WHEN AND HOW: To-Do List
When should you use a To-Do List and how do you use it with best practices.
WHEN:
The Master To-Do list:
Tasks - central place for all non-prospect/client tasks. (Prospect and Client tasks go in the Small Business Hub)
Company Recipes - central place for documented core company processes.
HOW:
Goal:
Tasks:
- Clear on what needs to get done today/this week/this month.
- Unblock team members from getting their work done.
- Get updates on tasks without bothering people.
Company Recipes:
- Consistent execution of core company recipes - who is doing what by when.
Our Preferred Tool:
Principles:
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Clear Notifications Daily
Respond to questions which are preventing team members from getting their tasks done.
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No Overdue Tasks
If a task is overdue, when will you get it done and what is the path to completion?
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Categorize Your Tasks By When They Will Get Done
What am I doing today vs this week vs this month?
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Team Guardrails
The team needs to agree and align on rules of engagement in the Task Tool.
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Project Organization
Clear Project Overview, Due Date, Definition of Done, Roles, Milestones, Task Section.
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Connect Tasks to Company Goals
Tasks should directly connect to moving a company goal forward. Otherwise, why do it?
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Tasks are Clear
Task Title, Description, and Due Date are easy to understand and achievable.
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Use the Mobile App
Create, see, and update tasks and notifications while on the go.
Use Key Features of Asana to Save You Time:
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@ Mention to address individuals
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Sidebar - Favorites and Saved Searches
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Rules for automating task activities.
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Gmail Integration
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Turn off email notifications
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Reporting and Dashboards
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Forms to initiate tasks
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Templates for tasks and projects.
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Workflow - visualization of how tasks get created and move through a project to completion.
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Portfolios - group together projects
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Use search
Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer using paper or my own To-Do list software. Is that okay instead of Asana?
No, in our experience, paper is generally ineffective as a system especially for teams. The problem with most personal To-Do list software is that it is not designed well for teams. Asana works better.
The other issue to consider: what is the cost to your business of having you and every team member using their own To-Do list system? When you add up all the wasted time, it's extremely costly.
Why is Asana better than the (seemingly) hundreds of other Project Management tools?
For us, Asana has the exact right mix of:
- an easy to use and understand interface
- easily showing an individual's tasks vs the entire project team's tasks
- excellent integrations with other tools
- a solid mobile app experience
- not trying to do too much with a tool
We have tested other tools and have not found something better.
There's no way my team or I will adopt Asana. What should I do?
Ask yourself how easily organized your current system is - how much time are you wasting trying to find task information or updates? Sure, it's hard to adopt a new tool. But, if the pain of your current system is greater than the learning curve, it's time to change. Asana is sneaky: the interface itself is quite basic but under the hood is a powerful workflow management engine.
Do you need help with your Small Business Software Tech Stack?
We can help you determine the right software tools for your Small Business. Book a call with us to learn more.