a task assignment meaning

12 Best Practices for Successful Task Assignment and Tracking

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

Key practices for effective task assignment.

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

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

Efficient Task Tracking Methods

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

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

Comparison Table for Task Assignment and Task Tracking

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

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

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

Implementing Task Assignment Practices

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

Successful Task Tracking

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

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

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

Applicability of best practices across industries.

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

List of Industries

• Information Technology
• Construction
• Manufacturing

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

Tabular Representation of Application in Different Industries

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

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

Understanding the task.

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

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

Establishing Clear Objective and Goals

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

Identifying the Right People for the Task

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

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

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

Top tools for task assignment and tracking.

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

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

Choosing the Right Tool for Your Needs

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

Consistent Use of Tools

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

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

Benefits of clear communication.

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

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

How to Communicate Clearly

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

Elements of Clear Communication

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

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

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

Importance of defining expected outcomes.

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

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

Best Practices When Defining Expected Outcomes

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

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

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

Enhancing team productivity through best practices.

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

Key benefits include:

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

Illustrating Productivity Improvement Through a Table

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

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

Challenges faced in implementing best practices.

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

Overcoming the Challenges

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

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

Considerations for Successful Implementation

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

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

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

Best Practices Table

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

Best Practices for Successful Task Assignment and Tracking

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

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

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

Improve Your Business Operations with Retainr.io

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

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

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

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Task assignment in project management

Task assignment in project management is an essential aspect of project management. It involves assigning specific tasks or activities to team members to ensure the smooth functioning and completion of a project.

A well-structured task assignment process helps in breaking down the project into manageable parts, and delegates responsibilities to individuals who have the necessary skills and experience to carry out the work efficiently. In this article , we will discuss the importance of task assignment in project management, the steps involved in the process, and some tips for effective task assignment.

Importance of Task Assignment in Project Management

Task assignment is crucial for the success of a project for several reasons:

• Effective Utilization of Resources: Task assignment helps in identifying the right team members who have the necessary skills and experience to carry out specific tasks. This ensures the effective utilization of resources, avoiding overloading of individuals, and improving productivity.
• Improved Time Management: Task assignment helps in determining the estimated time required to complete each task. This enables project managers to schedule tasks and set realistic deadlines, thereby improving time management and reducing the risk of delays.
• Better Coordination: Task assignment promotes better coordination among team members, as each person knows their specific responsibilities and the tasks they need to complete. This leads to fewer misunderstandings and improves communication between team members.
• Enhanced Accountability: Task assignment enhances accountability, as team members know they are responsible for specific tasks and are expected to complete them within the specified time frame.

Steps Involved in Task Assignment Process

The task assignment process typically involves the following steps:

• Define the project scope and objectives : The first step in task assignment is to clearly define the project scope and objectives. This helps in identifying the tasks that need to be completed to achieve the project goals.
• Identify tasks: The next step is to identify the tasks required to complete the project. This involves breaking down the project into smaller, manageable tasks and activities.
• Assess team members’ skills and availability: Once the tasks have been identified, the next step is to assess the skills and availability of team members. This helps in determining who is best suited for specific tasks and who has the necessary experience and expertise.
• Allocate tasks: Based on the assessment of team members’ skills and availability, tasks are allocated to individuals. It is important to consider individual strengths and preferences when assigning tasks.
• Set deadlines: Once the tasks have been assigned, the next step is to set deadlines for each task. This helps in ensuring that work is completed within the specified time frame.
• Monitor progress: Regular monitoring of task progress is essential to ensure that tasks are being completed on time and to the required standard. Project managers should also address any issues or challenges that arise during the task completion process.

Tips for Effective Task Assignment

• Clearly Define Tasks: It is essential to clearly define tasks to ensure that team members understand their responsibilities and the work they need to complete.
• Consider Individual Strengths and Weaknesses: When assigning tasks, it is important to consider individual strengths and weaknesses. This helps in ensuring that tasks are assigned to individuals who are best suited to carry out the work.
• Set Realistic Deadlines: Deadlines should be set realistically to ensure that tasks are completed on time and to the required standard.
• Regular Communication: Regular communication is important to ensure that team members are aware of any changes or updates to tasks and that any issues or challenges are addressed in a timely manner.
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10 benefits of task assignment

What are the benefits of task assignment? Task assignment can bring a variety of benefits to the workplace, which can have a positive impact on both the organization and its employees.

• Improved productivity: By assigning tasks to the right people, organizations can ensure that the right skills are being used to complete tasks efficiently and effectively. This leads to higher levels of productivity and helps organizations meet their goals.
• Better time management: Task assignment enables individuals and teams to prioritize their workload, manage their time more effectively, and meet deadlines. This helps organizations operate in a more efficient and organized manner.
• Enhanced accountability: Task assignment makes individuals and teams more accountable for their work. This leads to higher levels of performance, as people are more likely to take ownership of their tasks and work to the best of their ability.
• Better delegation: Task assignment allows managers to delegate tasks effectively, freeing up their own time to focus on other important tasks. This helps organizations run more smoothly and improves the overall workflow.
• Improved communication: Task assignment can help improve communication within an organization. When tasks are assigned, individuals and teams are able to discuss their responsibilities, share information, and collaborate effectively.
• Better team collaboration: Task assignment can also help teams work together more effectively. When tasks are assigned to teams, individuals are able to work together to achieve common goals, improving the overall performance of the team.
• Increased motivation: Task assignment can also help increase motivation in the workplace. When individuals and teams are given meaningful tasks that are aligned with their skills and interests, they are more likely to feel engaged and motivated to complete their work.
• Better decision-making: Task assignment helps organizations make better decisions. By assigning tasks to individuals and teams with the relevant expertise, organizations can ensure that the right people are making the right decisions.
• Improved quality: Task assignment can also help improve the quality of work. When tasks are assigned to individuals and teams who have the relevant skills and expertise, the end result is likely to be of higher quality.
• Better resource utilization: Task assignment can help organizations utilize their resources more effectively. By assigning tasks to the right individuals and teams, organizations can ensure that their resources are being used in the most efficient and effective way possible.

In conclusion, task assignment is an essential aspect of project management that plays a critical role in ensuring the success of a project. By breaking down the

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The Ultimate Guide to…

Task Management

Brought to you by projectmanager, the online task management tool used to plan over 2 million projects..

What Is Task Management?

• Why Manage Tasks?

Common Task Management Tools

What is task management software, benefits of task management software, how to manage tasks in projectmanager, how to manage your team’s tasks.

• What You See On a Task Management System
• How To Track Task Progress

How Often Should You Update Your To-Do List?

Should you share task lists, how to save time with task management tools, next steps for task management.

Projects are made up of tasks, and knowing how to manage your tasks and team members is the secret to getting your projects completed on time. At its simplest, task management is having a to-do list, but you’ll soon find that to-do lists aren’t going to cut it for managing project workloads.

Task management is a process where a project manager identifies, monitors and progresses the work that needs to be done during the day. In terms of project management, task management is how the workflow is efficiently organized. It’s task-oriented, detailed and part of the larger scheduling of a project.

Tasks come in all shapes and sizes, and so should task management software. ProjectManager is online project management software that helps teams manage their tasks in real time. Assign and prioritize tasks, set up recurring tasks and give teams a collaborative platform to share files and comments. More than a mere to-do list, our tool also helps track your tasks in real time to keep you on track. Get started for free today.

A task, just like a project, has a life cycle. It starts when the task is ready, then it’s assigned, started, finished and verified. It can also be terminated, expired, paused or failed. Some tasks can be dependent on others to start or finish. The process of monitoring them is known as task tracking and it’s an important aspect of project management.

Task management is a complicated discipline, one that requires great attention to detail, flexibility and the right project management tools.

Why Should You Use Task Management Tools?

You can’t be efficient if all you do is react to whoever shouts the loudest at work. You can’t be efficient purely by answering the next email in your inbox. And data from the Pew Research Center points to another reason that you might not be as good at managing your tasks as you think: 70% of Facebook users spend time on the app every day.

You have to manage your tasks as a group because what comes in next might not be the most important. You have to manage your time to spend the right amount of time working on the priority tasks.

To keep things organized you’ll need a task management tool to help you prioritize tasks, track progress and collaborate with your team. Our free Related: task tracking template is a great place to start monitoring your project tasks.

Task management tools let you stay on top of all your work and help your team hit their deadlines too. The benefits of task management are:

• You can see everything you are working on at once
• You know what your priorities are
• You know how much time you’ve got to do those tasks
• You can group tasks together to work on similar things at the same time

Some project management tools also offer resource management, time tracking, and team collaboration features so that you can manage your projects.

Above all, you can keep a balanced workload so that you can adjust or delegate tasks and deadlines⁠—preventing you from being overworked.

There are lots of project management tools for managing your tasks. We’ll outline a few of the more common tools below.

To-Do Lists

At the simplest, you’ve got a notebook and pen and you can write down your to-do list. The downside of this simple approach is that it’s hard to move tasks around to group them and prioritize them. Today most task management apps come with a to-do list feature that helps you better track, prioritize and assign tasks.

Online Task Lists

The online task list is a step up from a to-do list. Since it’s online, it can be accessed from anywhere, and it can be updated and edited easily.

ProjectManager’s online task list lets you have complete control over your tasks. Add due dates, priority levels, attachments, notes and even tags for easy sorting. Plus, you can set recurring tasks so you don’t have to keep adding them to the project. If you’re working on a team, you can assign tasks to other team members to help carry the workload.

Online Kanban Boards

If task lists just don’t do it for you, try using kanban boards to manage tasks. Kanban boards are a popular project management tool that provides a visual means to manage your project tasks. Tasks are created using kanban cards, which are then placed in relevant columns.

Kanban board columns are typically labeled as “to do, doing, done,” but with ProjectManager you can customize your columns to say whatever you want. Plus, just like with the task list feature, you can add files, comments, priority levels and more to your tasks. The user-friendly interface allows you to quickly track progress levels for tasks, and where a bottleneck or overdue task might be lurking.

Task management software streamlines the process of managing tasks. It gives project managers more control over project tasks and teams the means to work better together to complete those tasks.

Comprehensive task management software , like ProjectManager, lets you use all of the most common task management tools in one software. Task management is more than just making a to-do list and crossing out those tasks once they’re complete. It’s controlling your work, prioritizing tasks, collaborating with team members and tracking progress.

Watch the video below to learn more about task management, and how a well-organized task list can set you up for success.

Powerful task management software can offer a path for your teams to work more productively. A task management tool that is integrated with other project management features is even better and can help you better manage tasks and projects.

Here are some key benefits to look out for when choosing the best task management software to manage your work.

• Track time spent on work
• Collaborate with teams
• Organize, prioritize and assign tasks
• Monitor progress in real-time
• Update status of tasks online
• Attach notes, files, links and make comments to tasks
• Share tasks with the team
• Create personal to-do lists within tasks

Must-Have Task Management Software Features

Prioritize Work & Set Recurring Tasks

More than a to-do list, you need project management software equipped with a task list where you can assign tasks, track progress, set priorities, attach files, share comments and list due dates. Set recurring tasks for repeated work to save time. You want the ability to create your own private task lists and migrate them to Gantt charts too, so you can organize your work.

Visualize & Customize Workflow

Kanban boards visualize workflow and should be easy to use with drag and drop cards. Your kanban board columns need to be customizable so you can align the tool to your project’s production cycle. They can be great to organize tasks, collect product backlog items and plan sprints.

Stay Updated on All Changes

Staying updated with everyone’s work facilitates team collaboration and gives project managers real-time data to make better decisions. Changes to tasks can trigger email alerts to keep everyone on the same page. In-app notification is even better.

Work Better Together

Give your team a collaborative project management platform and they’ll be more productive. Online task management software connects teams anywhere and at any time, to let them comment on their tasks and attach relevant files to foster teamwork.

Get Real-Time Data on Task Progress

To stay on schedule you need to keep an accurate time tracking record of your team’s logged hours on tasks. There are also the costs associated with resources, which must be tracked to stay on budget. An online task management tool can monitor progress and track performance.

Find Tasks Quickly & Easily

Projects have many tasks and you want to be able to find the one you need when you need it. That’s where tags come in. By tagging tasks by priority, department or deliverable, you can quickly filter your work and see just what you want when you want it.

ProjectManager gives you all the task management tools you need to collect, assign and track tasks through every phase of their life cycle.

Here’s a step-by-step list of how to manage your tasks in ProjectManager. Sign up for a free trial and follow along to take control of your project tasks.

1. Import Task List or Start a New One

Tasks are the small jobs that lead to the final deliverable. You break down the larger project into these more manageable tasks, which is called a task list.

In ProjectManager, you can easily import your task list from any spreadsheet or even from another project management software, once it’s been exported. Or you can open a new project and start your task list in the software.

ProjectManager allows you to visualize your task list using multiple project views such as Gantt charts, kanban boards, project calendars or the task list view.

2. Prioritize Tasks

Tasks can be overwhelming unless you first determine what must be done, what’s important and what can be ignored if there’s no time. That’s called prioritization.

ProjectManager has a pulldown menu that can indicate priority. There are preset priorities with symbols and color codes. Now you can filter your task list to see what to work on next.

3. Add Task Descriptions

Tasks should come with directions. Teams shouldn’t be micromanaged, but there is usually project management documentation that clarifies expectations. That frees up both the manager and the team member.

Our project management software has unlimited file storage, so managers and team members alike can attach as many documents and images that they need to the task. Team members can even manage their own tasks by adding to-do lists or comments.

4. Assign Work

No task gets done unless there’s someone assigned to it. Assigning work is what triggers that task’s execution. No amount of direction or organization is going to overcome a lack of accountability.

ProjectManager’s task management tools make assigning tasks easy. Once you’ve invited the team into the project, they’re all collected in the dropdown menu on the task. Simply select one or more team members and they’ll be alerted by email.

5. Switch to Kanban View

Not all team members are going to work the same way. Managers and stakeholders tend to respond to the timeline view of a Gantt chart. Team members, however, want a project view that helps them track tasks and manage their work. Kanban boards are a great task management tool to visualize production cycles and automate workflows .

ProjectManager has a kanban board view that’s fully customizable. Team members can organize their tasks into columns, such as to do, doing and done. Then they can just drag and drop their task card to the appropriate kanban board column. This helps them stay focused on what’s high priority, while providing transparency into what everyone is working on.

6. Set Up Filters

On big projects, tasks are going to need more identifiers than just priority levels, or else they’ll fall through the cracks. Plus project managers will want their team to update their statuses with notes and progress levels.

With ProjectManager’s task tracking features, team members can indicate their status on a progress bar, noting how much work they’ve done. Managers can filter by progress to see what work has been started. You can set custom tags for better categorization, too.

7. Stay Productive with Collaboration Features & Email Alerts

Team collaboration is what makes projects more productive. Getting team members to work better together leads to greater efficiencies and quality deliverables. Being able to give teams collaborative tools is essential to any successful task management.

ProjectManager’s task management tools facilitate collaboration at the task level by giving teams a project management platform to communicate. When a comment is added to the task, an email notifies the other person. If that person isn’t assigned to the task, you can still bring them into the conversation by tagging them in the task list, kanban board, Gantt chart or project calendar view. While it can be difficult to search out these dialogues on email, they’re all tethered to your task and easy to find on ProjectManager.

8. Track with Dashboard

Managing tasks means tracking progress. If your tasks aren’t performing as planned, then your project is in trouble. A task tracking dashboard collects project metrics to give you a high-level view of the project.

ProjectManager has a real-time project management dashboard, so the data collected isn’t from yesterday, but as current as the most recent status update. It then takes all that information and crunches the numbers, displaying the results in user-friendly graphs and charts that can be shared with stakeholders.

9. Get Detailed Reports

Dashboards are good for broad strokes, but managing tasks means getting into the weeds sometimes.

ProjectManager has easy reporting features that can be filtered to show just the data you want. Get reports on tasks, seeing due dates, milestones summary and more. There are also project management reports on variance, workload, availability and others.

ProjectManager gives you much greater flexibility than paper to-do lists and task management apps, and it’s not only about making sure everyone has access to the ‘master’ list of tasks. You can:

• Use kanban boards, Gantt charts, task lists and project calendars.
• Turn task lists into projects
• Export and import lists from Excel or MSP
• Define custom kanban board views
• Filter lists by day/week/month
• Drill down into the details of a task from the task list
• Manage dozens (and even hundreds) of tasks from multiple projects easily with only a few clicks.

If you need a task management software that lets you manage tasks in multiple ways, and roll those tasks up into full-blown projects with resource management, task tracking and reporting tools, then sign up for a free trial of ProjectManager .

One of the big challenges for project managers is making sure that tasks are done by others. When it’s your responsibility, you know that you will get around to it, but when you need to delegate tasks—let’s face it, they probably need a little chase every now and then, even if it is an action that has been recorded in the minutes of a meeting.

When other people take an action in a meeting, make a note of it and add it to your task management app. Assign it to the right person and it will show up in their personal to-do list. Then they won’t forget!

With a project management software like ProjectManager, you’ll be able to monitor progress and see how your team members are doing. Filter the project’s task list by resource to see what work everyone has got on: this gives you an at-a-glance view of the workload for each person. You can then remind them from time to time about what they agreed to do, making sure it is completed before the deadline.

The cool thing here is that it means your simple to-do list is linked to resource management reporting. You can pull up details of who has too much to do and who has some capacity to take on more work, using the information in your task list, Gantt chart or kanban board. It saves a lot of time and duplication of effort.

ProjectManager lets you see your team’s workload at a glance with our resource management tools. Our colorful resource chart indicates if any team member is over or under allocated, and then lets you reassign tasks with just a few clicks to balance the workload.

How to Use a Task Management Software

The main things you’ll see in your task management tool are – obviously! – the tasks. Make the Tasks page of your project management tool the first place you go every day.

You’ll see the work you have assigned to you that day, their percent complete , and the upcoming tasks so you can check that the priorities align to what you feel you need to work on and make any changes to your task list as necessary.

Click any task and you will see the details about that piece of work. In ProjectManager you can go even further, sequencing tasks , sharing status updates, adding links, uploading files and audio messages to your task. It’s a great way of keeping everything to do with that activity in one place.

Tasks that are overdue will be highlighted automatically by the task management app. This is helpful to see what you should have completed by now but haven’t. You can either agree with your team that the due dates for completion needs to be changed or get cracking on making sure that work is finished off. It’s a very visual reminder of what needs to be done!

Pro Tip: Don’t let a long task list overwhelm you. Stay focused and avoid multitasking .

How To Use Task Tracking Features

On your task management tool you’ll see a column for ‘Progress’. This is an indication of how far through you are with the work. Anything that is greater than 0% means the task has started and when it gets to 100% the task life cycle will be considered complete.

In ProjectManager, your team members can update their tasks’ life cycle manually by expanding the task and updating the progress timeline. The task tracking data flows through to the timesheets and updates your project schedules to reflect how the team is getting on with the tasks allocated to them.

The easiest way to stay on top of your deadlines and tasks, and those of your team, is to update your to-do list once any individual item on it is completed. If that sounds like too much to remember, check your to-do list at the end of every day and mark the tasks you finished that day as complete. Mark anything that you started as ‘in progress’.

It will take you a minute or two and it means that tomorrow you’ll be starting work with a clear idea of what you are in the middle of and what should be your next priority.

Pro Tip: Book a 15 minute slot in your calendar at the end of every day to update your task list. If you are using timesheets (and you should be) then you can fill them in at the same time.

Yes! Task management works best when everyone can see what needs to be done. Online task management software makes this easy because your project task list can be shared with the team. Don’t worry about people getting confused about what they personally need to do: each task will be allocated to an individual so you get the whole picture for the project while still knowing what you are personally responsible for.

The exception to this rule is that you will probably want to keep your personal tasks separate from project tasks. Items like completing your expenses, that meeting with HR you’ve been meaning to organize or providing a reference for someone who has just left are tasks that you don’t need to share with your team.

Managing your tasks, and those of your team, takes up valuable time in the day. You may be wondering if it’s worth it. When time is money, are you really going to get a return from spending so much time on managing your workload?

The answer is easy: Yes! Not managing tasks is a recipe for missing deadlines and feeling overwhelmed. You’ll spend more time working out your priorities every week and dealing with the fact you’ve spent time on the less important tasks while ignoring a looming deadline. Ultimately that will cost you money, time and stress.

You can still cut down the amount of time it takes to manage your tasks by using the right project management tools. Here are 5 tips for saving time on task management activities.

• Tip #1: Use Your Project Calendar What gets scheduled gets done. Use your project calendar or project schedule to add deadlines for your tasks. Then you can forecast when you might be busy and when you’ve got extra capacity.
• Tip #2: Stick With One Method Forget sticky notes on your monitor, a list on your tablet, scribbled notes on a piece of paper… you need one to-do list. Using online task management software or an app is the best way because you’ll probably always have your phone or laptop with you. You can quickly open the task management app on your smartphone or tablet and record the task.
• Tip #3: Prioritize your tasks We mentioned this earlier but it’s worth mentioning again. Creating one central list of tasks for you and the project team is a big help, but then you need to think about the right way to tackle that long work management list. Prioritize your tasks. There are two ways to do this: what’s urgent and what’s important. Of course, a task can be urgent and important at the same time and the priority of tasks can change from day to day!
• Tip #4: Track your time Using timesheets for time tracking is a great way to manage tasks. Why? Because it helps you see exactly where you are spending your time during the day and this information lets you prioritize effectively.
• Tip #5: Delegate Finally, look at what you can delegate. You don’t have to do everything on the project yourself. Projects are a great development and learning opportunity for your team members too, so think about what you can delegate to others. Not only can you pat yourself on the back for helping develop their skills, it is also work off your to-do list that you don’t have to do!

If you haven’t already found the task management app that works for you, now is the time to test drive a few products and find one that suits your style.

ProjectManager is easy to use, quick to set up and lets you manage task lists with your team from wherever you are.

Start your free 30-day trial

Task management resources.

• How to Estimate Tasks and Dependencies
• 5 Ways to Improve Time Tracking
• 10 Tips for Better Task Management
• How to Link Tasks on a Project
• Project Management Trends (2022)
• How to Prioritize With Personal Kanban
• How to Schedule Different Project Tasks
• How You Can Manage Task Dependencies
• 5 Tips for Task Estimating
• What Is Batching and How Can I Use It to Get More Done?
• How to Make & Maintain a Project List

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Definition of assignment noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.

• 2 [ uncountable ] the act of giving something to someone; the act of giving someone a particular task his assignment to other duties in the same company

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What is a task? and how to get more of them done

While the word “task” might bring about feelings of despair related to chores or undesirable actions, this is usually related more so to the way you have to manage your time than the task itself.

In this article, we’ll do a deep dive into tasks, show you the best ways to break down larger projects into them, while covering efficient approaches to manage and distribute tasks.

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What is a task in a project?

In project management, a task is a work item or activity with a specific purpose related to the larger goal. It’s a necessary step on the road towards project completion.

For example, it could be something as complex as a mobile app bug fix.

Or it could be something as simple as photocopying the latest brochure for distribution.

Single tasks are typically assigned to a single person or team, while the larger project could be a company-wide endeavor.

The task may or may not include a start and end date or a series of subtasks—this all depends on the complexity of the project at hand, which could be related to industry.

How do you break down a project into smaller tasks?

Even long term Scrum projects that last  11.6 weeks   on average make use of task management to get their work done efficiently and effectively.

Part of task management includes creating manageable workloads, considering task dependencies, and of course, communicating across teams to avoid double work or roadblocks.

To avoid these issues, you need some way to break down the high-level project deliverables and goals into tangible tasks.

In the next section, we’ll show you two of the most popular methodologies, Waterfall, and Scrum.

Work Breakdown Structure

The work breakdown structure (WBS) is the official method of breaking down projects in the PMI Guidebook.

To figure out how to break the entire project into tasks, you first need to divide it into the actual deliverables required to hand over the final product or result to the client.

For example, if you’re planning to make a mountain bike, you can break that down into the frame, handlebars, pedals, wheels, chains, and so on.

( Image Source )

You also need to work out the dependencies of the project (aka which deliverables require another one for completion).

If we were to simplify the WBS, the section on manufacturing the bike frame might look something like this.

Of course, each item contains multiple tasks such as sourcing vendors, reviewing designs, picking materials, and more.

But if you assign these tasks to teams who have the necessary skills to complete all of them, that’s what the top-level plan might look like.

If you use an Agile framework, like Scrum, you won’t bother breaking down the entire project into detailed tasks at an early stage. Avoiding this large-scale exercise in prediction is one of the primary principles of Agile.

Instead, you’ll focus on planning out a deliverable increment of your product in Scrum sprints . These are 2–4 week periods of focused work dedicated to delivering a working product version of the final deliverable.

The basis for planning out these iterations is a backlog of features or user stories (functionality from the user’s perspective). You may also have a product roadmap to outline the long-term product direction as well.

The product backlog is continually pruned and optimized before, during, and after sprints. Even if you’re not planning software projects, you can often single out elements that you can deliver in increments.

Before each Sprint, you meet with your team and stakeholders (invested parties) to discuss which user stories are the most important. You select a few items and create a dedicated sprint backlog.

Each user story is then further divided into tasks, and team members take ownership of the specific tasks they can handle.

It’s not ideal for all organizations or projects, but it’s an antidote against micromanagement in complex projects.

What size should a project task be?

So how granular should you get? What should the scope and length of the task in your project be?

It depends on the size of your project and your PM framework, but here are some rules of thumb.

The 8/80 rule for WBS

In traditional project management, a rule of thumb is that no task should be shorter than 8 hours or longer than 80 hours in the WBS.

That’s why the PMI recommends keeping tasks between 20–80 hours in the WBS.

Your individual teams can then have more granular task boards to manage their own to-do lists and/or break 2-week tasks down into daily sub-tasks.

Task length in Scrum

While user stories generally have no specified length, they’re often broken down into manageable chunks, usually one workday or less.

The official Scrum Guide doesn’t use the word tasks, but instead uses the term work unit:

“ Work planned for the first days of the Sprint by the Development Team is decomposed by the end of this meeting, often to units of one day or less. ”

On a Scrum board , you can use story points (at monday.com, we equate 1 SP to a workday) to estimate the length of the task.

Tasks shouldn’t require more than one resource

When you break down deliverables into individual tasks, time isn’t the only consideration. The best approach is to make sure the person (or resource) who’s assigned the task can complete it from start to finish.

For example, a graphic designer could create a wireframe for an app, but wouldn’t be able to create a working prototype.

So you should split the larger deliverable of a working feature prototype into wireframe/design and development (at the very least).

For larger companies, a resource could be an entire team that includes designers, developers, and software testers. In which case, you don’t have to get as granular when planning and assigning tasks.

Accurately estimating task durations

The best way to predict the duration of tasks is to involve the actual resources who will handle the task in the planning process.

You don’t need to switch to Agile or Scrum to make this happen. You just need to involve the actual project implementers in the planning process, not just management.

Not only can they help with task durations, but they can also help with dependencies and expecting potential bottlenecks.

What is the best way to organize project tasks?

There are hundreds of different frameworks and methods for managing projects and breaking them down into tasks.

A few stand out because of their efficiency and ease of adoption and have become popular as a result.

Let’s take a closer look at these industry-leading options.

Waterfall refers to the traditional “predictive” project management approach. It’s called predictive because you plan every phase of the project from start to finish before even getting started.

The reason it’s called waterfall is that the projects are planned to follow a sequential order.

First, you start out by figuring out the requirements of the project. What deliverables do you need to deliver a finished product?

Then you move on to designing and creating (implementing) it. Finally, you verify that the product works as intended, and launch it. The last stage includes the long-term maintenance of the product.

While berating waterfall is a popular pastime among younger management professionals, it has its place.

For physical products with a lot of dependencies and high costs associated with actual production time, mapping out the entire project in detail can be the best approach.

Instead of a specific methodology, Agile outlines a core set of values and principles to apply to your projects. As a result, Agile is an umbrella term that covers many different methodologies and frameworks .

The most famous principle is to deliver working iterations of your project frequently. That’s in contrast to planning out an entire product from start to finish like with waterfall.

Lean, like Agile, is not a specific framework that details a project management approach. Instead, it refers to a management philosophy with a core set of principles.

The focus of Lean is eliminating waste in processes throughout each stage of production. The execution is what controls the outcome, after all.

Fixing bottlenecks between departments to speed up the final assembly is a good example.

Not to be confused with Agile, which is more about high-level concepts and principles, Scrum is an actual framework for project management.

It outlines clear rules, meetings (ceremonies), and deliverables (artifacts), not just values.

For example, Scrum teams should only include a maximum of 9 regular team members. Daily Scrum meetings should only last 15 minutes.

The entire process of designing and completing a sprint is laid out in detail. That’s what makes the Scrum framework so useful for teams that want to implement more Agile principles into practice.

How to use a project management platform for effective task management

Instead of slowing down your managers and teams with an inefficient process, take advantage of the latest task management software .

monday.com is a digital workspace with all the functionality a project manager could ever want, wrapped in a package that’s actually easy to learn and use.

Pick the framework or methodology you want to work with

If you want to reach a completely new target level of productivity, basic task management won’t cut it. You need to introduce a project management framework that goes beyond daily tasks.

Luckily, monday.com makes it easy to make the switch. We offer dedicated templates for everything from WBS to Scrum.

Develop the high-level project roadmap

For consistent results, you should develop a high-level project roadmap. It will help guide all decisions and priorities as the project progresses.

Get more granular with a WBS and other task boards

This is where you break the larger goals into smaller deliverables and start to establish the workload for each team or department that’s involved.

It should outline the overall process but may not specify every activity or task, depending on the scale of the project.

But it’s not the best for planning individual tasks within the involved teams or departments.

Which is why monday.com also offers more basic task boards that these teams can use to manage the day-to-day.

You can easily divide larger items into smaller subtasks and assign them as well.

Use integrations and automations to automate menial tasks

If you want to perfect your workflow , it’s not enough to create some new task boards. You also need to eliminate repetitive menial tasks.

For example, with our smart integrations, you can automatically update a card or create a new task when you receive an email or message.

It’s a useful feature for a wide variety of teams and use-cases. For example, your software team could get a new task with every bug report.

By automating menial tasks, you give your managers and team the time and space to focus on crucial high-level decisions.

Keep managers up to speed with dashboards and reports

Want to see at a glance if tasks are being completed on schedule, or which people (or teams) are available for last-minute work?

You can easily create and customize a dashboard that will give your managers instant access to all the information they need.

Master your tasks

Breaking down a project into tasks and assigning them effectively requires a bit of balance.

Finding the framework that works best for your industry and internal workflows and pairing them with the tips above can help you find the happy medium of management and autonomy that will allow your teams to thrive.

Whichever you choose, monday.com has the right templates and tools to help your projects succeed.

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Meaning of assignment in English

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• It was a jammy assignment - more of a holiday really.
• He took this award-winning photograph while on assignment in the Middle East .
• His two-year assignment to the Mexico office starts in September .
• She first visited Norway on assignment for the winter Olympics ten years ago.
• He fell in love with the area after being there on assignment for National Geographic in the 1950s.
• act as something
• all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy) idiom
• be at work idiom
• be in work idiom
• housekeeping
• in the line of duty idiom
• undertaking

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

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Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that they will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove their point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, they still have to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and they already know everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality they expect.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Definition of 'assignment'

assignment in British English

Assignment in american english, examples of 'assignment' in a sentence assignment, cobuild collocations assignment, trends of assignment.

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Glossary of Task Words

Understanding the meaning of words, especially task words, helps you to know exactly what is being asked of you. It takes you halfway towards narrowing down your material and selecting your answer.

Task words direct you and tell you how to go about answering a question. Here is a list of such words and others that you are most likely to come across frequently in your course.

Maddox, H 1967, How to Study , 2nd ed, Pan Books, London.

Marshall, L., & Rowland, F 1998, A guide to learning independently , Addison Wesley Longman, Melbourne.

Northedge, A 1997, The good study guide , Open University, Milton Keynes, UK.

Essay and assignment writing guide

• Essay writing basics
• Essay and assignment planning
• Complex assignment questions
• Glossary of task words
• Editing checklist
• Writing a critical review
• Annotated bibliography
• Reflective writing
• ^ More support

Scholarly Resources 4 Students | scite.ai 21 May 2024

Discover your Library: Main Library 21 May 2024

Synonyms of task

• as in purpose
• as in to entrust
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Thesaurus Definition of task

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Synonyms & Similar Words

• responsibility
• undertaking
• participation
• involvement

Thesaurus Definition of task  (Entry 2 of 2)

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun task contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of task are assignment , chore , duty , job , and stint . While all these words mean "a piece of work to be done," task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

When can assignment be used instead of task ?

The words assignment and task can be used in similar contexts, but assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

When might chore be a better fit than task ?

While in some cases nearly identical to task , chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

When would duty be a good substitute for task ?

The meanings of duty and task largely overlap; however, duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

Where would job be a reasonable alternative to task ?

The synonyms job and task are sometimes interchangeable, but job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

In what contexts can stint take the place of task ?

While the synonyms stint and task are close in meaning, stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

Phrases Containing task

• take to task

Articles Related to task

Can 'Task' Be Used as a Verb?

Taking a usage peeve to task

Thesaurus Entries Near task

Cite this entry.

“Task.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/task. Accessed 13 May. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on task

Nglish: Translation of task for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of task for Arabic Speakers

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