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Creating a Task

Step-by-step guide to create clear, actionable tasks that keep your projects moving and your team aligned

Overview

Tasks are the individual work items that make up your Projects in TandemTask. Whether it's "Send proposal," "Review contract," or "Schedule follow-up call," Tasks represent specific actions that need to be completed. Every Task must belong to a Project, and you can assign team members, set due dates, add subtasks for complex work, and track progress toward completion. This article walks you through creating a Task, configuring its details, and understanding how Tasks drive your work forward.

Before You Begin

Before creating a Task, make sure you have:

  • A Project created - Tasks must belong to a Project. If you haven't created the Project yet, see Creating a Project.
  • Appropriate permissions - Depending on your role, you may need specific permissions to create Tasks. If you're unsure, contact your account administrator or reach out to support@tandemtask.com.
  • Team member information (optional) - If you want to assign the Task to someone, make sure they have access to the Project. See Adding Team Members to Projects and Tasks (coming soon).

Creating a Task

Follow these steps to create a new Task:

Step 1: Navigate to Tasks or Projects

Log into TandemTask at app.tandemtask.com and navigate to Tasks or the Project where you want to add a Task. You can access Tasks and Projects from the navigation menus or your dashboard.

Step 2: Create a New Task

Click the + Add Task button (typically found at the top of the Tasks list or within the Project view). Depending on your view (Board, List, or Table), the button location may vary slightly.

Step 3: Name Your Task

Enter a clear, action-oriented Task Name that describes what needs to be done. Good Task names start with a verb and are specific enough to understand at a glance.

Examples of effective Task names:

  • "Send pricing proposal to Sarah"
  • "Review Q4 contract terms"
  • "Schedule kickoff meeting"
  • "Update project timeline"
  • "Create demo environment"

Avoid vague names like: "Follow up," "Work on thing," or "TBD"

Step 4: Add a Description (optional but recommended)

In the Description field, provide context about what the Task involves, any specific requirements, or links to relevant resources. This is especially helpful when:

  • The Task requires specific instructions
  • Multiple people might work on the Task
  • You need to reference external documents or conversations

Example description:
"Send the updated pricing proposal to Sarah Johnson (sarah@acmecorp.com). Include the Enterprise tier discount we discussed on the call. Use the proposal template in Google Drive and cc Mike Chen for visibility."

Step 5: Assign the Task (optional)

Select who should be associated with and responsible for completing this Task in the Assignee field. You can assign Tasks to:

  • Yourself
  • Team members who have access to the Project
  • Multiple people if the Task requires collaboration

Tip: If you can't find the person you're looking for, they may not have access to the Project yet. See Adding Team Members to Projects and Tasks (coming soon).

Step 6: Set a Due Date (optional)

Add a Due Date if the Task has a specific deadline. This helps with prioritization and allows you to filter and view Tasks by timeline. You can also set a Start Date, for when you start working on a task, and an End Date for when the task is closed (sometimes after the Due Date).

Note: Tasks can have due dates that are independent of the parent Project's timeline. A Project might be due next month, but individual Tasks within it could be due this week.

Step 7: Set Priority or Status (optional)

Depending on your TandemTask configuration, you may be able to set:

  • Priority - High, Medium, or Low to indicate urgency
  • Status - To Do, Doing, Reviewing, Done, etc.

These fields help with filtering and organizing your work, especially in the Board View where Tasks can be grouped by status.

Step 8: Add Subtasks (optional)

For complex Tasks that require multiple steps and dependencies, you can break them down into Subtasks. Click + Add Subtask within the Task creation form to create smaller, trackable tasks.

Example: The Task "Prepare QBR presentation" might include Subtasks:

  • "Export usage analytics"
  • "Create slide deck"
  • "Review with account team"
  • "Send draft to customer"

See Creating Subtasks (coming soon) for more details.

Step 9: Associate with a Deal (optional)

If this Task is directly related to a sales opportunity, you can link it to a Deal record. This creates visibility between specific work items and revenue opportunities.

Common scenarios:

  • "Send proposal" Task linked to an active Deal
  • "Schedule demo" Task linked to a prospecting Deal
  • "Complete onboarding" Task linked to a closed-won Deal

Step 10: Add Attachments or Links (optional)

Upload relevant files or add links to external resources that support the Task. This keeps all related information in one place.

Step 11: Save the Task

Click Create Task or Save to finalize creating the task. Your new Task is now created and appears in the Project's Task list.

After Creating Your Task

Once your Task is created, you can:

  • Complete the Task - Mark the task "Done" which moves the task and checks it off
  • Add comments - Communicate with team members about progress or questions
  • Edit Task details - Update the name, description, due date, or assignee at any time
  • Create Subtasks - Break down complex work into smaller steps
  • Move between statuses - Drag Tasks between columns in Board View, update the Status field, or 1-click to archive, snooze, delete, and complete tasks
  • Track time - Log time spent on the Task (if time tracking is enabled for your account)

Task Fields Explained

Here's what each field does and when to use it:

Project (required) - The Project this Task belongs to. Tasks cannot exist independently—they must be part of a Project that's associated with a Company.

Task Name (required) - The title of your Task. Use action-oriented language (start with a verb) to make it clear what needs to be done.

Description (optional) - Context, instructions, or notes about the Task. Particularly useful for Tasks that will be assigned to others or require specific steps.

Assignee (optional) - The person (or people) responsible for completing the Task. Unassigned Tasks remain visible to everyone with Project access but don't have a specific owner.

Due Date (optional) - When the Task needs to be completed. Tasks with due dates can be filtered and viewed in calendar or timeline views.

Priority (optional) - Indicates urgency or importance. Helps with sorting and filtering when managing multiple Tasks.

Status (optional) - Where the Task is in its lifecycle (To Do, In Progress, Blocked, Complete). In Board View, Tasks are organized by status in columns.

Subtasks (optional) - Smaller steps within the Task. Use these to break down complex work into manageable pieces.

Deal Association (optional) - Links the Task to a sales opportunity for visibility and tracking.

Attachments (optional) - Files or documents related to the Task. Keeps everything organized in one place.

Best Practices

Start Task names with verbs. "Send," "Review," "Create," "Schedule," "Update" make Tasks action-oriented and clear. Compare "Proposal" vs "Send proposal"—the second one is much clearer.

Keep Tasks specific and completable. Each Task should represent something that can be finished and checked off. If a Task feels too broad ("Handle customer success"), break it into smaller, discrete Tasks.

Use descriptions for context, not instructions. The description should explain why or what, not step-by-step how. If you need detailed steps, use Subtasks instead.

Assign Tasks to one primary owner. While you can assign multiple people, having one clear owner improves accountability. Use comments or Subtasks to involve additional collaborators.

Set due dates strategically. Not every Task needs a due date. Use them for work with actual deadlines, not as arbitrary targets that get ignored.

Use Subtasks for multi-step work. If a Task has 3+ distinct steps, consider breaking it into Subtasks. This makes progress visible and prevents the Task from feeling overwhelming.

Update status as you work. Moving Tasks from "To Do" to "In Progress" to "Complete" keeps everyone informed and makes Board View actually useful for tracking progress.

Don't create Tasks for conversations. If something just needs discussion, use comments on an existing Task or Project rather than creating a Task called "Discuss X."

Need Help?

  • Starter Plan: Email us at support@tandemtask.com
  • Pro Plan: Email, chat, or call us—plus schedule time with our team for setup assistance
  • Enterprise Plan: Contact your dedicated Project Manager for hands-on help with task management and workflow optimization

Next Steps