this activity?
• Why was it important to make the decisions together?

This exercise was adapted from 104 Activities that build ( Amazon ).

2. Blindfold Rope Square

This is similar in some ways to the Back-to-Back Drawing exercise above. That is, the Blindfold Rope Square exercise challenges us to look at how we communicate verbally, then think about ways to develop our effectiveness. In a large group of participants or employees, particularly, we often need to cut through the noise with a clear and coherent message—and this game can be played with even a large group of people.

You will need about ten meters of rope and a safe place for employees to walk around blindfolded in. So, flat and ideally with no walls or tripping hazards.

• Explain first up that the goal of the task is effective verbal communication, and give each participant a blindfold.
• Once they have gathered in your chosen ‘safe space’, invite them to put on their blindfolds and turn around a few times so they are (reasonably) disoriented in the space.
• Coil the rope and put it where at least one participant can reach it, then explain that you’ve put the rope ‘somewhere on the floor’.
• Tell them their shared aim is to collaborate: first to find the rope, then to lay it out into a perfect square together on the floor.
• Let the participants go about it, taking care not to let any accidents occur. Tell them to let you know once they’ve agreed that the job is done.
• Finally, everybody removes their blindfolds, and it’s time for feedback. This is the perfect opportunity to congratulate them or start a discussion about what they might do differently the next time around.

Find more information on the exercise here .

3. Zen Counting

Silence is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it gives us a chance to reflect, in others it creates a space for others to take the floor. Nonetheless, we’re often inclined to view it as awkward—a gap to be filled or avoided—rather than a chance to listen. According to Shannon and Weaver’s Theory of Communication (1998), this simply creates more ‘noise’ and negatively impacts our ability to reach resolutions at work (Smith, 2018).

Zen counting is incredibly straightforward: team members simply sit in a circle but face outward. With nobody in particular starting first, they are asked to count from one to ten as a group, but each member can only say one number. Nothing else is said. When someone repeats or interrupts another group member, they start again from one.

The idea is to facilitate a sense of ‘okayness’ with being uncomfortable and silent, while team members practice letting others speak.

Imagine attending a communication workshop, in purely lecture format. Or, reading about how to communicate without actually trying what you learn. Communication exercises may not feel 100% natural at first, but they let us work with—rather than live in fear of—that discomfort. Whether it’s Chinese Whispers or making a rope square blindfolded, we can shake up old habits and create new ones by stepping into our ‘stretch zones’.

Try out activities that are best suited to your organizational goals so they have the most relevance. If you’re focused on innovation, try a creative communication exercise like Mime. If you’re a cross-functional team, why not try out an activity that challenges assumptions?

Tell us if any of these are particularly useful, and let us know if you’ve got tweaks for this current set of activities. What has worked in the past for your team?

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free .

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• Leary, T. (2004). Interpersonal diagnosis of personality: A functional theory and methodology for personality evaluation . Wipf and Stock Publishers.
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• Shannon, C. E. (1998). Communication in the presence of noise. Proceedings of the IEEE, 86 (2), 447-457.
• Smith, K. (2018). Silence: The Secret Communication Tool. Retrieved from https://psychcentral.com/blog/silence-the-secret-communication-tool/
• Tomasulo, D. J., & Pawelski, J. O. (2012). Happily ever after: The use of stories to promote positive interventions. Psychology, 3 (12), 1189.
• Weger Jr, H., Castle Bell, G., Minei, E. M., & Robinson, M. C. (2014). The relative effectiveness of active listening in initial interactions. International Journal of Listening, 28 (1), 13-31.
• Whitney, D., & Cooperrider, D. (2011). Appreciative inquiry: A positive revolution in change . ReadHowYouWant. com.
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What our readers think.

Very useful, insightful, and helpful. Great simple and applicable source on communication topic. Many thanks for share, and nice to looks for how far you go with other valuable topics

Thanks Cathy for putting up this article. It is simply amazing. I intend to use three of your exercises in my upcoming workshop on communication in the 2nd week of June, 2022 🙂

I think this is an excellent resource with a great outcome. Thanks for putting this together. Very useful for my Communicare sessions.

Such an informative article

Excellent content and I can’t wait to use some of this content as well. Crediting the source(s) of course

Thank you so much for creating and sharing these tools. I too would like to be able to utilize them as a resource for my workshop. Sources credited/included. I am a firm believer in the power of soft skills, especially listening and communication. The world will be a better place once we’ve mastered them.

Very insightful and interesting ways of training people for better workplace communication skills. Enjoyed it.

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19 Best Project Management Software for 2024

Welcome to your roadmap for project management success. We’ve reviewed the market’s top tools to bring you this concise, powerful guide. Our curated list delivers key insights on each software’s features, strengths, limitations, and pricing. Whether you’re scaling complex projects or streamlining daily tasks, you’ll find the project management software to fit your needs.

We’ll also explore the versatility of monday work management and how it can transform the way your team works.

What is project management software?

Project management software includes all the platforms and tools that help managers and teams plan, coordinate, and execute every aspect of project planning.

There’s an incredibly wide variety of project management software— from personal to-do lists to comprehensive “all-in-one” solutions —that facilitates the production of work for businesses of any shape and size and defines your overall project management methodology.

Read how to successfully manage projects in our complete  project management guide .

What to look for in a project management tool

One of the main benefits of good project management software is that it should serve as an all-in-one tool and provides these essential features:

1. Seamless team collaboration and shared task lists

A project management software should have features that enable project team members to communicate and collaborate effectively such as document sharing, communication in real-time (notes, comments, files) and activity feeds.

2. Gantt charts and timeline visualization

Gantt charts and timeline visualization help in planning and tracking project progress, allowing you to identify bottlenecks and make necessary adjustments.

3. Resource Management

Ensure that the right people are assigned to the right task at the right time by looking out for features such as resource planning and tracking.

4. Reporting and Analytics

Integrated analytics tools can help you gain insights into project progress , team performance, cost and other relevant metrics to make data-driven decisions.

5. Number of users

Effective project management software solutions should be able to accommodate teams of various sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises. Many solutions offer scalability to support growing organizations. Whether you’re looking for unlimited users or a minimum number of users per month, there is a project planning software for your needs.

Project management tools typically offer different pricing tiers to cater to various team sizes and needs. Options may include free plans for individuals or small teams, as well as more comprehensive packages for larger organizations or those requiring advanced features.

7. Scalability

Good project management software should be able to grow with an organization, allowing for the addition of users, creation of new projects, and expansion of functionality without significant performance issues.

8. Integrations

Integration capabilities with other commonly used business tools and services are important for streamlining workflows. This may include connections to communication platforms, cloud storage services, and productivity suites.

9. Ease of use

User-friendly interfaces and intuitive design are crucial for widespread adoption within an organization. Features like drag-and-drop functionality, customizable views, and minimal learning curves contribute to ease of use.

10. Additional features

Common features in project management software include:

• Customizable dashboards for real-time visibility into project progress
• Support for both individual tasks and unlimited tasks to scale with your needs
• Flexible task boards adaptable to Agile workflows and complex workflows
• Advanced task assignment and tracking capabilities across unlimited projects
• Robust file sharing and collaboration tools to enhance team productivity
• Automation capabilities to streamline repetitive processes
• Time tracking and workload management for optimal resource allocation

These features work together to provide a comprehensive project management solution, enabling teams to efficiently plan, execute, and monitor their projects regardless of size or complexity.

How to choose project management software?

The project management software market offers numerous options, from basic plans to comprehensive solutions. Your choice should align with your team’s unique needs and workflows.

Some common factors that teams and companies focus on are ease-of-use, scalability, reporting, security, and pricing. 

Finding the right fit may require trying out different project management software options. Many providers offer free trials, allowing you to test-drive their features before committing.

Ultimately, the best solution is one that your team embraces and that enhances your project management processes. Take the time to explore and compare to find the tool that will drive your team’s success.

Top 19 project management software

Let’s kick off with a snapshot of the top project management tools, ranked based on their capabilities, reporting features, support, security, and value for money:Let’s kick off with a snapshot of the top project management tools, ranked based on their capabilities, reporting features, support, security, and value for money:

1. monday work management

Built upon the monday.com Work OS,  monday work management is designed to help teams work without limits when it comes to project and task management . monday work management offers a user-friendly and intuitive interface with a range of customizable features that cater to the specific collaboration and communication needs of any team across industries.

Top features of monday work management

Project portfolio management

With the new project portfolio solution you can and get a birds-eye view on project progress of multiple projects. The visibility can help you work through any project challenge with ease.

Gantt charts monday.com Gantt chart view allows you to create task dependencies and update task owners and due dates with ease.

Workflow builder Choose from 100s of pre-made automation recipes or create your own custom ones to create workflows that sync integrations, people, and more.

• Best-in-class customer support
• AI features
• Excellent mobile app for on-the-go project management

monday work management pricing:

• Free: $0 for up to 2 users
• Basic: $9/month/user with annual billing
• Standard: $12/month/user with annual billing
• Pro: $19/month/user with annual billing
• Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing

More details on monday.com pricing.

Why customers love monday.com

• Trustradius: 8.5 out of 10 Voted in 2023: best features set, relationship and value
• G2: 4.7 out of 5 Voted in 2023: Leader in over 18 categories
• Capterra: 4.6 out of 5 Shortlisted in 2023 in over 8 software categories

Integrations: monday work management offers over 200+ integrations, including popular tools like Slack, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Salesforce.

It also has a robust API for custom integrations.

Asana is a popular project management tool designed to help teams collaborate and manage their tasks and projects more efficiently. Asana has gained a reputation as a reliable and easy-to-use tool for project management, and it is used by many businesses and organizations around the world.

Asana top features

Calendar view: See all of your most important deadlines in one dedicated calendar.

Agile framework: The software has a time boxed, iterative approach for product development workflows.

Change requests and case management : Enable efficient tracking of customer requests with priority and timeline.

• Manage all project documentation in one place.
• Asana also uses drag-and-drop for ease of use.
• Asana may not be suited for larger teams or those who don’t prefer an agile approach.
• Limited customization options, such as notifications.

Asana pricing: $10.99/user/month with annual plan. Free plan available. More details on Asana pricing and review here.

Integrations: Asana integrates with over 200 apps, including Slack, Google Drive, Microsoft Office 365, Dropbox, and Salesforce. It also offers a flexible API for custom integrations.

“Asana is excellent for managing a project involving multiple workers. It provides the team with increased visibility by displaying updates and working on a single thread. Asana is excellent for straightforward project management. Some advanced project management applications, such as Gantt charts, need paid subscriptions, however Asana excels at establishing and keeping classified task lists, as well as allocating tasks to specific individuals.” — G2 Review

Comparison: explore this Asana alternative .

Trello  is a web-based project management tool that uses a board-based approach to help individuals and teams organize their tasks and projects. It is a popular and user-friendly tool that allows users to easily track their progress, collaborate with team members, and visualize their workflow simply and intuitively.

Trello top features

Kanban cards: Trello uses Kanban cards to help you track task and project progress.

Checklists: Break down cards into smaller tasks by adding checklists to them.

Activity feed: See all recent changes and activity on your project board, like card updates and comments.

• It’s a great tool for teams who prefer iterations and Kanban.
• Teams can communicate in real time.
• Trello doesn’t offer project management software classics like Gantt charts or resource management features.
• Kanban cards might not be ideal for larger, complex, and unpredictable projects like construction projects.

Trello Pricing: $5/user/month with annual plan. Free plan available. More details on Trello pricing and review here .

Integrations: Trello offers numerous “Power-Ups” which are essentially integrations. These include popular tools like Slack, Google Drive, Jira, and Salesforce. It also has an API for custom integrations.

Reviews: “Trello is a great tool for the strategic management of projects. I like the fact that it is so simple to move tasks from one stage to another by just dragging and dropping them. The visual layout is my assistant in tracking everything at a high level on one screen. In the planning sessions, data presentation is simple as there are different ways of looking at it. It is comprehensible, hence the whole team can easily stay on the same page.” — G2 Review

Comparison: explore these Trello alternatives & our Trello vs. monday.com guide.

4. Smartsheet

Smartsheet is a software as a service platform to plan, capture, track, automate, and report on work at scale. It offers a rich set of views, reports, workflows, and dashboards to adapt according to business needs.

Smartsheet top features

Dynamic gantt charts: Smartsheet’s Gantt chart view allows users to visualize project timelines and dependencies, with the ability to easily adjust schedules and assignments.

Customizable forms: Smartsheet’s customizable forms feature enables users to gather and organize data, such as customer feedback or project requests.

Data integration: It seamlessly integrates with a wide range of third-party tools, such as Salesforce, Jira, and Microsoft Office.

• Versatile platform:Smartsheet can be used for a wide range of tasks and projects, making it a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes and industries.
• Real-time collaboration:Smartsheet’s collaborative features allow team members to work together in real-time, improving communication and productivity.
• Reporting:The reporting functionality could be improved, with limited options for creating custom reports.
• Missed add-ons:It requires add-ons for time tracking and resource management.

Integrations: Smartsheet integrates with a wide range of business tools, including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Jira, and Slack. It also provides connectors for custom integrations.

Reviews: “Smartsheet exceeded my expectations when used for phase gate and readiness checklists, or when organizing projects and assigning stakeholders. It is far more featured out of the box than Excel, and has a place if a project management app like Asana is overkill.” — G2 Review

Smartsheet pricing: $7/user/month with annual plan. Free plan available. More details on Smartsheet pricing and review here.

Jira Software is a server-based customizable workflow management solution that organizes tasks and projects into a centralized platform. It provides businesses with an infrastructure for automated processes and increased productivity.

Jira top features

Configuration: This software is known to be   highly configurable and customizable with granular control over security, privacy, and workflows.

Timeline view: Backed by Gantt Chart, timeline view lets users map dependencies and plans work effectively.

Cross-project syncing: You can mark tasks as a duplicate across projects to keep track of work between teams.

• Subtasks: Break up a task into smaller parts, or show additional steps to complete an overall task.
• Due dates: Track important dates and time so everyone’s working off the same deadline—no matter their time zone.
• Limited pre-made templates:Only 23 pre-made templates are available, which can be a challenge.
• Lack of integrations:Jira Core lacks integrations with many other productivity and task management sharing tools and apps.

Jira pricing: $5/user/month with annual plan. Free plan available. More details on Jira review and pricing here.

Integrations: Jira offers a vast marketplace of apps and integrations, including connections with tools like Slack, GitHub, Bitbucket, and Zendesk. It also has a robust API for custom integrations.

Reviews: “Jira has been a game-changer for my team’s project management. The best thing about this is its issues and tracking features which helps us to deliver features on time and helps us stay ahead. Also, since it integrates with other tools, like Confluence, github etc, it helps us to track the changes and view the updates without even leaving the JIRA board.” — G2 Review

Comparison: explore these Jira alternatives

Wrike is a cloud-based project management software designed to help teams streamline their workflows and collaborate more effectively. It was founded in 2006 by Andrew Filev and has since grown into a popular tool used by businesses of all sizes to manage projects from start to finish.

Wrike top features

Integrations: Wrike integrates with project management must-haves like Google Drive, Zendesk, WordPress, Zapier, Slack, and more.

Wrike Approvals: The software has a dedicated feature to make the project review process smoother.

Budget & expense management: Customize currency preferences and create default hourly rates and job roles for projects.

• Create dashboards for visual and accurate stakeholder communications.
• There is a high level of customization possibilities.
• Some users had hoped for more triggers and actions available under their automation engine.
• You have to pay extra for advanced reporting.

Wrike pricing: $9.80/user/month with annual plan. Free plan available. More details about Wrike pricing and review  here.

Integrations: Wrike integrates with over 400 apps, including popular tools like Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, and Adobe Creative Cloud. It also offers an open API for custom integrations.

Reviews: “Wrike is a great tool for project managment! Wrike keeps me on track, organized, transparent, and saves me time. I use it to view my projects and tasks for the day, week, and upcoming months, and communicate internally with stakeholders, colleages and project managers.” — G2 Review

7. Basecamp

Basecamp is a project management tool that helps teams to   stay organized, collaborate efficiently, and complete projects on time. It was first launched in 2004 by 37Signals, but later rebranded as Basecamp in 2014. Basecamp is a cloud-based project management software that can be accessed through a web browser, desktop, or mobile application.

Basecamp top features

Hill charts: Basecamp uses unique hill charts to give you an overview of project progress.

Automated check-ins: Create routine reminders for team members to provide project updates.

File storage: Keep project documents and assets organized in the same place you manage projects.

• Basecamp is configured for communication with message boards and more.
• This software works well for small to medium-sized teams.
• There aren’t specific features for invoicing.
• Some users said it’s difficult to tag tasks with priority level or other attributes.

Pricing:  $15/user/month with annual plan. Free plan unavailable. More info on  Basecamp pricing  here.

Integrations: Basecamp offers integrations with tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Zapier. While its native integrations are more limited compared to some competitors, it does offer an API for custom solutions.

Reviews: “Project management is a lot more effective now that I use Basecamp for business. The entire team is kept up to date on given tasks, due dates, and relevant developments in real time. Additionally, Basecamp provides a number of file organisation and sharing capabilities, which greatly facilitates teamwork.” — G2 Review

Comparison: explore these Basecamp alternatives

ClickUp is a cloud based collaboration and project management platform designed to streamline team workflows. It offers a wide range of features such as custom statuses, time tracking, and reporting.

Clickup top features

Multitask toolbar: The multitask toolbar allows users to edit multiple tasks simultaneously, saving time and effort.

Custom fields: ClickUp’s custom fields enable it to tailor the platform to your specific workflow, making it more efficient and effective.

Mind Maps: ClickUp’s mind maps feature enables users to visually map out their ideas and workflows, making it easy to see how tasks relate to one another and streamline the project planning process.

• Agile project management : ClickUp’s agile project management tools help users keep track of team’s progress and adjust workflow as needed.
• Goals: Users can set, track, and measure progress towards their objectives, ensuring that everyone is aligned and working towards the same goals.
• Inefficient comment’s threads: Comment’s threads and replays at chat space are hard to follow, they show entangled or not easy to find at a glance.
• Non-responsive dashboard:While dashboards are very nice, they are extremely slow to update and refresh.

Pricing: Free version is available for personal usage with limited features and paid plan starts from $7 per member per month

Integrations: ClickUp offers over 1,000+ integrations through native connections and its integration with Zapier. Popular integrations include Slack, Google Drive, GitHub, and Zoom.

Reviews: “ClickUp is easy to use. ClickUp has become a business tool that I cannot do without. I have both a business and a personal account because I adore this app. There are other task and project management choices available, however, none compare to ClickUp in terms of customization or functionality. They provide best customer service.” — G2 Review

Comparison: explore these ClickUp alternatives and our ClickUp vs monday.com comparison guide.

9. Zoho Projects

Zoho Projects is a cloud based project management software that helps organizations manage their resources. It comes with tools for task management, reporting, and issue tracking .

Zoho projects top features

Blueprint: Zoho Projects’ Blueprint feature allows users to create project templates, making it easier to launch new projects with predefined workflows. Risk management: The Risk Management feature helps users identify and manage potential project risks, minimizing the chance of project delays or failures. Custom fields: With custom fields, users can track and report unique project metrics specific to their needs

• Comprehensive analysis: Comes with a suite of reporting tools to gain insights into project performance and make data-driven decisions.
• Workflows: You can automate routine tasks and processes, allowing teams to focus on high-value workflows.
• Limited integrations: Zoho’s integrations for leave management system and attendance are very limited.
• Document storage: The software’s document storage function isn’t compatible for every file type.

Pricing:  $4/user/month with annual plan. Free plan available.

Integrations: Zoho Projects integrates seamlessly with other Zoho apps and offers integrations with popular third-party tools like Google Apps, Microsoft Office 365, and Slack. It also provides an API for custom integrations.

Reviews: “I love the interface of Zoho, it is very intuitive and very easy to use. It has a lot of features task management, people management, time tracking. Also, there are collaboration features as well. The dashboard for every single project helps me a lot to keep track of everything. The integration with other apps is also very useful.” — G2 Review

Nifty Project Management is an online project management tool designed to improve team collaboration and project efficiency.

Nifty top features

Task management: Team members can create, assign, and track tasks, set deadlines, and receive notifications.

Time tracking: A built-in time-tracking feature helps team members track their time spent on specific tasks.

Project roadmaps: Plot milestones and deadlines.

• Project portfolio management: Nifty lets you create folders for projects into portfolios based on operations, account ownership, client delivery, and more.
• Time tracking: The built-in time tracking feature helps teams keep track of their work hours and make more accurate estimates for future projects.
• Limited customization: Nifty’s customization options are limited compared to other project management tools.
• Lack of advanced features: Nifty may not have some of the advanced features that larger teams or more complex projects may require.

Pricing: $3.90/user/month with annual plan. Free plan available.

Integrations: Nifty offers integrations with tools like Slack, Google Drive, Zoom, and GitHub. It also integrates with Zapier, expanding its connectivity options.

Reviews: “Nifty is simple to use, but at the same time has a lot of features. It’s intuitive, so no need to get a whole training to be able to use it. In the company, we use it mainly for project management, task assignment, docs organization, and client communication. Even the less tech-savvy client is able to use it with no major issues.” — G2 Review

11. Todoist

Todoist is a web-based project management and productivity platform designed to schedule and plan daily routine tasks. It lets users collect tasks, organize projects and plan their day.

Todoist top features

Natural language input: Todoist allows users to add tasks quickly and easily using natural language, without the need for complicated forms or menus.

Smart schedule: Todoist’s smart schedule feature suggests the best date and time to schedule tasks based on their due dates, priorities, and other factors.

Customization: Todoist offers a range of customization options, including themes, filters, and labels, allowing users to personalize their task management experience.

• Remote access: Todoist is available on multiple platforms, including web, mobile, and desktop, making it easy to access and manage tasks from anywhere.
• Reminders:Reminders feature sends notifications to users when a task is due or approaching its due date.
• Complexity:Some users may find Todoist’s interface and features overwhelming, especially if they are new to task management apps.
• No-offline access: Todoist requires an internet connection, which could be problematic for users who need offline access.

Pricing: $4/user/month with annual plan. Free plan available.

Integrations: Todoist integrates with a variety of productivity tools including Google Calendar, Slack, Zapier, and Amazon Alexa. It also offers an API for custom integrations.

Reviews: “For me, Todoist is like a lifesaver. It was easy to set up and really helps in putting everything into clear to-do lists, even for big projects with my team. Plus, it makes changing deadlines very easy.” — G2 Review

Miro is a powerful project management and collaboration tool that helps teams work more efficiently and effectively. With its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features, Miro allows teams to plan, execute, and deliver projects.

Miro features

Visual collaboration: Users can create boards, add sticky notes, and invite team members to work together from anywhere in the world.

Integrations: Miro integrates with a variety of popular tools like Trello, Slack, and Google Drive.

Templates: Miro provides a library of templates for different types of projects, including product roadmaps, user story maps, and agile boards.

• Customizable: Miro can be customized to fit the specific needs of a team or project.
• Real-time collaboration: Miro’s mobile app allows teams to work together in real-time, no matter where they are located.
• Miro can be expensive for smaller teams and individual users.
• There can be a learning curve for some users, especially those who are not familiar with visual collaboration tools.

Pricing:  $8/user/month with annual plan. Free plan available.

Integrations: Miro offers integrations with over 100 tools including Slack, Microsoft Teams, Asana, Jira, and Google Drive. It also provides an API for custom integrations.

Reviews: “I absolutely love the overall interface of Miro. It’s clean, inviting, and aesthetically pleasing, making it a joy to use. The user-friendly design ensures that even complex tasks are easy to manage, which significantly enhances productivity and collaboration.” — G2 Review

Hive is a productivity platform designed for teams to collaborate and streamline their workflow. It offers real-time communication, task management, and analytics to ensure teams stay on track and meet their goals.

Hive top features

Action templates: Allows users to create and automate tasks, saving time and increasing efficiency.

Forms: Users can create custom forms to collect data and feedback from team members and stakeholders.

External actions: There is an option to integrate with external tools like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Salesforce.

• Customizable workspace: Users can personalize their workspace to fit their needs and preferences.
• Robust analytics: Provides detailed insights into team performance and project progress.
• Limited integrations: Compared to other project management tools, Hive has a limited number of integrations available.
• Limited mobile app functionality: The mobile app lacks some of the features available on the desktop version.

Pricing:  $5/user/month with annual plan. Free plan available.

Integrations: Hive integrates with over 1,000 apps through native integrations and Zapier. Popular integrations include Slack, Zoom, Google Drive, and Salesforce.

Reviews: “It is intuitive, easy to use, and what you can’t figure out? They have great customer support and the Hive Univeristy. We use it daily. Like in daily task lists, the templates are AWESOME!. They’ve made things so easy for us to set up programs, consistent habits, build projects, communicate, it’s amazing!” — G2 Review

Notion is a web based productivity and note-taking app comprising several organizational tools such as task management, to-do lists, project tracking and bookmarking.

Notion top features

Embeddable content: Notion allows users to embed various types of content such as Google Docs, Trello boards, and more, enhancing collaboration and accessibility.

Relational databases: With Notion’s relational database feature, users can connect different types of data across multiple pages and databases, making it easier to track information and analyze data.

Customizable templates: Notion provides a vast selection of customizable templates.

• Powerful integrations: Notion integrates with Trello, Slack, and Google Drive, and more.
• Offline access: Notion allows users to work offline, ensuring that they can stay productive even when they don’t have an internet connection.
• Steep learning curve: Notion’s powerful features can take some time to fully understand and master, which may be a barrier to entry for some users.
• Multi-project management: Some users have reported that managing multi-projects on Notion is a very tedious process.

Pricing: $8/user/month with annual plan. Free plan available.

Integrations: Notion offers integrations with tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Trello. While its native integrations are more limited, it offers an API for custom integrations and connects with Zapier for expanded options.

Reviews: “Notion is incredible at giving you the flexibility you need to create whatever you need—from a simple notes library to reminders to project management. Over my two years of using it I’ve developed systems that help me in my day-to-day tasks both as a business owner, creative freelancer, and even a father of 4 kids. All of my notes and projects live inside Notion and I use it daily.” — G2 Review

Comparison: Explore these Notion alternatives

15. Airtable

Airtable is a web-based low-code productivity platform to build collaborative apps. It’s designed for custom workflow creation, collaboration, and communication on shared development projects.

Airtable top features

Custom extensions: With its Blocks SDK, users can create their own integrations, visualizations, and internal tools.

Linked records: Airtable’s Linked Records feature enables users to connect records from multiple tables within a single base, creating complex relational databases that are easy to manage.

Automations: With Airtable’s Automations, users can automate repetitive tasks and workflows without the need for complex coding or integration.

• Real-time data accessibility: Airtable functions like a relational database where teams can see centralized data as it changes or gets updated in real-time.
• Intuitive apps builder: Airtable’s no-code/low-code architecture allows users to build the tools that meet their needs.
• Limited reporting: Airtable’s reporting capabilities are limited compared to more advanced database software.
• Limited exporting options: Airtable’s exporting options are limited compared to more advanced database software.

Pricing:  $20/user/month with annual plan. Free plan available.

Integrations: Airtable offers a wide range of integrations including Slack, Google Drive, Jira, and Salesforce. It also provides an API and supports Zapier for additional integration options.

Reviews: “Airtable stands out because you can customize everything: fields, views, even templates. This flexibility lets you use it for anything from data visualization to project tracking. Plus, it’s super collaborative – assign tasks, leave comments, and see updates in real time. It’s our daily go-to task tracker, easy to use, and even connects with Google Sheets for extra power.” — G2 Review

Comparison: Explore these Airtable alternatives

16. Adobe Workfront

Adobe Workfront is a comprehensive work management platform designed to help enterprise teams plan, manage, and execute complex projects. It offers robust features for project management, resource allocation, and collaboration, making it suitable for large organizations with diverse project needs.

Adobe Workfront top features

Resource management: Optimize team workload and capacity planning.

Custom workflows: Create and automate workflows tailored to your organization’s needs.

Reporting and analytics: Generate detailed reports and dashboards for data-driven decision-making.

• Highly customizable to fit various business processes.
• Strong integration with other Adobe products.
• Can be complex to set up and may require extensive training.
• Higher price point compared to some alternatives.

Pricing: Custom pricing based on organizational needs. Contact Adobe for a quote.

Integrations: Adobe Workfront offers extensive integrations with Adobe Creative Cloud apps and other popular tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Salesforce. It also provides an API for custom integrations.

Reviews: “I find the assigning tasks and getting notifications helpful, this makes it easy to move through a project or initiative without needing to baby sit people. Having a request queue has been a hige help for my department as well, so we can field requested work coming in and prioritize it before its assigned.” — G2 Review

Comparison: Explore these Adobe Workfront Alternatives

17. Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project is a project management software developed and sold by Microsoft. It’s designed to assist project managers in developing plans, assigning resources, tracking progress, managing budgets, and analyzing workloads.

Microsoft Project top features

Gantt charts: Visualize project timelines and dependencies.

Resource management: Allocate and track resources across projects.

Integration with Office 365: Seamlessly work with other Microsoft tools

• Robust planning and scheduling capabilities.
• Familiar interface for users of other Microsoft products.
• Steep learning curve for new users.
• Limited collaboration features compared to some modern alternatives.

Pricing: Starts at $10/user/month for the cloud-based version. On-premises versions also available.

Integrations: Microsoft Project integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 apps and offers some third-party integrations. It also provides an API for custom integrations, though its integration ecosystem is more limited compared to some competitors.

Reviews: “It’s easy to use, can be tempalitized, easy to export and maintain the critical paths. Also it’s integration with Microsoft and few Non Microsoft products. Its better product for sml to mid size organisations to manage the project and monitor it’s progress.” — G2 Review

18. ActiveCollab

ActiveCollab is a project management tool that focuses on simplicity and ease of use. It’s designed to help teams organize tasks, collaborate on projects, and track time and expenses.

ActiveCollab top features

Task management: Create, assign, and track tasks with ease.

Time tracking: Built-in timer for accurate project time tracking.

Invoicing: Generate invoices based on tracked time and expenses.

• User-friendly interface with a short learning curve.
• Combines project management with basic invoicing features.
• May lack some advanced features needed by larger teams.
• Limited integration options compared to some competitors.

Pricing: Starts at $7.50/user/month when billed annually. Self-hosted option available.

Integrations: ActiveCollab offers integrations with tools like Slack, Zapier, and QuickBooks. While its native integrations are more limited, it does provide an API for custom solutions.

Reviews: “It’s an ideal tool for tracking project management activities during our weekly lineouts. In my sprint, I can see what everyone is working on, write notes, track time, and label it properly.” — G2 Review

Height is a modern project management and team collaboration tool that aims to combine the best features of task management, documentation, and communication platforms.

Height top features

Flexible views: Switch between list, board, and calendar views.

Real-time collaboration: Edit and comment on tasks in real-time.

Customizable fields: Tailor task properties to fit your workflow.

• Clean, intuitive interface.
• Combines task management with team chat functionality.
• Relatively new platform, may lack some advanced features.
• Limited integrations compared to more established tools.

Integrations: Height offers integrations with popular tools like Slack, GitHub, and Figma. As a newer platform, its integration ecosystem is still growing, but it does offer an API for custom integrations.

Reviews: “UI is very clear and looks great! Clean colors, visible tasks. I am using a well-known task tool and the interface is making the work unbearable. This tool seems so simple and efficient, I hope it lives up to its promise! I only just started using it, but I have a good feeling this is going to make managing projects easier.” — G2 Review

Additional project management software

While the tools mentioned above are some of the most popular options, the project management software landscape is diverse. Here are some additional tools worth considering, each with its unique strengths:

• GanttPro: Specializes in Gantt chart creation and management with a browser-based interface.
• ProjectManager: Versatile solution with comprehensive features for planning and tracking projects.
• TeamGantt: Focuses on Gantt chart functionality for work visualization and tracking.
• Forecast: Stands out with advanced resource planning capabilities and robust project management features.
• Teamwork.com: Popular among marketing and professional service teams for managing projects, deliverables, and billing.
• Zenhub: Tailored for software development teams with close GitHub integration.
• ProWorkflow: Excels in supporting both internal and external collaboration with customizable workflows.
• Celoxis: Comprehensive platform suitable for complex, enterprise-level projects.
• Plutio: All-in-one tool designed for freelancers and small businesses, combining task management, time tracking, and invoicing.

Why do companies need project management software? 

Project management software transforms how teams work, boosting efficiency and driving success.

Here’s why companies rely on it:

• Enhances productivity: Teams accomplish more in less time by streamlining workflows and automating repetitive tasks.
• Centralizes file and data access: All project-related information is stored in one place, eliminating time wasted searching for documents.
• Simplifies task management: Easily assign, track, and complete tasks, turning complex projects into manageable steps.
• Increases transparency: Team members clearly see who’s responsible for what, reducing confusion and duplicated efforts.
• Enables real-time goal setting and progress tracking: Set clear objectives and monitor progress instantly, allowing for timely adjustments.
• Improves resource management: Efficiently allocate time, skills, and resources across projects to maximize output.
• Boosts collaboration and communication: Facilitates seamless interaction between team members, regardless of location or time zone.

By addressing these key areas, project management software helps companies stay organized, meet deadlines, and achieve their goals more effectively. It’s an essential tool for any business looking to optimize their operations and stay competitive in today’s fast-paced market.

Choose the project management platform that will best fit your business

As more teams work remotely and more businesses see the value of an organized work environment, it’s crucial that you identify which project planning software is right for you.

Do you want something focused on time and task management? Or monday work management, a complete, customizable, open platform that makes work…work.

What is the most commonly used project management tool?

While popularity varies by industry and team size, monday.com is one of the most widely adopted project management tools. Its versatility and user-friendly interface contribute to its widespread use.

What app do project managers use?

Project managers use a variety of tools, with monday.com being a top choice. It offers comprehensive features for planning, tracking, and collaborating, making it suitable for diverse project management needs.

- Enhanced productivity - Centralized file and data access - Simple task management - Transparency between team members - Real-time goal setting and progress tracking - Accurate resource management - Better collaboration and communication

Is there a Google project management tool?

Google offers some basic project management features within Google Workspace, but it's not a dedicated project management solution. For more robust capabilities, many teams turn to specialized tools like monday.com, which also integrates well with Google's suite.

1. Portfolio management view so teams can stay on top of everything 2. Automations to automate aspects of team processes and get time back for the more important things 3. Dashboards to share valuable insight

Which project management software is best for beginners?

monday.com is often recommended for beginners due to its intuitive interface and customizable features. It offers a gentle learning curve while providing powerful project management capabilities that grow with your needs.

What is the most user-friendly project management tool for 2024?

User-friendliness is subjective, but monday.com consistently ranks high in this category. Its visual approach, drag-and-drop functionality, and customizable views make it accessible for users of all experience levels.

Small Business Productivity, Tools and Tips – Android and iPhone Sync

Sailing into the future: the function of workplace dynamics streamlining with resource scheduling software.

Modern businesses have a truckload of problems waiting for resolution. However, most companies in the 21st-century workforce grapple with issues such as resource allocation, employee productivity, and project management. In fact, according to statistics, 67% of employees believe they work in a toxic work environment, 89% have experienced burnout, and employee burnout can be responsible for about 50% of annual turnover. 

If you think burnout is just due to micromanagement or other organizational hiccups, you are not entirely wrong. However, the root cause of overburdening employees in an organization is inefficient resource allocation. This is where resource scheduling software can be immensely helpful. Unlike the conventional resource management methods, using workforce scheduling software , businesses can get more visibility and transparency and manage remote and distributed teams seamlessly. 

What is Resource Scheduling Software?

If you are starting from ground zero and wondering what resource scheduling software is, let us tell you: it is a tool that can facilitate the allocation and management of an organization’s resources, including personnel, equipment, and time. From automating scheduling processes to reducing the risk of overbooking, reducing administrative burden, and enhancing the visibility of resource usage, resource scheduling software can provide a centralized platform where managers can monitor progress, assign tasks, and adjust schedules in real time. 

A resource scheduling tool has several features including the following:

• Real-time scheduling enables dynamic adjustments and updates to schedules, so managers can ensure that resources are optimally allocated. 
• A clear view of resource availability , so there can be fewer conflicts within an organization and an organization can efficiently use assets. 
• Reporting and Analytics capabilities for businesses that want to use data-backed insights for strategic decision-making. 
• Integration capabilities with other enterprise systems for a unified and rock-solid operational framework. 
• User-friendly interface so all stakeholders can quickly adopt the software and minimize training requirements. 

How Can a Resource Scheduling Tool Enhance Workplace Dynamics?

Poor resource management isn’t just atrocious and overburdening from the employee point of view, it can also lead to increased operational costs due to overstaffing, underutilization, or inefficient use of resources. In the organizational landscape, a resource allocation and scheduling tool can greatly help to stabilize the high-octane workforce dynamics, and we are going to talk about some of these ways today!

Enhancing Workplace Dynamics:

For one, resource scheduling software can improve resource allocation. It can provide a comprehensive view of resource availability and demand, and using the data from the allocation software, managers can assign tasks more efficiently. The allocation tool can ensure that the right resources are deployed at the right time, and this leads to a more balanced workload distribution that reduces burnout and enhances employee satisfaction. 

In addition, resource scheduling also streamlines cross-department communication by offering a transparent view of schedules and task assignments. The transparency offered by the allocation tool can help to identify potential bottlenecks, enable proactive problem-solving, and increase efficiency and productivity by minimizing the risk of errors associated with manual scheduling. 

Streamlining Project Management

Enterprises struggle with project management because they don’t have the time or luxury to make real-time adjustments to resource schedules during their project lifecycle. However, a resource scheduling tool can allow managers to respond quickly to changes in project scope, deadlines, or resource availability, and this agility ensures that projects remain on track and that resources are utilized efficiently.

Besides, an allocation tool also has predictive analytics capabilities  that can help to forecast resource needs and potential conflicts. By analyzing historical data and current trends, the software can predict future resource demands and ensure that projects are adequately sourced. Besides, the reporting and analytics features also provide insights into resource-related expenses and aid in budget planning and cost control.

Facilitating Remote Work

In the era of remote work, flexible scheduling has become more important than ever. Resource scheduling software supports remote work by enabling employees to access schedules and assignments from any location. Managing remote teams can be challenging; however, with an automated scheduling tool, executives in leadership positions can ensure that remote teams remain aligned with organizational goals, and they can track progress and assess employee performance to reduce the likelihood of delays or quality issues. 

With the rise of remote, hybrid, and scattered workforce models, using resource scheduling software isn’t an option anymore. To adapt according to the evolving workforce dynamics, coordinate tasks more effectively, ensure accountability, and maintain productivity, businesses need workforce scheduling software . The software can support all sorts of workforces with a centralized database and unified platform for task assignments, progress tracking, communication, and more. Looking for a tool that can help you access schedules and updates from anywhere and make workload distribution easy? Opt for eResource Scheduler and ensure your teams remain productive and aligned with organizational goals! 

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Readvertised - Communication Officer, NO-B, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Fixed Term, ( Ethiopian Nationals only)#120186

Job no: 574208 Position type: Fixed Term Appointment Location: Ethiopia Division/Equivalent: Nairobi Regn'l(ESARO) School/Unit: Ethiopia Department/Office: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Categories: Communication

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, Advocacy

Ethiopia is situated in the Horn of Africa and is the second most populous country on the continent with an estimated population of 115 million. It borders six African countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, and covers 1,104,300 square kilometers. Approximately 85 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Ethiopia represents a melting pot of ancient cultures with Middle Eastern and African cultures evident in the religious, ethnic, and language composition of its people.

Over the past two years, children and their families across Ethiopia faced multiple and complex emergencies, such as the conflict in the northern Ethiopia and the drought, which resulted in millions of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. UNICEF has programmes in Child Protection, WASH, Health, Nutrition, Social Policy, and Education and serves over 15 million children in Ethiopia. Join UNICEF Ethiopia to contribute to improving the lives of children and women.

Watch a video about the  Day of the African Child  

How can you make a difference?  

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES and DUTIES & TASKS 

Communication materials

Ensure that the production of communication products and materials is timely executed and followed up to support country communication strategy, regional and global campaigns and priorities and to support resource mobilization as set out in the work plan.

• Implement the tasks in the country communication work plan and strategy as assigned.
• Gather content and coverage of relevant country efforts to identify effective relevant country programme activities and results. Develop complementary, country specific and local community materials and activities.
• Produce advocacy and communication materials (e.g. briefing notes, images, video. Web pages etc.) that meet the country and global standards as set out in the Communication Toolkit.
• Assist in drafting and editing articles, press releases, human interest stories and other advocacy/information materials for both web-based and traditional media, as appropriate.
• Follow up on the production of advocacy and communication materials (e.g., films, videos, audio-visuals, etc.), and oversee the qualitative aspects of production, (e.g., quality control, translations, reviews of layout and graphic design etc.) to meet standards as set out in the Communication Toolkit.
• Establish or maintain an up-to-date documentation centre for communication materials including publications, press releases and clippings, photographs, audio-visual materials, web resources etc.
• Recommend appropriate information and communication materials for use in media, and other advocacy and communication activities; recommend the appropriateness, quality and dissemination of printed and audio-visual materials.
• Recommend established contacts, networks, resources and processes to support communication activities.

Media relations

Effective and timely professional assistance and support are provided in developing, drafting and maintaining contact information, materials and relationships with journalists and media outlets covering all media – print, TV, radio, web etc. – in the country, to communicate the story of UNICEF's cooperation to a wider audience.

• Maintain and update media relations contact list/database. Ensure rapid and accurate information dissemination to the media.
• Assist in developing and maintaining close collaboration with mass media, as well as with groups and organizations whose support is essential to the achievement of advocacy and communication objectives.
• Assist in drafting and editing articles, press releases, human interest stories and other advocacy/information materials in all media formats, as appropriate.
• Prepare background communication and promotional materials for briefing and visits of media and other special interest groups. Assist in the planning, logistic and administrative arrangements for them.
• Assist in collaborating with the media through activities such as organizing project site visits, facilitating photo coverage and TV footage and utilizing both web-based and traditional media as appropriate.
• Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials. Maintain a library of coverage (clippings, coverage etc.)

Monitoring and evaluation

Regular monitoring and evaluation activities are undertaken according to the work plan to ensure maximum impact and continuous improvement of country communication efforts. Ensure results and reports are prepared and shared on a timely basis.

• Contribute to developing an advocacy and communication strategy by coordinating appropriate audience research and compiling and analysing relevant data.
• Monitor and evaluate the appropriate and timely dissemination of advocacy and communication materials to target audiences, and participate in the evaluation of their impact. Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials. Maintain a library of coverage (clippings, coverage etc.)
• Monitor the public perception of UNICEF in the country and recommend appropriate action to maintain a positive image for the organization.
• Assist in providing feedback to DOC on the use and appropriateness of global communication materials such as publications, images and multimedia products.
• Ensure good quality data collection, analysis and evaluation and reporting to ensure effective communication strategies, planning and effective and efficient advocacy.
• Undertake lessons learned review of successful and unsuccessful communication experiences as directed by supervisor.

Celebrities, partners and special events

Ensure that the Country Office’s contact list of individuals, groups, organizations and fora ( including Government, UN, and bilateral counterparts) , are maintained and further developed, whose support is essential to/can assist in achieving the advocacy and communication objectives and who support and are able to actively participate in special events and activities that further the country programme goals.

• Help organize and generate public support for special events and activities to promote country programme goals.
• Maintain and update celebrity and partner contact lists/database for country office.
• Monitor/document process and effectiveness of working with these individuals/organizations.
• Prepare background communication and promotional materials for briefings and visits of media, Goodwill Ambassadors, donors, National Committee representatives and other special interest groups. The task includes preparing information materials (e.g., press releases, programme summaries, country fact sheets and media kits), and assisting in the planning, logistics and administrative arrangements.

Social media content development and management: Gather, initiate, edit, and develop content (stories, photos, and audio-visual material) to be posted on social media platforms and the web. Develop and manage UNICEF Ethiopia’s social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, the country’s Intranet, and website including posting of messages, photos, and story content, either routinely, ad hoc, or in line with a meeting, visit, event or campaign.

• Gather, initiate, edit, and develop content (stories, photos, and audio-visual materials) to be posted on social and digital media platforms including the UNICEF Ethiopia website.
• Coach/train UNICEF Ethiopia staff members on the use of social media.
• Develop, implement, and manage UNICEF Ethiopia’s strategic approach to social media and develops a work plan.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education:  

University degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or a related field.

• Work Experience:

At least two [2] years of relevant work experience in in communication, print and broadcast media or interactive digital media. 

Field work experience Background/familiarity with Emergency situations.

• Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required.

Knowledge of Amharic as the National language of Ethiopia and any other official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is an asset.

Desirables:

• Training/experience in emergency response management highly desirable.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone , irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce , such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities . UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable  female candidates and persons with disability  are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

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UNICEF is looking for a seasoned professional who will be Assists in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating an advocacy and communication strategy to get children’s and women’s issues into the public domain, strengthen political will in support of UNICEF's mission and objectives in the country, and enhance the organization’s credibility and brand. If you have the required profile, you are highly encouraged to apply. Taking up this assignment is motivating and rewarding.

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• THE ECB BLOG

How central bank communication affects the economy

31 July 2024

By Stefan Gebauer, Thomas McGregor and Julian Schumacher

Central banks choose their words very carefully. And rightly so – policy makers’ wording can move markets and, eventually, the economy. This ECB Blog post shows how unexpected changes in communication influence growth and inflation.

Central banks need to communicate clearly. This helps the public understand the rationale behind monetary policy decisions and shape market expectations. Their statements sometimes provide explicit forward guidance on the future direction of monetary policy. These statements also reveal how decision-makers assess the economy, which in turn influences public expectations of how the central banks may react in the future. Can central bankers’ choice of words – the communication tone – influence the economy? In this blog, we show that the tone of ECB monetary policy communication indeed affects macroeconomic outcomes in the euro area.

Measuring the tone of communication

Our analysis is based on a central bank communication measure described in an earlier post . A natural language processing algorithm quantifies the tone of the Governing Council’s policy communication, specifically the ECB’s monetary policy statements (MPS) and press conference transcripts, which include journalists’ questions and the President’s answers. These texts are broken down into individual messages on specific topics, to which we assign numerical scores measuring their tone.

The algorithm is based on a set of dictionaries. First, the individual messages communicated during the press conference are categorised by topic distinguishing between monetary policy, the economic outlook, and inflation. Next, these messages are quantified both in terms of the direction and strength of the sentiment of the communication. For instance, the phrase “most measures of underlying inflation declined further” scores -1 (dovish), whereas a wording like “underlying inflation has fallen rapidly” would produce a score of -1.5 (even more dovish), with the index ranging from -2 to +2.

The resulting sentiment scores co-move closely with “hard” measures of related macroeconomic and financial variables (Chart 1). Changes in the inflation tone tend to lead changes in the 1y1y ILS forward rates – a common indicator for inflation expectations. Similarly, changes in the economic tone tend to lead GDP growth, suggesting that the sentiment contained in the ECB’s official communication is more than just a reflection of realised data. In addition, the tone of communication on monetary policy co-moves closely with market-based monetary policy expectations, as expressed in the 1y OIS rate. The exceptions here are during periods when the central bank applies forward guidance, as was the case for the ECB between July 2013 and mid-2022.

Co-movement of sentiment scores on inflation, the economy and monetary policy with macroeconomic data

(left hand scale in all panels: index; right hand scale in left and right panels: percentage points, right hand scale in middle panel: quarter on quarter percent change)

Sources: Refinitiv, Eurostat, and ECB calculations. Notes: The charts show the evolution of the inflation, economic and monetary policy tone from the press conference transcripts following monetary policy decisions by the Governing Council (left hand axis) against the 1-year inflation linked swap (ILS) rate 1-year from now, the quarter-on-quarter GDP growth rate and the 1-year overnight indexed swap (OIS) rate (right hand scales).

Latest observations are 3 May 2024 for the 1-year ILS, 30 March 2024 for HDP and 11 April 2024 for the inflation and economic tone indices.

However, we cannot simply relate changes in the sentiment scores to future economic outcomes: causality can run in both directions. Changes in policy sentiment are affected by the Governing Council’s monetary policy decisions which are influenced by the economic outlook in the first place.

The monetary policy sentiment index measures the tone of central bank communication on monetary policy, with an increase in the index signalling a more “hawkish” tone and a decrease in the index signalling a more “dovish” tone. That causality can run both ways is also true here: We know that central bank communication typically follows economic data. Therefore, changes in the monetary policy tone could simply reflect a shift in communication caused by changes in economic conditions. In such a case, the updated communication should not come as a surprise to the public and should have little effect on the economic decisions taken by households and firms.

Identifying unexpected changes to communication

But the tone of communication can also offer new insights into the direction of monetary policy itself. What happens when changes in communication on monetary policy come as a surprise to the public? To answer this question, we construct a measure of the extent to which central bank communication contains surprises, i.e. changes in the policy tone that are independent of both current and expected macroeconomic conditions.

We use two steps to isolate what we call “monetary policy communication shocks” from the monetary policy communication tone that the public expects. The first step is to measure the extent to which changes in the monetary policy tone are driven by changes in the Eurosystem's inflation and growth projections that were available at a given Governing Council meeting. We also check if changes in the output and inflation sentiment indices discussed above matter. What’s left over are changes in the monetary policy communication tone that are plausibly independent of the revelation of the Governing Council’s information about the economic outlook and inflation. One could think of nuances in the Governing Council’s interpretation of data, or of situations in which the Governing Council draws different policy conclusions from the data than the average observer.

Even these residual changes in the monetary policy tone may, however, already be anticipated by the public. This can happen, for example, if Governing Council members express their opinions on monetary policy in public between policy meetings, or if the public already internalises how the ECB adapts its language to data releases. The second step is, therefore, to restrict the communication surprises to those in which the financial market reaction shows a pattern that is in line with a monetary policy shock, as outlined in the work of Jarociński and Karadi (2020) . For instance, a hawkish shift in the policy tone would need to coincide with a drop in stock prices to be classified as a hawkish policy communication shock. A dovish shift in communication would need to occur alongside a rise in stock prices to count as a dovish policy communication shock. For the intraday financial market reaction to Governing Council meetings, we use the database of Altavilla et al. (2019) .

How communication shocks affect the economy

Having identified these monetary policy communication shocks, we then estimate their dynamic effects on output and prices using the local projection method (Jordà, 2005). We control for macroeconomic and financial variables and estimate the model for both standard monetary policy shocks as typically identified in the literature and policy communication shocks. Standard monetary policy shocks reflect any surprise in the actual decision on interest rates, rather than unexpected changes in the surrounding communication. For instance, if the Governing Council were to raise rates by 25 bps and the public expected only 10 bps, that would spell a standard interest rate shock of 15bps. We estimate the model on a monthly frequency for the period from January 2002 to February 2020. For the latest data points, we allow the forward horizons to capture the evolution of the dependent variable up to January 2024.

The results indicate that surprises in central bank communication significantly affect prices and real activity. A surprise hawkish shift in monetary policy communication (positive shock) leads to a significant and sizable decrease in inflation and economic activity. Chart 2 shows how output and prices respond to surprise changes in monetary policy-related communication and interest rates. The shocks are scaled to make “large” changes in communication and interest rates comparable , and we show the impact of the respective shocks on output and prices at different horizons.

We confirm the standard result that interest rates shocks have large impacts on the economy. In addition, we find that communications shocks matter too. Their effect is smaller, but still significant. Also, the main impact on the economy is reached later for communication shocks. For instance, we see real economic activity, measured as industrial production, decline by 2.3% two years after a hawkish communication shock. That effect compares to a decline of approximately 3.5% for an interest rate shock which is already playing out one year later. On inflation, a hawkish communication shock is associated with a 0.1 percent decline after two years; that compares to an almost 0.9 percent decline for an interest rate shock.

One reason for the delayed effects of communication shocks could be that observers need more time to internalise changes in central bank communication on monetary policy and to factor them into economic decision making. Changes in interest rates are directly observable and differences from market expectations are clear. A related question is whether communication shocks lead to changes in policy rates in the future. It turns out that futures markets for interest rates have a relatively muted response to our communication shocks, meaning that these shocks do not necessarily give a clear signal as to the future direction of policy rates.

Response of key macroeconomic variables to policy rate and communication shocks

(percentage change of output and inflation in response to tightening policy rate and communication shocks over the period Jan 2002 to Jan 2020).

Sources: Eurostat and ECB staff calculations. Notes: Charts show the responses of industrial production and the HICP to both tightening policy rate and communication shocks, estimated using local projections (LP). The controls include: one lag of the respective response variable, the euro area unemployment rate, the ECB’s Composite Indicator of Systemic Stress (CISS) in financial markets, the commodity price index (all in log-levels), as well as the level of the economic outlook, inflation and monetary policy topic tone indicators, the 3-month OIS rate, a 10-year GDP-weighted synthetic sovereign bond yield, and the USD/EUR exchange rate. In each model, we control for the interest rate and communication shocks, respectively, as well as the “central bank information shocks” derived by Jarociński and Karadi (2020). All controls, except the response variables, enter the model contemporaneously. Finally, we add forward dummies (that enter at the t+h horizon) for the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The pandemic period is defined as lasting from March 2020 to December 2021 while the war period is from March 2022 onwards. The policy rate shock, as well as the responses, are standardised such that a tightening communication shock results in a 25 bps increase in the 3-month overnight indexed swap (OIS) at peak. The units of the response variables are percentage changes. The communication shock is scaled such that it matches the size of the maximum absolute communication shock observed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The maximum surprise change in the topic tone indicator was observed for the March 2022 meeting, where the continuation/acceleration of the APP rundown announcement possibly triggered a large hawkish surprise in communication.

Regression sample: Jan 2002 to Feb 2020.

Latest observation for the dependent variable taken up in forward regressions is Jan 2024.

Our finding that communication shocks are affecting macroeconomic outcomes imply that central banks need to communicate clearly and carefully weigh their messages to minimise the risk of unintended surprises. Since our results confirm that central bank communication can be a potent policy tool, it should be used in a measured way to avoid ad-hoc surprises.

The views expressed in each blog entry are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the European Central Bank and the Eurosystem.

Check out The ECB Blog and subscribe for future posts.

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As Republicans Attack Harris on Immigration, Here’s What Her Record Shows

Republicans blame Vice President Kamala Harris for the surge of migrants into the United States over the past several years. But a review of her involvement shows a more nuanced record.

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By Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Jazmine Ulloa

Reporting from Washington

As they seek effective attack lines against Vice President Kamala Harris, Republicans are focusing on her role in the Biden administration’s border and immigration policies, seeking to blame her for the surge of migrants into the United States over the past several years.

A review of her involvement in the issue shows a more nuanced record.

President Biden did not assign her the job title of “border czar” or the responsibility of overseeing the enforcement policies at the U.S.-Mexico border, as the Trump campaign suggested on Tuesday in its first ad against her. But she did have a prominent role in trying to ensure that a record surge of global migration did not become worse.

After the number of migrants crossing the southern border hit record levels at times during the administration’s first three years, crossings have now dropped to their lowest levels since Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris took office.

Her early efforts at handling her role and the administration’s policies were widely panned, even by some Democrats, as clumsy and counterproductive, especially in displaying defensiveness over why she had not visited the border. Some of her allies felt she had been handed a no-win portfolio.

Early in the administration, Ms. Harris was given a role that came to be defined as a combination of chief fund-raiser and conduit between business leaders and the economies of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Her attempt to convince companies across the world to invest in Central America and create jobs for would-be migrants had some success, according to immigration experts and current and former government officials.

But those successes only underlined the scale of the gulf in economic opportunity between the United States and Central America, and how policies to narrow that gulf could take years or even generations to show results.

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