I’m not sure about you, but I’m always looking for ways to work smarter, not harder. I can’t imagine I’m alone here. In our productivity-driven world, we’re constantly bombarded with new tips, tricks, and hacks to help us get more done in less time.
But there’s one fundamental productivity technique that’s been around for ages, and it’s one that you might be overlooking. It’s called task visibility, and it’s a game changer for anyone who wants to get more done and be more organized. It’s especially important if you work with a team.
In this post, we’ll cover the basics of task visibility and how it can help you work more efficiently. Then, we’ll share some of our favorite task visibility practices to help you implement this technique in your own work.
10 task visibility best practices for improving ownership
Owners are the people who are ultimately responsible for a task’s success. They need to know as much as possible about the tasks they’re responsible for. That means they need to know the what, why, who, and how of each task.
But, of course, it’s not that simple. A task visibility best practice is to recognize that different tasks will require different levels of visibility. The amount of information a team member needs to know about a task they’re responsible for will depend on a few factors, such as:
- The size and scope of the task
- How many other tasks are dependent on it
- The level of experience of the person responsible
- How much time they have to complete the task
In short, the more you can do to communicate the what, why, who, and how of a task, the more likely it is that the person responsible for that task will take ownership of it.
1. Set clear goals and objectives
When you assign a task, make sure you also include the “why” behind the task. This will help your team understand what the objective is and how their work contributes to the bigger picture.
In the same breath, you also want to be clear about what success looks like. Include clear goals and objectives, and when possible, use metrics to define success. This will help you and your team know when a task is complete.
2. Communicate with your team
Saying that task visibility helps you communicate better may sound obvious, but it’s so important that it’s worth stating, especially when communication methods are informed by employee survey best practices
When your team can see what you’re working on, they can also see what you’re not working on. This is particularly important when it comes to setting expectations.
When you’re working on a task that’s not a priority, you can easily set the expectation that it will take longer. But if your team doesn’t know what you’re working on, they can’t adjust their expectations.
And if you’re working on a task that is a priority, your team will be able to see that and will be less likely to interrupt you.
3. Use the right tools
When you’re managing a team, you need to know what everyone is working on, what tasks are coming up, and what’s been completed. This is a lot of information to keep track of, and it can be overwhelming if you don’t have the right tools in place.
Task management software is a great way to keep track of everything that’s going on with your team. With task management software, you can create to-do lists, assign tasks, set deadlines, and more. Plus, everything is organized in one place, so you don’t have to worry about missing anything.
There are a lot of different task management tools out there, so it’s important to find the one that works best for you and your team. Some popular options include Asana, Trello, and Todoist.
4. Create a detailed project plan
If you want to improve ownership, you need to make sure your team knows exactly what they’re working on. A project plan outlines the scope, goals, and tasks of a project. It’s a great way to get everyone on the same page and make sure they know what’s expected of them.
Project plans can be as simple or complex as you need them to be. For smaller projects, a one-page plan might be all you need. For larger projects, you might want to create a more detailed plan that includes things like timelines, budgets, and risk assessments.
5. Assign tasks and set deadlines
To avoid the confusion that can come from a lack of direction, make sure that you set clear expectations for your team. This includes assigning tasks and setting deadlines.
When you assign a task, you’re letting your team know that you trust them to get the job done. This can help to improve ownership, as it shows that you value their work and that you see them as an important part of your team.
6. Track progress
When you assign a task, make sure to check in on its progress. If it looks like a task is taking longer than expected, or if it’s not being worked on at all, you can quickly step in and offer help.
By tracking progress, you can ensure your team is working on the right things and that they understand the goals and objectives of their work.
7. Prioritize tasks
When you look at the list of tasks assigned to you, how do you know where to start? Do you just pick the first one you see? Or do you look for the easiest tasks to accomplish?
Without a clear priority, you can waste a lot of time deciding what to do. And, if you’re not working on the most important things, you can waste even more time working on the wrong things.
Make sure that everyone on your team knows how to prioritize their work. You can do this by adding a priority level to each task. Or, you can use a system like the Eisenhower Matrix to help your team prioritize their tasks.
8. Keep an eye on the schedule
This one is simple: Make sure your tasks are scheduled and rescheduled accordingly.
If you’re a project manager, you know that tasks are the building blocks of your project schedule. It’s important to keep an eye on the schedule and how it’s changing over time, as this can impact your project’s overall success.
For example, if a task is behind schedule, you may need to allocate additional resources to get it back on track. Or, if a task is completed early, you may need to adjust the schedule to account for this.
By keeping an eye on the schedule and making sure tasks are scheduled properly, you can ensure that your project stays on track and that you’re not caught off guard by any unexpected changes.
9. Monitor your team’s workload
A common problem with team visibility is that managers don’t know how much work their team has on their plate.
Some team members might have too much to do, while others might not have enough. This can lead to burnout, low productivity, and even team members leaving the company. This is especially relevant for support teams using AI agents for customer support, where clear visibility into what’s automated versus what still requires human ownership prevents overload and accountability gaps.
You can use task visibility to monitor your team’s workload and make sure that everyone has an appropriate amount of work. If you see that someone has too much, you can reassign tasks or push back deadlines. If you see that someone has too little, you can assign them more work or give them some of your own tasks to work on.
By keeping an eye on your team’s workload, you can make sure that everyone is working at their full capacity, but not overworking themselves.
10. Encourage transparency and accountability
The best way to improve visibility is to create a culture of transparency and accountability. This means making sure everyone on your team knows what’s expected of them and why.
It also means making sure that everyone knows what’s going on at all times, and that they have the information they need to make good decisions.
When you create a culture of transparency and accountability, you’re also creating a culture of ownership.
Conclusion
Task visibility is an important part of ownership and responsibility. With these practices, you can increase the likelihood that your team will take ownership of their work and be more successful in their projects.
