What skills do you need for it? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What benefits does it bring exactly?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The answers to these questions aren\u2019t immediately obvious \u2014 and that\u2019s what this guide will focus on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to this, it\u2019ll also cover tips on choosing the right task management software for you so that you get the most bang for your buck without limiting future growth \u2014 or paying extra for features you don\u2019t need.<\/p>\n\n\n Task management is the process of planning, tracking, and executing tasks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The simplest way to conceptualize task management is in the form of a to-do list \u2014 you note down the things you need to do and cross them out once you\u2019ve done them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While useful enough on its own, task management is paramount within the broader context of project management<\/a>, where you need to coordinate all tasks within a team, sub-team, or company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are several types of task management, with the major division being between:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this guide, we\u2019ll mostly focus on task management within a team setting, but a lot of the same principles apply to personal tasks as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To-do lists come in all shapes and sizes nowadays. On this page, you\u2019ll find 20 printable and customizable to-do list templates that you\u2019re free to download and use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal of a project is to create the final <\/strong>deliverable<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> If you\u2019re constructing a residential building, then the final deliverable would be the completed building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Project management encompasses the entire process of getting that building made, from pitching the idea and getting it approved and funded to laying out the foundation, raising the walls and roof, installing water and electricity \u2014 all that jazz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This also includes more than just listing and crossing out tasks \u2014 you have to consider and manage risks<\/a>, communicate, negotiate, schedule, etc. It\u2019s big-picture focused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By contrast, task management is focused on the concrete steps you need to make<\/strong> \u2014 write a script, film the video, edit the footage. In a project environment<\/a>, task management would also include assigning tasks and creating and maintaining a task schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n Why is task management important?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because it\u2019s beneficial!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key advantages of task management include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n With proper task management, everyone knows what they and their teammates should work on. Among other things, this helps you avoid task duplication, where 2 or more people accidentally end up doing the same task.<\/p>\n\n\n Task management can also serve as a record of your workflow across time. You can then analyze this data to find efficiency leaks and plug them up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if you have more scriptwriters than voice-over talent, your production schedule will suffer for it. This will cause the completed scripts to pile up, resulting in some time-sensitive videos missing their timing or getting scrapped.<\/p>\n\n\n Deadlines tend to carry a negative connotation, but they\u2019re only bad when they\u2019re unrealistic and exploitative. Parkinson\u2019s law states that \u201cwork expands so as to fill the time available for its completion<\/em>.\u201d So, just by laying out due dates, task management will help you meet deadlines<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n If you\u2019re managing a team where every person basically has the same responsibilities, it\u2019s easy to think of them as interchangeable. But this is rarely the case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most people will excel at certain aspects of a job and drag their feet at others. Good task management means matching people with tasks that they are best equipped to handle. This inevitably results in higher quality outcomes, shorter cycle times, or both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every benefit listed already results in higher productivity, but this benefit is so important that it bears repeating. Great task management inevitably improves productivity, which, in turn, can have a positive impact on your organization’s overall efficiency, profit margins, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Streamline your workflow \u2014 improve productivity by managing all tasks within Plaky by CAKE.com.<\/p>\n So we get that task management is beneficial, but what skills do you need to have (or work on) to get the most use out of it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are the 4 most important skills for task management:<\/p>\n\n\n\n While a lot of professional positions include some element of task management within their description of responsibilities, the 2 most relevant roles include the:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This distinction is only important in larger projects since smaller projects don\u2019t have enough people working on them to form sub-teams. Recent project management statistics<\/a> show that 70% of all projects are handled by 10 or fewer people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to refining the 4 skills that are essential to task management, you\u2019ll also want to keep these 4 extra tips in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re a believer in the \u201cIf you want something done right, do it yourself<\/em>,\u201d statement, you shouldn\u2019t be in charge of task management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a manager, your job is to delegate. And to do this effectively, you need to know what the strengths and weaknesses of everyone in your team are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Good delegation isn\u2019t just about randomly assigning tasks to whoever you feel like \u2014 it\u2019s about setting others up for success as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This one depends a lot on the industry you\u2019re in, but as a general rule, it\u2019s good to break down larger tasks into more manageable chunks. For example, if you\u2019re making a video, create different tasks for scriptwriting, voiceover recording, and video editing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, if a task requires multiple people to work on it in succession, you might want to make a Kanban<\/a> board. This way, the people involved can hand the task off to the next person in the workflow once they\u2019re done with it.<\/p>\n\n\n While multitasking may sound productive at first glance, our brains just aren\u2019t wired to support this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We are like old, single-core CPUs. We can rapidly switch between tasks, but we\u2019re only really working on one thing at a time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And basically all studies conducted on multitasking agree that it reduces productivity. So don\u2019t multitask and don\u2019t expect others to do it either \u2014 not if you want the best results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, remember that there\u2019s only so much you can accomplish on your own with pen, paper, and a checklist. Thankfully, you can leverage the technological advancements of the 21st century to greatly expand your task management capabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The difference in effectiveness between a manager who uses task management software and one who doesn\u2019t is like the difference between a bike and a car. Software can help you so much that the rest of this article will be dedicated to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Streamline your business \u2014 improve planning, align teams, & complete all your tasks with Plaky by CAKE.com.<\/p>\n At first glance, this seems like a redundant question \u2014 task management software is software for managing tasks, sure, but it does more than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If we compare analog task management to washing clothes by the river (with buckets and a large rock to satisfyingly smack wet clothes on, look it up!), then task management software would be a washing machine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It doesn\u2019t just wash clothes \u2014 it makes your life easier while also making the clothes cleaner, longer-lasting, softer, more fragrant, etc. Depending on the feature set, more advanced models can also dry your clothes or use steam to just freshen them up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Task management software is like this \u2014 yes, it can double as a digital checklist, but it can also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This isn\u2019t everything, of course. Just like all washing machines can wash clothes, but different models come with different unique features, so too do different task management tools come with extra bells and whistles. Some have reporting, while others boast automation or time-tracking features \u2014 the list goes on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, let\u2019s look at how you can pick the right task management software for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For a list of the 10 best task management tools and situations they excel at, check out this guide:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The project management software market is quite saturated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is good because you won\u2019t be starved for choice. Chances are there\u2019s a project management tool out there that fits your requirements to a tee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, with so many options, you have to know what to look for and what to avoid. So, with that in mind, here are the most important features to consider when deciding on the right software for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Task management software should make task management easier, but a lot of tools don\u2019t accomplish this.<\/strong> Instead, they do the opposite, complicating the process with their steep learning curves and making you expend more effort while struggling to learn the ins and outs of the tool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is especially important in companies where all departments have to use the same software. Your engineers and developers shouldn\u2019t have a difficult time figuring things out, but what about HR, accounting, marketing, and so on? This is why user-friendliness<\/strong> ranks the highest on our list.<\/p>\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking for a tool for personal use, then you can just opt for something tailor-made for you. However, if your entire project team (or company) will be using this tool, then it\u2019s better if it offers a high degree of customizability<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The key elements of tasks vary among different departments. If the tool is customizable, then every department can get the most out of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bonus points if it also supports different types of views, like table, Kanban, or Gantt view, which are useful for workflow visualization.<\/p>\n\n\n Changing software is a huge bother and comes with its own complications, which is why you want to get it right the first time. So, when deciding on your task management tool, make sure it\u2019s scalable so that it can accommodate growth instead of stifling it.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, some tools limit the number of users allowed on a given subscription plan. This means that, as your team grows, you\u2019re forced to switch to a more expensive subscription plan, and since these subscriptions are generally charged per user, the costs can quickly rack up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I highly recommend software that supports unlimited users on all its plans so that your choice of subscription plan is based only on the actual value it provides to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n All subscription plans in Plaky by CAKE.com support unlimited users, tasks, boards, and projects, including the free plan!<\/p>\n Task management tools are used for assigning tasks, but you\u2019ll use other tools to execute those tasks, track the time spent doing this, or communicate with teammates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideally, your task management software should integrate with other tools that you use on a daily basis<\/strong>. A lot of task management tools tout their hundreds of integrations, but check to see if they integrate with other tools you use.<\/p>\n\n\n \u200b\u200b\n If, however, you realize you need a more sophisticated communication tool, try the CAKE.com Bundle, which gets you 3 tools at an incredible price: Plaky for polished project management, Pumble for smooth team communication, and Clockify for efficient time tracking.<\/p>\n Some task management tools are just plain expensive, even if we remove scalability issues from the equation. They try to justify this by adding a lot of extra features, but these shiny bells and whistles are like the hundreds of cable television channels that you never have and will never watch \u2014 but still pay for because they\u2019re part of a package. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t let these companies dazzle you with their extensive feature sets. Focus on the features you actually need and then look at the price.<\/strong> All of a sudden, a lot of options will seem more unappealing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Sign up now to get a 14-day free trial of Plaky's premium features, like Gantt charts.<\/p>\n There are plenty of reasons to use Plaky<\/a> by CAKE.com<\/a> over pen-and-paper task management or Excel sheets. For example, the activity log makes it easier to track changes, notifications and conditional coloring serve as useful reminders, and you can even make complex Gantt charts with just a few clicks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All of these features save you a lot of time and effort that you can then spend actually performing your tasks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n But other task management tools offer similar features, so why should you choose Plaky over the competition?<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Task](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Task-management-cover-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhat is task management?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Project management vs. task management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Project-management-board-in-Plaky.png\")
The benefits of task management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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#1: Improved transparency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Adding-assignees-to-tasks-in-Plaky.png\")
#2: Workflow bottleneck identification <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Gantt](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Identify-overlapping-tasks-with-Gantt-view-in-Plaky.png\")
#3: Meeting deadlines<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Setting](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Assing-start-and-due-dates-in-Plaky.png\")
#4: Insight into team capabilities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#5: Higher productivity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Plaky](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/default@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n\n\n\nTask management skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Task management roles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Top 4 tips for managing tasks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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#1: Delegate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#2: Break down larger tasks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Kanban](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Example-of-a-Kanban-board-in-Plaky.png\")
#3: Don\u2019t multitask<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#4: Use software<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Plaky](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/features@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n\n\n\nWhat is task management software?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Product](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Customized-task-management-board-in-Plaky.png\")
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How to choose the best task management software<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
User-friendliness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"List](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Add-custom-fields-to-task-boards-in-Plaky.png\")
Customizability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Content](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gantt-view-in-Plaky.png\")
Scalability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Plaky](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/templates@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n\n\n\nIntegrations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Adding](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Keep-communication-centralized-and-task-focused-within-Plaky.png\")
![\"Plaky](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/bundle@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nAffordability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Plaky](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/landing-1@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n\n\n\nManage all your tasks in Plaky by CAKE.com<\/h2>\n\n\n\n