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Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done. - Unknown
Task Execution
Run assigned work with clear expectations and quality standards
What Is Task Execution?
- The workflow of actually running the work that's been planned
- Understanding what done looks like via criteria
- Making progress on activities (smaller units of work)
- Tracking time and capturing decisions
- Handling blockers and dependencies
- Documenting results with notes and evidence
- Marking work complete when all criteria are satisfied
Task Execution Overview
- You receive a task with activities and criteria pre-defined
- Each activity breaks down the work into manageable chunks
- Each activity has criteria that define success
- You work through activities, marking criteria as you complete them
- Activity auto-completes when all criteria are met
- Task auto-completes when all activities are done
- Once complete, task owner reviews and marks as accepted
Understanding Your Assignment
- Task title - the overall work to be done
- Due date - when the task must be complete
- Description - background and context
- Activities - breakdown of the work (what you'll do)
- Criteria - acceptance standards for each activity (how you know when it's done)
- Notes from task owner - guidance or special instructions
- Prerequisites - things that must be true before you can start
Before You Start: Prerequisites
- Task owner may define prerequisites that must be verified first
- These are conditions that must be true (not your responsibility to create)
- Examples: "Client contract signed", "Budget approved", "Team availability confirmed"
- You verify prerequisites are in place, then check the box
- Cannot proceed until all prerequisites are verified
- If a prerequisite isn't met, escalate to task owner rather than skipping it
Activity-by-Activity Execution
- Open the task to see all activities
- Activities may have a sequence - some depend on others completing first
- Work on activities in order (or in parallel if no dependencies)
- Each activity shows a list of criteria (the acceptance standard)
- As you work, check criteria to mark them met
- Add notes to document your progress and decisions
- When all criteria are checked, the activity auto-completes
Working With Criteria
- Criteria define what "done" looks like for an activity
- They're specific, measurable outcomes (not tasks themselves)
- Check a criterion when you've actually completed it
- Example: "Draft written and spell-checked" not "Write draft"
- All criteria must be met - they're not negotiable
- If a criterion seems unclear, ask task owner before skipping
- When all criteria are checked, activity auto-marks complete
Handling Dependencies
What Are Dependencies?
- A criterion in one activity may depend on another activity's criterion
- Dependent criteria show as "locked" (grayed out)
- You can't check a locked criterion until its prerequisite is met
- This ensures quality: you can't skip foundational steps
How to Handle Locked Criteria
- Criterion shows: "Waiting on: [Activity / Criterion]"
- Complete the prerequisite criterion first (in the prerequisite activity)
- Once the prerequisite is met, the dependent criterion unlocks automatically
- Then you can mark it complete in your activity
- If the prerequisite activity was skipped, the whole chain is blocked
Why Dependencies Exist
- Task owners use dependencies to encode expertise and best practices
- Prevents skipping critical quality steps
- Reduces decision fatigue: you follow the prescribed sequence
- Enables reliable delegation: ensures quality without micromanaging
- Examples: can't deploy without testing, can't bill without approval
Time Tracking During Execution
- You can log work sessions as you work
- Start a timer for focused intervals
- Pause when you take a break, resume when you return
- Stop the timer to save the session
- Sessions track how long you actually spent on the work
- Task owner sees total time invested (helps with estimating future similar work)
- Use for: understanding your actual time, Pomodoro intervals, or continuous tracking
Capturing Notes & Progress
- Add notes as you work to document decisions and progress
- Notes stay with the activity (available to task owner)
- Great for: explaining your approach, documenting blockers, capturing learning
- Timestamped with your name - shows who said what
- Task owner uses notes to understand your process and decisions
- Future team members can learn from your notes if this becomes a template
Handling Blockers & Escalation
What to Do When Stuck
- Document the blocker in the activity notes
- Explain what's blocking you and what you need
- Add a note explaining the issue and expected impact
- Task owner gets notified and can provide guidance or unblock you
- Don't skip criteria or mark things complete if you're not done
Examples of Blockers
- Missing information from another team (add note, task owner follows up)
- Technical issue you can't resolve (document the error, task owner helps)
- Unclear requirement (add note asking for clarification)
- Someone else owns a prerequisite (add note, task owner coordinates)
- Unblock = task owner takes action, not you forcing past the blocker
Real-World Example: Client Proposal Execution
Task Setup
- Task: "Create and deliver client proposal"
- Due: Friday 5pm
- Activities: Discovery, Write Proposal, Internal Review, Get Client Sign-off
- Prerequisites: Contract signed, budget approved, scope agreed
Day 1: Discovery Activity
- Verify prerequisites (contract signed ✓, budget ✓, scope ✓)
- Open Discovery activity with 3 criteria:
- • Documented client objectives - START HERE
- • Identified success metrics - independent, can work in parallel
- • Confirmed timeline - independent
- Add notes as you uncover information
- Check criteria as you complete them
Day 2: Proposal Writing
- Proposal Writing activity has 2 criteria (both depend on Discovery criteria)
- 🔒 "Draft proposal scope" - locked until Discovery objectives are done
- First complete Discovery objectives criterion
- Now "Draft proposal scope" unlocks - complete it
- Complete "Include budget and timeline" (also unlocks after Discovery)
- Add notes on assumptions you're making
- Activity auto-completes once both criteria met
Day 3: Review & Delivery
- Internal Review activity (marketing + finance review the proposal)
- Log time during the review meeting
- Add notes capturing feedback
- Mark criteria complete as feedback is addressed
- Get Client Sign-off activity (task owner hands off to client)
- You're done once your activity is complete
- Task owner marks task complete after client signs
When to Skip an Activity
- Sometimes an activity becomes unnecessary (requirements change)
- Don't mark it complete if you didn't do it
- Instead, skip the activity if task owner approves
- Skipped activities are still visible (shows you considered them)
- Task owner can unskip if needed
- Skipped activities don't block task completion
- Always get approval before skipping - don't do it on your own
Completion Workflow
Activity Completion (Automatic)
- Once all criteria in an activity are checked, it auto-completes
- No manual marking needed - the system handles it
- You see a completion celebration (confetti!)
- Activity moves to "Completed" section
- Any dependent criteria in other activities unlock
Task Completion (Automatic)
- Once all activities are complete or skipped, task auto-completes
- System checks: completed activities + skipped activities = all activities?
- If yes, task status changes to "Awaiting Review"
- Task owner sees it's ready and reviews your work
- You don't need to tell them - they get a notification
Task Owner Review & Acceptance
- Task owner reviews all your work and notes
- May approve ("Mark as accepted") or send back for revision
- If revisions needed, activities reopen and you make changes
- Once accepted, task is formally complete
- You've successfully delivered quality work as per standards
Best Practices for Quality Execution
- Understand all criteria before starting - ask questions if unclear
- Document your approach in notes as you work
- Don't skip criteria - they represent real quality gates
- Honor dependencies - they exist for a reason (quality or sequencing)
- Log time accurately - helps with future estimates
- Escalate blockers immediately - don't waste time being stuck
- Verify work before checking criteria - use criteria as your checklist
- Add context notes - future you might repeat this task and needs to know why decisions were made
Common Execution Challenges
Challenge: "This criterion seems wrong"
- Maybe the task owner made a mistake or didn't understand your context
- Add a note explaining the issue
- Don't skip it or mark it complete anyway
- Task owner will address it - they might revise the criterion
- This is feedback that helps improve the process
Challenge: "A criterion is locked and I'm stuck"
- Locked criterion = depends on another activity completing first
- Don't try to force past it
- Go back and complete the prerequisite activity fully
- Once you check the prerequisite criterion, your locked criterion will unlock
- System enforces these - they matter for quality
Challenge: "I finished but the task didn't auto-complete"
- Check if all activities are done (or explicitly skipped)
- Some might be in "not started" state
- Skipped activities also count toward completion
- If still stuck, refresh the page - sometimes UI lags
- Task should auto-complete once truly all activities are done
Challenge: "Task owner sent it back with revisions"
- Review their feedback in the notes
- Activities reopen for you to update
- Make the revisions and mark criteria complete again
- Task re-submits to task owner automatically
- This is normal - quality requires iteration sometimes
Key Differences: Task Execution vs Focus List
Task Execution
- You're assigned work with pre-defined activities and criteria
- Criteria are set by task owner (not you)
- May have dependencies between activities
- Task owner reviews your work when done
- For: delegated work, team coordination, quality gates
Focus List
- You choose which activities matter today
- You might define or refine criteria as you work
- Personal prioritization and focus
- No review step - it's your work
- For: daily focus, personal priorities, self-directed work
Tips for Effective Execution
- Read all criteria before starting - get the full picture
- Do activities in order if there are dependencies
- Take notes as you work - don't try to remember for later
- Ask questions early if criteria are unclear (don't spend time guessing)
- Update task owner on blockers immediately (don't wait)
- Verify your work against criteria before marking complete
- If work is complex, break it into work sessions (helps with time tracking)
- Remember: criteria are the contract - deliver against all of them
- Quality over speed - rushing past criteria creates rework