task/workflow management best practice [closed]

Question

I know this is not a specific question and I could rephrase it as such if necessary.

I am seeking recommendations on how to manage an individual (my own) task list or how best to create a work management plan. this is for the purpose of managing my own work flow and tasks.

Currently I manage my own professional workflow by using a MS Word simple task list (which is organised by admin or business-as-usual tasks, and then use a simple tree structure to organise my own work). However my supervisor has recommended that I require a more comprehensive work plan but has not been specific in terms of exactly how to do it.

The work-plan focus should be to help communicate/interact, manage expectations/timelines, identify stakeholders, scope-out future tasks, and pro-actively manage work.

Hence why I am seeking recommendations on best practice, how other ppl would approach this, links for further reading, and software recommendations that can articulate/illustrate how best to do this.

I apologise in advance if this doesn't adhere to question guidelines, please let me know if that is the case.

Answer 1

Key aspects of a task list

I am seeking recommendations on how to manage an individual (my own) task list or how best to create a work management plan.

• Identify urgent vs important tasks: Urgent tasks tend to crowd important tasks to the background.
• Deadline: When do the stakeholders say they need it.
• Delivery commitment: When are you able to deliver based on your work management plan. You will have to negotiate and reconcile this with the stakeholder expectation. Keep in mind that if other urgent/important tasks come in and jump the queue, you will have to renegotiate this.
• External dependencies: If you need something from outside to complete your task, you need to identify them at the time you accept the task and initiate steps to acquire those.
• Incomplete requirements: You may need additional data from the stakeholder to complete a task. You can avoid accepting incomplete requirements altogether or accept it conditionally, as you deem fit.
• Long-pending tasks: Some tasks may neither be urgent nor important. Once they are in your queue for some time, make them your own priority. You (or your section/department) don't want to earn the reputation of sitting on tasks for too long.