Learning how to keep track of tasks at work

There are probably one of two reasons why you are here. Either you are a project manager looking to find the best way to keep track of tasks that are part of a bigger project landscape, or you are here because you want to find out how to keep track of tasks at work for yourself.

It doesn’t really matter which is the cause, because in this article we’ll answer both. 

We’ve tried three different approaches to project management to figure out which is best.

Answering the 3 most common questions about how to keep track of tasks at work

If you came here to learn how some of the best project managers wrangle their task management tools, or if you just want to know what the best way to keep track of tasks across multiple projects is, then you’re in the right place.

How do you keep track of tasks across a project?

To effectively track tasks across a project, you will usually need a combination of tools and techniques, which typically involve project management software, breaking tasks into smaller components, visual aids like Gantt charts and Kanban boards, and any tools that can help foster open communication between team members.

Tools & techniques:

• Project management software to help organize tasks, assign task stakeholders, and track progress.
• Visual tracking methods that include Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and burndown charts.

How do you prioritize tasks?

While it depends on the project in question, you will almost always want to approach this in three steps; list, assess, prioritize.

First you need to create a comprehensive list of all tasks that impact the project goals. This includes both routine tasks and those that directly impact the project itself.

Then you need to assess the importance and urgency of each task. You would usually use an Eisenhower Matrix, the ABCDE method, the MosCow method or RICE scoring in this step.

And last you would create the prioritized list of tasks before you start assigning due dates, and distribute them for execution.

How do you make sure a missed task deadline doesn’t delay the entire project?

Making sure that a missed deadline doesn’t delay your entire project you should focus on proactive planning, clear communication, and flexibility.

• Proactive planning means you set realistic deadlines, and add buffer time between tasks that are dependent upon each other.
• Clear communication means you make sure everyone understands things like project scope, tasks, and deadlines before you start, and you monitor progress and communicate delays during the execution phase.
• Flexibility requires you to make sure all steps of the project can continue (at least to some extent) without a single task bottlenecking the entire project.

We tried 4 different methods to learn how to keep track of work tasks

Over the course of amonth we tested out four different methods, so we could figure out what would be the best way to keep track of tasks at work.

We tried:

• The classic paper planner
• A digital app
• The Eisenhower Matrix
• Email calendar.

Week #1: The classic paper planner

The first week we used a paper planner to create both daily and weekly task layouts. This experiment works under the assumption that writing down tasks by hand would make it easier to remember them.

What we liked: It was tangible, it didn’t include more screen time, and turning to-do’s into ta-da’s (or crossing them off on a physical list) was very satisfying.

What we didn’t like: Making changes to the plan took more time than we’d like.

Week #2: The app

There are a ton of different apps you can use to manage tasks and track your progress throughout the day or over the course of the week, but most of them work in the same way. You create tasks, set priority levels, and set up recurring tasks to repeat, and preferably all of it integrates with your calendar.

What we liked: Task management apps gives you a clean interface and makes it easy to schedule and reschedule tasks and deadlines. 

What we didn’t like: There was a slight learning curve to using the app, but the big problem was the temptation to over-organize and schedule everything down to the tiniest detail.

Week #3: The Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is a simple system where you sort tasks into four quadrants. One axis is urgent/not urgent, and the other is important/not important. Sorting a task into one of the quadrants essentially lets you determine if the task needs attention or not.

• If it’s ‘important’ and ‘urgent’ you should do it now.
• If it’s ‘important’ but ‘not urgent’ you should schedule to do it at a later time.
• If it’s ‘not important’ but ‘urgent’ you should delegate it to someone else.
• And it it’s ‘not important’ and ‘not urgent’ you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.

What we liked: It was a great way to quickly clarify our priorities, and it forced reflection on the importance of each individual task.

What we didn’t like: It doesn’t really work on its own, because it doesn’t help you after the initial sorting, so it needs to be paired with another system like the paper planner or a digital app.

Week #4: Digital calendar

For the fourth week we used our corporate calendar (Google) and scheduled every single task as a meeting.

What we liked: The time blocking aspect was really nice, as we weren’t booked for meetings at the same time we had planned to execute on tasks, and the calendar notifications 10 minutes before was a nice reminder.

What we didn’t like: Adding tasks to the calendar and moving them around were slower than with using a digital app, but still better than writing down by hand.

Which was the best method to  prefer?

So, after we finished our four weeks of testing how to keep track of work tasks, which approach did we stick with?

It might not be a surprise, but we actually went with a hybrid approach going forward, picking the best parts from each approach. We start the week using Eisenhower to prioritize tasks before they’re added in the task management app, and we use the paper planner to create a personal overview of tasks for the day.

Only time will tell if this is the best approach, but the important thing is that we aren’t aiming for perfection, we’re aiming for a sustainable way to keep track of work tasks.