When creating a new task, it is important to create an entry in Asana with all the pertinent information necessary for the assignee to carry it out, as well as properly format it. Here’s how to do that:
- Make sure that you are in the correct project related to the Task. You can use the Search bar to find the correct Project quickly.
(Pro-tip: You can click the Star next to a displayed Project to add it to your Favorites pane. - Click the Add Task button under the Project name to get started. A new line will be created where you can create the task name. Type that in and then move your mouse over to the right until you see “Details” pop up in the hover. Click that next.
Note: You will also see a “Start Timer” button. Always be sure to click this when working on a Task (as well as to stop the timer when finished) so that your time is properly tracked for client billing. - Here, you can set all kinds of options, and all of them are good to utilize. You can set the assignee and the due date, as well as the status and task type. Finally, there is the Description field. Please provide as much information as possible here for the assignee. The goal is for the assignee to get into the task and be able to work immediately on it, without needing to ask for more information that could have been provided initially. For example, you should provide relevant URLs to access where changes need to be made (if you don’t have them, get them from the client). You can also add file attachments to the task by clicking the paperclip icon at the top of the task. This is helpful for documents or photos that are relevant to the task as well.
- Once the task is properly created and assigned, the assignee can begin working. Just as noted in Step 2, he or she should be sure to click “Start Timer” when beginning work and to click to stop the timer when finished in order to ensure proper time tracking for client billing.
When finished, the assignee should then let the creator of the task know of any updates by commenting at the bottom of the task and making sure to tag the person that created the task so that they get notified. This is done by typing the @ and then the task creator’s name. You can also tag others using this same process if it is relevant for them to be added to the task update/notification as well. This can be helpful for getting more information from a colleague. Make sure to always utilize the tagging feature when responding via comment. - Tasks can be reassigned (and their status changed) as progress is made. This is helpful for when an assignee is either finished and seeks a review from the original task creator, or when there may be someone else that needs to get involved.
- Once the details of the task are complete and verified, the task can be marked Complete by clicking the Mark Complete button.
Using Asana properly is vital to the smooth workflow of the office. Tasks that only remain in emails end up hard to locate again and only between those initially included. Additionally, utilizing Asana in conjunction with Everhour can ensure accurate time-tracking for billing our clients.
You can learn more from within Asana by clicking the ? icon next to the search bar.