- A project task list is a comprehensive document that outlines individual tasks required to complete a project, serving as a roadmap for team members, stakeholders, and clients.
- To create an effective project task list, it’s essential to identify project scope, define specific objectives, clear responsibilities, estimated time requirements, and relevant deliverables.
- There are various types of project task lists available, including online platforms like Service Provider Pro, Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and spreadsheets, which can be used in conjunction with each other to improve project planning.
Tracking tasks is one of the most important activities in project management. Staying on top of your to-do list isn’t an easy task, though—no pun intended.
Everything begins with the creation of a project task list. You write out each individual task, assign tasks to stakeholders, give them due dates, and keep track of them.
Sounds easy? Well, it certainly is if you follow my step-by-step guide.
What is a project task list?
A project task list is a comprehensive document that outlines the individual tasks required to complete a project. It provides a roadmap for completing project objectives, ensuring tasks are organized, prioritized, and tracked throughout the project lifecycle.
Project task lists in PM
A project task list plays a central role in managing and tracking project activities. It integrates seamlessly with various project management processes and tools, including:
Scheduling: Project task lists help create detailed schedules by identifying task durations, dependencies, and deadlines.
Resource allocation: Assigning tasks to team members ensures that resources are utilized efficiently.
Risk management: Tracking task progress helps identify potential bottlenecks and risks early.
Performance monitoring: Task lists provide a clear view of progress against project timelines and objectives.
Collaboration: They serve as a communication tool, keeping all stakeholders aligned.
Many project management tools, such as Service Provider Pro, Jira, and Monday.com, offer features to create and manage project task lists, making them dynamic and accessible in real-time.
Organizational structure & effective PM
Project task lists contribute significantly to managing project activities by providing structure and clarity. They allow project managers to:
Break down complex projects: Divide large projects into manageable tasks, making execution more straightforward.
Track dependencies: Identify task dependencies to ensure efficient task sequencing.
Prioritize work: Focus on critical tasks that directly impact project success.
Monitor progress: Maintain visibility into task completion rates and project milestones.
Improve accountability: Assign clear ownership of tasks, fostering responsibility among team members.
According to Simon Bartlett, partnerships director at Gobeyond Partners, a company specializing in technology and people development projects, effective task management needs to put humans at the center of the process.
“When we are looking at designing operations or services, or even processes, what we call HX is all about thinking about the human within that process,” explains Bartlett. “It's making sure you're delivering services that customers want to interact with, and also building services that colleagues can engage with.”
This human-centric approach reinforces why task lists are so valuable—they provide structure while keeping the focus on the people who need to complete the work.
Types of project task lists
There are several types of project task lists that can be used in marketing agencies, depending on the specific needs of your projects.
Task list
Real-world implementation of these platforms varies widely. Gobeyond Partners, for example, uses Microsoft Teams to enable their project management team to “share a single version of the plan, make changes in real-time and use a number of automated reminders and prompts to ensure tasks are completed on time.” For them, the ability to maintain a single source of truth for project tasks has been crucial when running large, complex projects across different locations.
Gantt chart
A visual representation of tasks and dependencies, often using bar charts or calendars.
Kanban board
A board (often in Trello) with columns representing different stages (e.g., To-Do, In Progress, Done), where team members can move cards to track progress.
Spreadsheet
A spreadsheet tool such as Google Docs or Airtable where you can freely design and arrange columns and rows.
Essential tools for agency task management
Beyond the task list platforms themselves, there are several specialized tools that can significantly improve how your agency manages projects. Let's look at a few that can help address common pain points.
Time tracking and estimation
Harvest and Toggl Track go beyond basic time tracking by providing detailed reports that compare estimated versus actual time spent on tasks. This historical data is gold for agencies struggling with estimation accuracy. With Harvest's team approval workflows, you'll also eliminate the "I forgot to track my time" excuse that plagues many agencies.
Workflow and approvals
Ever had a deliverable get stuck in review limbo? Filestage streamlines the review and approval process between team members and clients, making handoffs smooth and transparent. It's particularly useful for creative deliverables where feedback can get messy.
Visual collaboration
Some tasks are simply too complex for a linear list. Miro provides visual collaboration boards where teams can map out dependencies and workflows. It's perfect for visual thinkers and complex projects where relationships between tasks matter as much as the tasks themselves.
Resource management
The most common reason for missed deadlines? Overloaded team members. Float helps you visualize team capacity alongside task assignments, ensuring you're not setting your team up for failure with unrealistic workloads.
With that said, remember that the best tool is the one your team will actually use. Start with addressing your biggest pain point rather than implementing everything at once. The right tool should feel like it's removing friction, not adding another layer of complexity to your day.
Organizing & managing task lists
Effectively managing your tasks is important if you want for maintaining your productivity. With a well-organized task list, you can focus on priorities, track progress, and meet deadlines.
Below are essential strategies for organizing and managing your task list.
Setting task priorities
Not all tasks carry the same weight. Setting priorities ensures that you’re focusing on what matters most. Consider the following methods to prioritize your task list:
Eisenhower Matrix: Organize tasks into four categories: Urgent & Important, Important but Not Urgent, Urgent but Not Important, and Neither Urgent Nor Important. Prioritize tasks in the first category.
ABC Method: Assign tasks as A (critical), B (important but not urgent), and C (optional). Start with A tasks.
MoSCoW Method: Divide tasks into Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, or Won’t Have.
Time Blocking: Set specific time slots for top-priority tasks to ensure completion.
Regularly reassess and adjust priorities to accommodate changing deadlines and goals.
Using task management software
Task management software has transformed the way you can organize and manage work. These tools provide features that make task tracking more dynamic and collaborative:
Real-time updates: Synchronize task lists across multiple devices and team members for immediate updates.
Collaborative capabilities: Assign tasks, share updates, and monitor team progress seamlessly.
Automated reminders: Receive notifications for deadlines and recurring tasks to remain on track.
Dynamic task organization: Easily reorder tasks by dragging and dropping them as priorities shift.
Thanks to Service Provider Pro, all your projects can have tasks with due dates, team member assignment, and it supports HTML so you can add links and style your tasks.
Create & assign tasks with due dates.
How to create a project task list
Now that you’re aware of the different methods to stay on top of your tasks, let me show you step-by-step how you can create a task list for your projects in Service Provider Pro.
Identify project scope
In SPP.co, every project is linked to a service. When you set it up, you can define its value, if it’s a recurring service, intake forms, and of course, tasks.
Before you can create the latter, it’s important to know the scope of your project. What is the end result, who has to work on this service, and what are the deadlines for each task including the full project?
Also define what the deliverables are. For instance, social media management agencies might want to deliver a certain number of social posts every month.
Define each task
With the project scoped, it’s time to break it down into smaller chunks. Content agencies could break down the creation of a blog post into the following tasks:
Verify brief
Please check if the brief contains all necessary information. If so, change status to Writing, and set the due date to 1 week from now.
Writing process
Research topic and keywords in ahrefs.com.
Outline an article structure.
Write the content piece and let it rest for 1 day.
Come back to it, read through it, and make changes if necessary.
Change status to Editing & proofreading.
Editing & proofing process
Edit the content piece in Google Docs.
Use the Suggesting function for large edits.
Apply small edits directly (punctuation, spelling mistakes).
If too many changes necessary, assign back to writer.
If content is ready, assign to manager.
Project delivery
Write a short message to inform the client that the content piece is ready, and change status to Complete.
Revisions
If a client requests a revision, the order status will change to Revision. Managers will assign the original writer the content piece, who will re-write according to instructions, and pass.
Write down detailed instructions and add supporting links, for instance, the tools used to check grammar and spelling, keyword research, etc.
Create tasks that are small enough to easily handle by the team member, and that don’t take multiple weeks to complete. Making the tasks too small can quickly turn into a micromanagement issue.
Track time needed
If this is your first time fulfilling a task, you should ask your team members to use a time tracking tool and calculate the average time spent on it. The more precise you are, the easier it is to set deadlines you can uphold.
Keep tracking your time with tools such as Clockify and adjust the deadlines if needed in order to improve your accuracy.
Assign the tasks
Finally, you can decide who is going to be assigned to the tasks. Depending on the service rendered, your team can consist of internal agency team members, but also external collaborators. Make sure that everyone is aware of the tasks they have to fulfill and have the time to do so.
In SPP, you can keep an eye on assigned tasks by going to Reports → Assigned orders. Another report you can look at is the Completed tasks report. You can see how many tasks a team member has completed in a given time period.
Task list challenges & solutions
Creating a task list is one thing, but actually making it work in real agency scenarios? That’s where things get interesting. Even the most well-designed task management systems can face implementation hurdles.
These challenges aren’t theoretical—they’re faced by real organizations every day. Simon Bartlett from Gobeyond Partners shared that “the projects that we've seen that have gone wrong, where we've been brought in to fix it, have generally gone wrong because of people issues.”
He elaborates: “Generally it’s not because someone’s picked the wrong technology. It’s because the stakeholders weren’t engaged, or the change wasn’t explained to people properly. People don’t understand why they need to change and how it will make a difference.”
With this insight in mind, let’s explore the most common challenges and their solutions.
Task estimation inaccuracy
Have you ever confidently estimated a task would take 2 hours, only to find yourself still working on it 6 hours later? You’re not alone. Task estimation is notoriously difficult, especially for creative work.
Here’s how to improve your estimation accuracy:
Use historical data: Look at similar tasks your team has completed previously. Actual completion times are far more reliable than theoretical estimates.
Apply the multiplication rule: For new tasks without historical data, take your initial estimate and multiply it by 1.5 for familiar work or 2–3 for unfamiliar work. This buffer accommodates the unknowns you’ll inevitably encounter.
Break down complex tasks: Large tasks are always harder to estimate. Break them down into smaller chunks that are easier to estimate accurately.
Track actual time: Use time tracking tools like Clockify to compare your estimates against reality, and continuously refine your estimation process.
Task abandonment
We’ve all seen it happen—you implement a beautiful task system that works perfectly for a couple of weeks, then team members slowly stop updating it. Before you know it, everyone's back to managing work through email and chat.
To prevent task list abandonment:
Keep it simple: The more complex your task system, the less likely people will use it. Focus on the essential information only.
Create habits: Establish regular team check-ins (even just 5 minutes) where everyone updates their tasks. Consistency is key to adoption.
Show the value: Regularly demonstrate how the task list is improving project outcomes, on-time delivery, or reducing stress. People maintain systems they see value in.
Integrate with existing workflows: Your task list shouldn't feel like extra work. Connect it to the tools your team already uses daily.
Unclear task descriptions
“Update the website” might make sense when you write it, but it’s far too vague to be actionable. Ambiguous tasks lead to misaligned expectations and rework.
For crystal-clear task descriptions:
Use action verbs: Start each task with a clear action verb: Write, Design, Review, Publish, etc.
Include specifics: Detail the exact deliverable: Design 3 homepage banner options at 1200x400px in the approved color palette.
Define done: Clearly state what complete looks like: Article is ready when it contains 1,500–2,000 words, includes 3 royalty-free images, and has been proofread.
Link to references: Attach relevant files, examples, or documentation that provide context.
Priority conflicts
When everything is high priority, nothing is. Teams struggle when tasks aren’t clearly prioritized, leading to wasted effort on less important work.
To manage priority effectively:
Limit high priority tasks: Restrict high-priority designation to no more than 20% of active tasks.
Use a consistent framework: Implement the Eisenhower Matrix (Urgent/Important grid) or the MoSCoW method (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have) for objective prioritization.
Make priority visible: Ensure priority levels are clearly displayed in your task list using colors, labels, or ordering.
Regularly review priorities: Client needs change, deadlines shift. Schedule weekly priority reviews to keep alignment with current business objectives.
The Eisenhower Matrix helps you categorize tasks based on their urgency and importance, allowing you to quickly identify which tasks need immediate attention (Do), which should be scheduled (Schedule), which can be delegated (Delegate), and which should be eliminated (Delete).
Collaboration breakdowns
Tasks don’t exist in isolation, especially in agency settings where handoffs between specialists are common. Poor collaboration around tasks leads to bottlenecks and quality issues.
Improve task collaboration with these approaches:
Clarify dependencies: Explicitly mark which tasks depend on others, and ensure these connections are visible in your system.
Create handoff protocols: Establish standard procedures for transferring work between team members, including what information must be provided.
Build in review stages: Include dedicated quality check steps between major task phases.
Transparent communication" Keep task-related communication visible to all stakeholders by commenting directly in the task rather than in private messages.
With a proactive approach to these common challenges, your task management system will become a reliable backbone for your project delivery rather than just another tool that falls by the wayside.
Remember that the goal isn’t perfect task management—it’s improved project outcomes and easier team coordination. Keep it practical, focus on the highest-value aspects, and continuously refine your approach based on what works for your specific team.
Improve your project planning using tasks
To stay on top of your project completion timeline, it’s essential to have a list at hand that gives you a detailed overview. Use whichever method works best for your agency, be it a simple task list, a Gantt chart, kanban board, or spreadsheet.
