> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.stage3.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating Team Tasks

> Learn how to create and assign tasks to your team members

<Warning>
  **Admin Feature**: This feature is only available to users with admin permissions or team lead roles. If you don't see the option to create tasks, contact your system administrator.
</Warning>

## When to Create Team Tasks

Create tasks for your team when:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Ad-Hoc Work" icon="bolt">
    Work that doesn't fit into an existing workflow but needs to be done
  </Card>

  <Card title="Follow-Up Items" icon="reply">
    Action items from meetings or discussions
  </Card>

  <Card title="Delegating Work" icon="hand">
    Work you need to delegate to specific team members
  </Card>

  <Card title="Project Tasks" icon="diagram-project">
    One-off project tasks that aren't part of a formal workflow
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Info>
  If the work is part of a repeatable process, consider creating a workflow template instead of individual tasks.
</Info>

## Creating a New Task

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Team Tasks">
    Go to **Tasks & Work > Team Tasks** in the main navigation sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click 'New Task'">
    Click the **+ New Task** button in the top right corner.

    This opens the "Create New Task" side panel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter Task Title">
    Give the task a clear, action-oriented name (this field is required):

    **Good task names:**

    * "Review Q2 financial report by Friday"
    * "Schedule team meeting for project kickoff"
    * "Update vendor contact information in system"

    **Bad task names:**

    * "Report" (too vague)
    * "Stuff to do" (not specific)
    * "Task 1" (not descriptive)

    Use action verbs: Review, Create, Update, Send, Schedule, Complete, Analyze, etc.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write Task Description">
    Provide detailed instructions on what needs to be done (optional):

    **Include:**

    * What needs to be done (specific actions)
    * Why it's important (context and purpose)
    * How to do it (instructions or guidance)
    * What to deliver (evidence requirements)
    * Any relevant resources or links

    **Example:**

    ```
    Review the Q2 financial report for accuracy before the board meeting.

    WHY: Board meeting is Monday and they need accurate financials.

    WHAT TO CHECK:
    - All revenue numbers match bank deposits
    - Expense categorization is correct

    DELIVER: Add a comment confirming review is complete.
    ```

    <Tip>
      Write descriptions as if you're explaining the task to someone doing it for the first time.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Assign to Team Member">
    In the **"Assign To"** dropdown, choose who should complete this task. You can select a specific team member.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set Priority Level">
    Choose task priority (this field is required):

    * **High**: Urgent and important - do first
    * **Medium**: Normal priority (default)
    * **Low**: Nice to have - do when time allows
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set Due Date">
    Select a specific date from the calendar for when this task should be completed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add Tags or Categories">
    In the **"Tags"** field, type to search for or create new tags for organization.

    **Examples**: `Q2-planning`, `urgent`, `finance`, `client-acme`

    Tags help people filter and find related tasks.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create the Task">
    Click **Create Task** to save and assign it.

    The assignee receives a notification that they have a new task.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Task Assignment Options

### Assigning to a Specific Person

<Accordion title="When to use">
  Use when:

  * The task requires specific expertise
  * You want a particular person to do it
  * You're delegating your work to someone

  **Benefits:**

  * Clear ownership
  * Person gets direct notification
  * No confusion about who's responsible
</Accordion>

### Assigning to a Role

<Accordion title="When to use">
  Use when:

  * Anyone with certain skills can do it
  * You don't care who specifically does it
  * You want flexibility

  **Examples:**

  * "Any HR Manager"
  * "Any Operations Lead"
  * "Finance Analyst"

  **Benefits:**

  * Whoever holds that role will see it
  * Continues working if people change roles
  * Allows load balancing
</Accordion>

### Assigning to a Team/Department

<Accordion title="When to use">
  Use when:

  * Multiple people could do the task
  * First available person should take it
  * Collaborative team effort

  **Examples:**

  * "HR Team"
  * "Customer Support"
  * "Engineering Department"

  **Benefits:**

  * Entire team sees it
  * Anyone can claim it
  * Prevents bottlenecks
</Accordion>

### Self-Assignment

<Accordion title="When to use">
  Use when:

  * Creating a reminder for yourself
  * Tracking your own to-do list
  * Planning your work

  Assign the task to yourself.
</Accordion>

## Setting Task Priority

Choose priority based on urgency and importance. This is confirmed by the "Priority \*" field in the modal.

### High Priority

<Card title="Urgent + Important" icon="circle-exclamation">
  * Time-sensitive tasks
  * Blocking other work
  * Critical deadlines
  * Executive requests

  **Use sparingly** - Only 10-20% of tasks should be high priority.
</Card>

**Examples:**

* "Review contract by EOD - signature needed tomorrow"
* "Fix production bug affecting customers"
* "Prepare board presentation for tomorrow's meeting"

### Medium Priority

<Card title="Important but Not Urgent" icon="circle">
  * Regular work tasks
  * Standard deadlines
  * Routine responsibilities
  * Planned projects

  **Default priority** - Most tasks (60-70%) should be medium.
</Card>

**Examples:**

* "Review Q2 report by end of week"
* "Update team documentation"
* "Schedule quarterly planning meeting"

### Low Priority

<Card title="Nice to Have" icon="circle">
  * Optional improvements
  * Future planning
  * Non-urgent enhancements
  * When-time-allows work

  **Low volume** - Only 10-20% of tasks should be low priority.
</Card>

**Examples:**

* "Explore new project management tools"
* "Organize old files in shared drive"
* "Read industry report when available"

<Warning>
  If you find yourself marking everything as "High Priority," you're diluting the meaning of priority. Reserve High for truly urgent work.
</Warning>

## Setting Due Dates

Due dates help people prioritize and plan their work:

### Choosing Due Dates

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Consider Workload">
    Check the person's current task load before setting tight deadlines. If they have 10 high-priority tasks due this week, adding another might be unrealistic.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Be Realistic">
    Estimate how long the task actually takes, then add buffer time:

    * **Simple task** (15-30 min): Give same day or next day
    * **Standard task** (1-3 hours): Give 2-3 days
    * **Complex task** (1+ days): Give 1 week or more
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Consider Dependencies">
    If this task depends on other work, account for that in the due date. Don't set a due date before dependencies can be completed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Account for Availability">
    Consider:

    * Holidays and weekends
    * Person's PTO or leave
    * Their meeting schedule
    * Other known commitments
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Communicate Urgency">
    If it's truly urgent, set a near due date AND mark priority as High. If it can wait, give more time.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Due Date Best Practices

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Set Specific Dates" icon="calendar">
    Use specific dates like "June 15" rather than "ASAP" or "soon"
  </Card>

  <Card title="Include Time If Needed" icon="clock">
    For same-day tasks, specify time: "Today by 3 PM"
  </Card>

  <Card title="Build in Buffer" icon="shield">
    Set due date earlier than you absolutely need it
  </Card>

  <Card title="Align with Workflow" icon="diagram-project">
    Coordinate due dates with dependent tasks
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Adding Context and Instructions

Help your team member succeed by providing complete information in the **Description** field:

### Include Resources

<Accordion title="Link to Helpful Resources">
  * Templates they should use
  * Documents to reference
  * System locations
  * Contact information
  * Related tasks or workflows

  **Example**: "Use the contract template in the Legal shared drive: \[link]"
</Accordion>

### Provide Examples

<Accordion title="Show What Good Looks Like">
  * Link to similar completed tasks
  * Attach example documents
  * Describe expected output

  **Example**: "See how Sarah completed this for the previous client: \[link to task]"
</Accordion>

### Set Expectations

<Accordion title="Clarify Standards">
  * Quality level expected
  * Level of detail needed
  * Approval requirements
  * Review process

  **Example**: "This needs Finance Director approval before marking complete. After uploading the report, tag @finance-director for review in the comments."
</Accordion>

## Following Up on Tasks

After creating tasks, follow up to ensure completion:

### Monitor Progress

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check Task Status Regularly">
    Review tasks you've assigned in the **"Team Tasks"** list:

    * Are they being worked on?
    * Are they on track for deadline?
    * Are there any blockers?
  </Step>

  <Step title="Respond to Questions">
    If assignees add comments with questions:

    * Answer promptly
    * Provide clarification
    * Unblock them quickly
  </Step>

  <Step title="Address Overdue Tasks">
    If a task becomes overdue:

    1. Comment asking for status update
    2. Offer help if they're stuck
    3. Adjust deadline if needed
    4. Reassign if necessary
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Providing Feedback

<Accordion title="When Tasks Are Completed">
  After someone completes a task:

  * Review the work and evidence
  * Add a comment acknowledging completion
  * Provide feedback (positive or constructive)
  * Thank them for their work

  **Example**: "Thanks for completing this ahead of schedule. The report looks great - really thorough analysis. Appreciate your work!"
</Accordion>

## Best Practices for Creating Team Tasks

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Be Clear and Specific">
    Vague tasks lead to confusion and poor results:

    **Bad**: "Update the thing"

    **Good**: "Update the Q2 sales forecast spreadsheet with final May numbers from the CRM"
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Set Reasonable Expectations">
    Don't overload team members:

    * Check their current workload
    * Space out deadlines
    * Communicate priorities
    * Be flexible when needed
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Provide Complete Information">
    Include everything they need in the description:

    * What to do
    * Why it matters
    * How to do it
    * Resources needed
    * Expected output
    * Due date

    Incomplete information leads to delays and questions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Make Yourself Available">
    After assigning tasks:

    * Monitor for questions
    * Respond quickly
    * Offer help if they're stuck
    * Be approachable
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Acknowledge Completion">
    When people complete tasks:

    * Review their work
    * Provide feedback
    * Thank them
    * Recognize good work

    Acknowledgment motivates future performance.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Organize Tasks" icon="folder-tree" href="/tasks/organizing-tasks">
    Use tags, categories, and priorities effectively
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use My Tasks" icon="list-check" href="/tasks/using-my-tasks">
    View and manage tasks across your team
  </Card>

  <Card title="Complete Tasks" icon="check-circle" href="/tasks/completing-tasks">
    Guide your team on completing tasks properly
  </Card>

  <Card title="Track Progress" icon="chart-line" href="/workflows/tracking-progress">
    Monitor task and workflow completion
  </Card>
</CardGroup>