User Manual - Creating and Managing Tasks

Full Table of Contents Creating and Managing Tasks What is a Task? Adding Tasks Managing Tasks Marking a task complete Changing a task's description What do the task icons represent? Changing a task's due date Changing a task's priority Tabs Changing a task's notes Changing a task's context Changing a task's privacy

Creating and Managing Tasks

What is a Task?

One of the reasons many task management methodologies and organizational systems fail is because they don't to consider the fundamental components of a task. This is undoubtedly because "Task" hasn't been clearly or properly defined. Without a proper definition of what a task really is, it is impossible to set down a clearly defined set of rules to manage them. Make sense? So before you begin creating and organizing tasks it is important that you determine which items are "Tasks" and which items are just placeholders for ideas or tasks that have not yet been defined sufficiently to be called a task. The simplest way to differentiate a "Task" is to look at the basic goal of managing them; completing as many as possible as effectively as possible. The key phrase being "completing them". To complete something you need to know what "completes" each specific task. This something is an action that can be done, and once done, the task will be completed. A task must have a clearly defined next step which will allow you to schedule it. A task must also have a desired outcome which will allow you to mark the task as complete when the outcome has been achieved.

Adding Tasks

To add a task click the "Add Task" tab in the upper right corner of the page:



The Add Task Window will appear:



Enter the tasks name in the "Name" field:


This will be the name displayed in the various task lists. Enter the date the task must be completed in the "Due Date" field:



Clicking the "Due Date" field displays advanced options:


In addition to selecting a date from the calendar, you may click one of the presets to the right. Please note the "No due date" option. In many cases you may wish to enter a task where either there is no due date, or one has yet to be determined. If this is the case, choose "No due date".

Choose the Priority you wish to assign to this task:


Choose the Context for this task:


The Context allows you to organize and display your tasks based on the context you are working with. For more information see Contexts.

Checking the "Private" check box will mark the task as "Private" and no one else may view the task:


If you want to allow other users to view this task, leave "Private" unchecked. Please note that even if a task is shared only users that you explicitly give permission to view your tasks will be able to see this task. For more information on see Sharing Tasks with Other Users.

Enter details about the task in the "Notes" box:


We recommend entering detailed information about the task such as the next step necessary to move the task forward as well as information on what is necessary for you to mark the task as completed.

Once you have entered your notes, click the "Add Task" Button:


The task will be inserted into your "Hot List":



Now let's explore the task and see how each component works:

Managing Tasks

Marking a task complete

To mark a task complete click the check mark on the task's left side:


The color will change to green when the task has been marked complete, blue when it is not completed. To change the task to not completed, simply click the blue check mark on the task's left side again.

Changing a task's description

To change a task's description, simply click on the task's current description:

and then make the desired changes. It is worth noting that after you make the desired change to the description, the change is saved automatically.

What do the task icons represent?

There are a number of icons associated with each task to help you quickly determine the attributes of a task:


The icons represent:

indicates you are the Owner of this task. indicates that the task is marked Private. indicates that there are entries in the task's Diary. indicates that you are assigned to work on this task. indicates that you are Watching this task. indicates that there are Notes for this task.

represents that you are not the Owner of this task. indicates that the task is not marked Private. indicates that there are no entries in the task's Diary. indicates that you are not assigned to work on this task. indicates that you are not Watching this task. indicates that there are no Notes for this task.

Changing a task's due date

To change a task's Due Date, click on the task's existing Due Date:


The Date Picker will open:


then select the new Due Date.

Changing a task's priority

To change a task's Priority, click on the task's current priority:


A drop-down list of priorities will appear:


then select the task's new priority.

Tabs

More detailed information about a task can be viewed by clicking the plus on the task's right:



Clicking the Plus will expand the task view:

Clicking the tabs to the left will display additional information about the task and allow you to view more detailed information about the task. You will also have access to additional features from these tabs:


The "Notes" Tab contains the task's notes and they can be viewed and changed here (see Changing a task's notes).
The "More" Tab contains detailed information about the task such as the task's Participants:



A Participant is any user who has a connection to the task. The tasks Owner is the user who owns the task and has responsibility for the task. If you are the owner of the task then "Me" will be displayed:



Workers are users assigned to work on a task. If no one else has been assigned to work on the task then you are the only worker and this will be reflected as "Me":



Observers are other users who have this task added to their task list so they may monitor the task's status. If the task is only in your task list then Observers will be "none". In the example below, Mary Wilson is an Observer. Also note that her name is highlighted in Blue. If a participant is highlighted in Blue it means that the Participant has allowed you to view their tasks. That is to say that Mary Wilson has added you to her contact list and there are tasks in her task list that she has given you permission to see. If you click the Mary Wilson link you will see the tasks that she has shared with you.



The Info pane shows when the task was created and last updated:



The Privacy pane shows the current privacy setting. If Private is checked, the task can only be seen by you. If Private is not checked then the task may be shared:



The Action pane is used when working with other Users:



Reassign transfers your role in this task to another user in your contact list. Reassigning a task removes it from your list and places it on another User's list. Delegating a task adds the task to another user's list. It leaves it on your list as the Owner of the task, but assigns another user (or users) to work on the task. Add observer lets you place the task on someone else's task list so that they can observe the task but cannot participate in its completion. For more information see Sharing Tasks with Other Users

To close the expanded view, click on the minus on the task's top right:

Changing a task's notes

To change a task's notes, expand the task's view (see Tabs). Then click on the existing notes and make the changes desired.

Changing a task's context

To change a task's context, expand the task's view (see Tabs). Then click on the existing Context on the task's bottom right:


The Context drop-down list will appear:


Then select the new Context.

Changing a task's privacy

To change a task's privacy, expand the task's view (see Tabs) and select the "More" tab:



Then click on the "Private" check box:



To mark the task shared, simply remove the check from the "Private" check box. Note: A task marked private cannot be seen by anyone except you. If you wish to let others view this task it must not be marked "Private" (see Sharing Tasks with Other Users).