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How to Give Assignments to Team Members

Table of Contents

The project has been divided into milestones, goals and objectives broken into tasks, and now it’s time to assign them. But as you open the project management platform, you’re faced with the unflattering process of wording the tasks, and choosing whom to assign them to.

Well, in this article, we offer advice on how to make that jumbled first moment a little clearer. There are actionable tips, learning the difference between allocating and delegating tasks, and suggested criteria on how to choose the best person for the job.

For a more precise overview, here’s a table of contents:

How do you assign employees tasks?

We normally think that assigning tasks is a time-consuming process that focuses on clearing out task lists to keep the project going. However, task assignment should actually be a more employee-oriented process that requires additional dedication and effort, which yields incredible results. But what do we mean by that?

Properly assigned tasks push your employees, projects, and the overall company forward. Here’s how.

• They strengthen accountability and trust between managers and employees;
• They help teach new skills and perfect old ones;
• They allow employees to get familiar with other teams and avenues of work;
• It becomes easier to make project estimates;
• Makes for great bases for performance reviews, etc.

The list could go on, but we’ll stop there for now.

Of course, such long-term benefits don’t come without some proverbial blood and sweat in the planning stage. Let’s take a look at the general ideas on assigning employee tasks, and specific steps you can take.

Motivation comes from knowing the bigger picture

When we talk about the bigger picture in project management, we talk about each team member’s task affecting their peer’s down the line. Since all tasks are usually small pieces of the puzzle, it helps to remind employees how their work contributes. For example:

• A high-quality draft can make a great foundation for the final version, and it can be completed more quickly.
• A well-prepared presentation can shave time off unnecessary questions and additional email inquiries.

It comes as no surprise that people work better and are more productive, when they know that their work has an impact on the company level.

And so, when you assign tasks, try to emphasize how they fit in the bigger picture. Simply saying: “ You doing X will help with Y and Z ” and how it reflects on the project as a whole will let an employee know that the task they were assigned is important.

Get your employees excited to commit

Telling people about the bigger picture and showing them what’s possible can only get them so far. It’s enough to ignite the initial spark, but for them to fully commit to the task, you need to define what that task entails.

They should be able to picture how to go about the work, what skills to use, and how to reach the desired result. The clearer the instructions, the more motivated they will be to work.

Simply put, give directions on how the task should be done, and make sure they understand. You can’t read each other’s minds, so it’s important everyone is on the same page.

Ask for task transparency

One of the best practices a company can employ is transparency among coworkers.

This is achieved by having everyone input their tasks for the day in a timesheet. The purpose of timesheets is to get an accurate idea of what everyone is working on at any given time.

When people know who works on what tasks, it’s easier for them to know if a person is available or busy, how far along they are with a task, etc.

So, when you give assignments to employees, label them with deadlines. Alternatively, you can ask for employees’ assessments on how long the work would take them, and use those timeframes.

Source: Clockify team timesheet

Timesheets are a great way to keep an eye on tasks and the people doing them. You get to:

• see who struggles with what (helps assess people’s skill sets);
• who burns through their workload and is available for additional tasks;
• whether your time estimates need correction;
• identify any wasted time.

💡 If your employees are insecure about keeping public records of their tasks, here are a few resources that can help:

• How to create order in your daily work tasks
• How to be more efficient with your tasks

Keep a crystal clear timeframe

While we’re discussing timesheets and deadline transparency, it’s important to mention that the times you set for task completions need to be clear-cut.

As we’ve mentioned, the safest way to assign deadlines is to consult the employees. They are better at assessing how long it will take them due to the tasks’ difficulty, overall deadlines, the standards that need to be met, and the skill required to complete it.

When they get a say in how long they should be doing an assignment, people tend to feel more accountable for the whole process. They will do their best to finish in time, since they actively participated in setting the deadline.

Set very clear expectations

Assigning a task should always include your (the supervisor’s) expectations pointed out. For example:

• Does a logo pitch need as many drafts as possible, or just a few finished pieces?

If you ask a designer to make some drafts for a logo pitch, you must specify the kind of quality you’re looking for. Explain whether you are looking for some sketches and drafts for a brainstorming meeting, or if you want clean, presentable pieces to show.

Additionally:

• How many pieces should the designer do?
• Is there a specific color palette they need to follow?
• How important is the task? Is this the day they finally decide on a logo, or is it still in the brainstorming stage? (decides on the quality of the work itself)

Assigning the task using the above questions, you help the designer understand how much effort precisely they need to invest. They become more motivated with clear instructions, as they know what is expected of them. There’s no fear of having their work criticized for something that wasn’t communicated in the beginning. And on your end, it prevents breached deadlines or subpar results.

Avoid creating dependency by being less involved

It’s not unusual for employees to ask their supervisors for their opinion on a certain task, or their performance.

The problem arises when a supervisor makes themselves too involved with the process. When they feel like the project might fall apart if they don’t have their eyes on every moving part all of the time. And when you have, say, 20 people waiting for that person’s approval, advice, or consultation, the workflow runs into a gridlock.

And wait time is wasted time.

Plus, people lose motivation, patience, and grow frustrated, as they could be doing other things.

So, learn not to jump in every time people call for your aid. Assign reliable people who can address smaller issues, while you handle the big picture. Learn how to expend your own energy where it is needed more.

For example – making a pitch presentation for potential investors keeps getting put off because one person needs you to check a client email they want to send, another wants your signature on a form, and the third wants to ask something about employee feedback that’s coming up.

In order to not be stretched thin, and have your time wasted on menial tasks, here’s where you can start:

How to mitigate the risk of being over-involved when assigning

• Remember that you match tasks to people

Which means that, by matching the right people with the right tasks, your involvement will be minimal. Take time to carefully choose who gets to do what. What is the point of assigning tasks if they can’t be done without you?

• Have a 10-point scale to judge the importance of items

How important are certain aspects of your leadership role? Are you absolutely necessary in every meeting, or during every call? Which tasks need your approval, and which ones can be approved by someone under you?

Rank these items on a scale of 0 to 10, based on their importance to you and the project. Top priority tasks should get your undivided attention. And what can be delegated, should be.

• Analyze your schedule

Your energy and time are needed on a much broader scale. The best way to spot if you’re wasting time being too involved is to look at your schedule. Identify how much time you’ve spent on low-priority items, and assess which issues could’ve been solved without you.

• Take into account priorities and deadlines

Step in only when absolutely necessary. You are in charge of things getting done on time, by people most qualified for assigned tasks. Determine what your priorities are for each project, and concern yourself only with those issues, unless there is a risk of breaching a deadline.

• Formulate a list of dependable people

If you know your employees (or team members) well enough, then you should be able to single out those who are more dependable and ready to take on a little more responsibilities. Write out the reasons how they could help by getting involved on low-priority items instead of you. When the time comes, rally them and present them with the idea, keeping in mind that this solution helps push the project forward. When authority is delegated to several people, there’s fewer chances of a hold-up in the workflow.

This also falls into the realm of task delegation , which we’ll get into later.

How do you decide what tasks to assign to which employees?

1. assign based on priority.

Naturally, some tasks will be more important than others. When you break down a project into tasks , spend some time assessing their priority level.

High-priority tasks should be the first on your list to allocate. Whether it’s because they’re time-sensitive, or require more effort and dedication.

Low priority tasks can be allocated as fillers to the first available person.

2. Assign based on employee availability

Another factor to consider when assigning tasks is who is available at the moment.

As the project moves along, new tasks will be added. You will have to allocate new work, but odds are you won’t always be able to pick who you want. Especially if a deadline is approaching, the person with the smallest workload should be your first choice.

Overloading an already busy individual just because they’re more skilled or you have faith in them the most puts an unnecessary strain on them. It’s cause for frustration, poorer results, and decreased productivity.

And as we’ve mentioned, if you have a timesheet with an overview of all the tasks and employees working on them, it’ll be much easier to spot who is free and who isn’t.

3. Assign based on employee skill level

High-priority tasks should go to employees with more experience in a given field or skill. However, you should occasionally give such tasks to other employees as well, to help them grow and become just as dependable. Giving people challenging tasks that can boost their experience is essential to productivity and morale.

Not to mention you get to have multiple high-skilled employees.

Low-priority tasks can be assigned to anyone, despite their experience level. They’re a good opportunity to practice, pick up new skills, or get smaller tasks out of the way to make room for more important ones.

4. Assign based on preference

Last, but not the least, preference can also play a big part in how you assign tasks.

It’s a given that some employees will prefer certain tasks over others. So it could be good to assign tasks at a meeting with the team. As you discuss priorities, deadlines, and availability, ask them which tasks they would like to work on.

If someone shows interest in a specific type of work, they should (with some consideration), be allowed to take it. After all, people are more productive when they’re assigned to something they find new or exciting.

Note: Apply this rule with caution. Letting people do only the tasks they want can stunt their career growth. Getting out of our comfort zones and occasionally doing tasks that we don’t like is how we develop and learn. So, don’t forget to document assignments as you hand them out, to spot these potential issues early on.

Allocating vs delegating tasks

While semantically similar words, delegation and allocation in terms of tasks are two different things.

When you allocate tasks , you are assigning tasks without giving the employees much authority, challenge, or room to grow. It includes you keeping all of the responsibility – writing out the tasks, making deadlines, providing resources, tools, etc. These are usually recurring tasks that can become repetitive.

When you delegate tasks , you allow for some of that responsibility to fizzle out from your fingers. All you think about are the objectives, while letting the employees figure out the details and means to get there.

However, that doesn’t mean delegation is right and the allocation is wrong.

Task allocation has its own place. It is just as important, as a lot of tasks come down to repeated processes that are still vital to the project progress. Task delegation is just a good opportunity for employees to learn, challenge themselves, and assess their skills and performance.

When should you allocate tasks?

Management and BizDev consultant Artem Albul shared his concept on task assignment, which he dubbed an “algorithm”. He emphasized how these criteria are useful only and only when you wish that employees perform the tasks based on your guidelines and instructions (aka allocation).

Here is how Albul broke down the algorithm:

Source: Artem Albul, TWA Consulting

As we can see, task allocation, while the more “controlling” of the two, also gives in-depth instructions and asks for confirmation on task clarity. A lot of it comes down to everyone being on the same page, leaving little to no room for misinterpretation (but also creative freedom).

How should you allocate tasks?

With all that we’ve mentioned in the previous section, here’s how your task allotment could look like, step by step.

• Break down your project

Detail out the goals, objectives, and some individual tasks (not all, be careful not to start micromanaging). Place the most important deadlines.

• Prioritize tasks and sort them

It’s important to know what tasks need to be done faster/better, to properly allocate your resources and manpower from the start.

• Make a list of teams and team members

Assign team leaders (if you don’t have them), and alternatively, ask for their input on individual employees skills, for a more informed decision on who gets what.

• Schedule a meeting

Make a meeting with the team leads and go through the points above. Assign tasks according to each team’s availability, interest, and skill required to successfully push the project forward.

• As team leads – assign tasks further down the pipeline
• Track task completion and make necessary changes along the way

Whether it’s pushing deadlines, reassigning tasks, or shifting around resources. This is perfectly fine and expected, so long as it doesn’t happen on every task you’ve assigned. Then, it is an indicator of poor pre-planning.

• Offer feedback and write performances

Don’t forget to track the progress and make notes of important details that might help the next task allocation/delegation process. It’s also a useful piece of information for the employees on what they need to improve on.

Allocating tasks is somewhat more complicated than we want it to be. But, this kind of thorough research and preparation will make projects run more smoothly. Employees will also be more satisfied with their work, and there will be less hurdles as deadlines approach.

When should you delegate tasks?

Delegation is a great practice in trust for both the employer/supervisor and the employee. The employer learns how to give away some of their control over the process, while the employee learns how to take more accountability for their work.

This lets you focus on big-picture aspects of your job, since you deal less with assignments that are low-priority for you. You save time and energy, while helping others move up in their careers.

How do you effectively delegate tasks as a leader?

As we’ve mentioned, delegating includes more employee independence. There are some additional components which make this type of task assignment more appealing than allocation, with great opportunities for growth.

Focus on delegating objectives instead of actual tasks

When you delegate, you focus on the objective that needs to be done. You shouldn’t give employees a “color by numbers” instruction on how to complete a task.

Communicate clearly what the end result should be and what expectations you (or the higher-ups) have. Leave the means for reaching that end goal to the employees themselves. Because how you solve a task may be completely different to how they will. And that is perfectly fine, so long as the result is the one you are looking for.

Keep the objectives challenging

When the objectives you’re delegating are too easy, chances are the person will either procrastinate, or feel like you don’t trust them enough. And if they’re too difficult, they get frustrated, anxious, and begin to panic.

It’s a good idea to be aware of an employee’s skill level, so you can gauge how much challenge and responsibility they can take on. For them to be the most productive and achieve great results, they need to enter “the state of Flow”.

Source: Optimal Experience , M. Csikszentmihalyi

💡 We’ve discussed the state of Flow in more detail in an article on time organization.

Encourage discussion and feedback

Let employees voice their opinions on the topic.

They should ask anything about the task, the goals, or the overall impact their work will have on the later stages or others’ workflow. It means they are interested in the task, and getting involved.

And if they aren’t asking questions themselves, you can always nudge them into proactivity.

• Is there something you’d like me to clarify?
• Do you already have any ideas on how to go about the task?
• Is the time we agreed upon enough for you?
• Will you need other resources, tools, or support?
• Do you see any problems or risks?

Questions like these help them feel valued, their efforts acknowledged, and let them know you care about the task and how well they perform. Just be careful not to overdo it, or you’ll start to look like a micromanager.

Give employees free rein, but offer support

Speaking of micromanaging, delegation means you let people problem-solve their way out on their own. There should be no reason for a manager to step in and control or supervise any step of the process, unless absolutely necessary.

However, what you should do is let them know you’re available for any advice should they feel stuck. Just because employees get authority on a certain task, and are left to their own devices, doesn’t mean the project has to suffer until they pull themselves up.

From time to time, ask them if they need anything from you, and make sure they know you’re there for any kind of support, consultation, or mediation. ANother good practice is to also give them additional learning opportunities – such as training, conferences, courses, etc.

Delegate objectives that move people forward

Choose assignments that boost the skills and employ all of their experiences, instead of something that simply needs to be done. For example:

• Tasks that require they brush up on their team communication skills;
• Learning how to allocate smaller tasks;
• Supervising others’ work and doing quality control;
• Learning to work with a new tool;
• Holding a meeting (or more), etc.

Find out which skills your employees may want or need to develop, and then plan your delegations accordingly. You want them to complete the task while having learned something new at the same time.

How to choose who to delegate to

Paul Beesley, senior director and consultant at Beyond Theory proposed a nifty checklist for when you’re choosing an employee to delegate to. It’s meant to simplify and speed up the process.

To successfully complete the delegated task, your chosen employee needs:

S – the skill to perform and complete a task

T – the time to complete the task, and if needed, learn the required skill

A – the authority to handle everything concerning the task

R – the necessary level of responsibility

R – the recognition for successfully completing the task

This list is a set of important criteria that should be covered when you consider who to assign to a specific task. However, depending on your niche, type of service, company size and the project at hand, the criteria are likely to change. And it should accommodate your needs, not the other way around.

Common task delegation mistakes to avoid

With all being said, there are some common mistakes managers and employers make, sometimes without even realizing it.

• Being too vague concerning deadlines (using: as soon as possible, when you get to it, I need it by yesterday). It creates unnecessary pressure.
• Being unavailable for questions and concerns. While you shouldn’t micromanage, you should still be present for support if an employee feels stuck. Ignoring them or handing them over to someone else could cause distrust. However, if you are usually swamped with work, set consultation hours each day or week.
• Having unclear directions. Specifying the allotted time for task completion and expectations should be the bare minimum when delegating tasks.
• Not providing feedback. No feedback is worse than bad feedback. Employees need to be aware when they’re doing good work, as well. In one company I worked for, the mantra was: “If no one is complaining about your work, that means you’re doing good”. And while it sounds like sound logic, it actually caused a lot of frustration. We were left directionless, and simply “floating” from task to task, never knowing if any of them had a positive impact on our performance.
• Not listening to employees. Take into account how they feel about a task or the objective. Let them give you feedback and if there are potential problems from the get-go.
• Assigning other people to the same task. If you notice a person struggling, the first instinct should be to ask them how they’re faring, and if they need any help. Some managers tend to assign other employees to help them without consultation, which leaves a sore taste. The employee will feel even more incompetent and will be less likely to take on a similar task in the future.
• Assuming people will know what you mean. This is one of the biggest problems. When you’re formulating a task, be as clear as possible about the goals and expectations. Oftentimes managers think that these things are implied, but the truth is – no one is a mind reader. To avoid having information misconstrued or misunderstood, communicate clearly and directly.

There could be more mistakes, especially for every different field and industry. If at all possible, identify the most common ones, made either by you or your peers. Note down all the instances where certain tasks weren’t up to par, and see what you could have changed in your assignment process to fix it. Maybe there wasn’t enough time or resources, you were unclear, or the employee wasn’t ready for such responsibility. Use the same procedure in all future task delegations. It’s the only way to learn and make the process quicker.

Use Clockify to assign tasks with ease

Now you’re a master of task delegation — congrats!

But there’s more to it than meets the eye.

In fact, what if you used a digital tool like Clockify to increase the likelihood that each job would be completed on time and on point?

In Clockify, you can easily create highly descriptive assignments that contain information like:

• Start time,
• Billability status,
• Name of the employee,
• Period for getting the assignment done,
• Hours per day to spend on the assignment, and more.

That way, you can plan who works on what, how long, and when.

Similarly, Clockify allows you to create project milestones to achieve results faster.

With the Milestones option, you can select dates for deadlines, allowing you to pin down important events in your projects.

For example, if your client expects you to keep them in the loop about developments, you can inform them promptly on whether your team has reached the agreed-upon milestones.

Refocus on your company’s big picture with a project and time tracking tool.

Marijana Stojanovic is a writer and researcher who specializes in the topics of productivity and time management.

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9 Best Practices for Employee Suggestion Programs

by Catherine Mattice Sep 20, 2017

Developing best practices for employee suggestion programs can have a positive impact on employee morale, overall corporate culture and an organization’s bottom line. Organizations can create positive changes that come straight from their employees, naturally increasing engagement and performance. Not to mention, your employees are in the trenches so they probably have all kinds of money-saving or revenue-building ideas.

In 2011-2012, for example, British Airways  launched  a staff suggestion program in response to a challenging economic environment. One employee’s suggestion was able to save them roughly $750,000 a year in fuel costs.

If you are going to ask employees for their opinions, you must follow the proper steps in building the program. If you create a program that lacks sophistication, tact or follow through, you can hurt your organization’s reputation and receive hostility from employees. The point of the suggestion program is to actually take the suggestions to heart and make sure that employees feel they are a valuable part of the organization.

Best Practices for Employee Suggestion Programs

Remember, your employees are your best assets — use them! Here are some steps to building your program:

1. Determine if a formal employee suggestion program is actually needed .

If you feel that suggestions are naturally flowing across the office or are being introduced at weekly staff meetings, an informal process may be the most beneficial. Instead of creating, for example, an employee suggestion box, try scheduling some brainstorming meetings or setting aside time in weekly meetings for employees to verbalize their ideas. If employees are already cultivating new ideas in meetings, dealing with them directly will be the most beneficial.

2. If an informal program doesn’t seem like the right way to go or your brainstorming sessions don’t seem to be working, then it is time to develop a formal program.

When developing a formal program, it is important to determine exactly what is blocking ideas in your organization. This way you can create a program that breaks down these barriers.

3. Obtain leadership buy-in.

Simply put, if employees don’t see senior leadership participating or advocating for the suggestion program, it is more likely to fail. If you need to obtain buy-in, share articles with your team on the benefits of employee suggestion programs.

4. Develop your formal plan.

Do some research and create a plan that you think will work best for your organization. It might help to look at other companies and see what they are doing in their programs.

5. Have some type of formal guidelines for employees to fill out with their suggestions.

Guiding them to answer questions like “Where did your idea stem from?” or “How do you believe this idea will benefit the organization?” can help prevent employees from venting their frustrations in unconstructive ways.

6. Develop a rewards program .

This doesn’t necessarily mean giving cash to each employee that has a suggestion. However, a small thank you card or note can go a long way. If you create small rewards, you create incentive and you receive more ideas. Another reward might be that for each suggestion, the employee’s name gets entered into a raffle for an Amazon gift card. Make sure that when you promote the reward, it will be for viable suggestions only, not for something like, “We should put an ice cream maker in the break room.”

7. Promote, promote, promote.

Once you have come up with your formal plan, make sure all employees across the organization (or at least in your branch) have access to it and are inspired to participate in it. Remember, it is not only your job to create the program, you are also responsible for inspiring employees to share their ideas. When you are promoting your program, try to include the program’s employee and organizational benefits and specify why you are implementing it. Also, make sure you launch the program in a creative way that creates buzz across the office. Get your senior leadership to help launch the program by promoting it in department meetings, and have the CEO create a small personal video about it.

8. Review the suggestions regularly. 

Set up a cross-functional team to go over all the suggestions. It is important that employees at all levels across all departments are part of this group. This way, you can make sure all the ideas are evaluated correctly.

9. Follow through and create urgency.

If you take the time to develop this program and then don’t review and respond to the suggestions, you may make things worse. The faster you can respond to them, the better. You need to be proactive. If you don’t follow through, you will stop receiving suggestions, and you risk negative impact on employee engagement.

Now, there are a few things to keep in mind as you go. First, simplicity is key. Make sure it’s easy to submit ideas. If the process is overly complicated, employees probably won’t participate. Something else that will keep them from participating is backlash or perceived repercussions for being honest. So be sure to create a positive atmosphere around the program, and ensure the opportunity to remain anonymous is available.

I also recommend being creative with your program and how you market it. You might create an incentive program to participate, for example. Lastly — the most important part of developing any program or initiative that relies on employee feedback — is that you must follow through. So think of your employees as customers. If a customer has a suggestion or complaint, you would most likely do everything you can to make sure that customer feels heard and that any needed changes are made. Do the same with your employees. Respond to suggestions in a timely manner and provide feedback as to why something was or wasn’t implemented.

We’re all looking to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage, and your employees are yours. If they are engaged, they will do everything in their power to make your business successful.

This article originally appeared here on Forbes.com.

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Assigning Work

Just as important as what tasks you assign to individuals is how you assign them. Allowing employees to have a say in what tasks they perform and how they perform them can increase job satisfaction and performance exponentially. However, there are often situations where tasks need to be assigned quickly, or you may require menial tasks that no one really wants to do, to be completed. This post will give you several ways to assign work and explore which method is appropriate in which situation.

General Principles

When assigning any sort of work, keep the 5 W’s and the H in mind, just as we did when setting expectations. In particular, you will want to explain what the task is, when it is due, and when they should provide progress reports. Although it is often best to give employees as much freedom as possible in executing the task, you will want to explain what the end product should look like, particular steps that will need to be followed (especially when safety or interdependence with other projects is involved), and resources that they can use.

Work assignments often fall into one of three categories:

Orders: These leave no room for guesswork, and they typically match the dictatorial approach discussed below. These should only be used for emergencies. Example: “Shut off that tap, now!”

Requests: These types of assignments leave the employee some room for interpretation. These are the work descriptions you will want to use most often. Example: “John, please turn off that water.”

Suggestions:   These types of work assignments leave the most room for interpretation and should only be used if you don’t care how the work gets done, or if it’s a low priority task. Example: “Susan, it would be nice if we could come up with a different format for that report.”

The Dictatorial Approach

The easiest short-term work assignment method is to simply assign tasks to individuals. However, this generates the least job satisfaction and independence.

This method should be used when a task needs to be completed urgently, or if it is a task that no one wants to take on.

For best results, make sure that you explain the importance of the task and the rewards to the individual, the department, and the organization.

The Apple-Picking Approach

This method gives employees more freedom in choosing their tasks, although it does not emphasize team problem solving or collaboration. The basic idea is that the team member chooses a project that they would like to work on from a list of departmental tasks.

This is a good method to use when there is a small group of tasks to be assigned, a very small group of employees, and not enough time for a meeting. In this case, make sure that the tasks are equal in value and workload. This method can also be used when the department has a list of low-priority “fillers” and an employee needs a short term project.

Be careful when using this method if there are just as many tasks as people, as employees’ choices will be reduced as you move through the team members.

The Collaborative Approach

With this method, the team has a meeting to decide who completes which task. The list of tasks is posted on flip chart or whiteboard. For maximum effectiveness, all team members help establish objectives and deadlines for each tasks.

This is the most effective method because giving team members a say in the way the work is distributed, and giving them the opportunity to choose more meaningful tasks, will enable you to get more out of your employees and to help them grow and develop.

However, this method is not appropriate for a list of menial tasks, or if a task needs to be urgently completed. It is most effective when used with a mature team (a team that has worked together for six months or more).

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9 Tips for Setting Up a Successful Employee Suggestion Program

Author: Alexis Matheny

1. Determine who will review each new idea.

If possible, create a committee or task force to review these employee suggestions. Make sure this group includes employees from multiple levels within your organization, so that all submissions will have a chance to be considered from more than one point of view. Doing so will also give your employees the encouragement to make a submission, knowing that their ideas will be thoroughly reviewed.

2. Make your intentions known.

From the beginning, stress to employees that your focus is on constructive, results-oriented suggestions. Make it clear that each submission should be highly detailed and go beyond simply stating a problem.

3. Give examples as a guide.

Encourage your employees to make well thought out submissions by providing them with a guideline. List out the types of ideas you are looking to receive, with some examples for reference. Be sure to include the key areas of improvement that you are trying to focus on.

4. Require a proposed solution for each idea.

In addition to asking for new ideas, request that all submissions provide a possible solution or tentative action plan. This will ensure employees put the time and effort into each submission they make. It will also relieve you and your team of spending excess time reading through submissions that may not have feasible next steps.

5. Request nominations for implementation leaders.

Suggestions should also include recommendations of individuals who the employee thinks would be best to head up implementation of their new idea. Similar to requesting a solution to each idea, this will help employees thoroughly think through their submission before sending it over to you and your team. 

6. Don't accept anonymity.

Make employees aware that anonymous suggestions will not be reviewed. There should be clear ownership for each idea submitted in order to prevent complaints and frustrations from coming through the submission form.

7. Provide your feedback.

When you receive a submission, make it a point to review within a specified timeline. Be sure to provide feedback for all suggestions, so that employees can understand why their ideas were approved or denied. A denied idea could be discouraging to your employees, so always be sure to thank them for making the submission and encourage  them to keep sending in additional ideas. 

8. List clear instructions.

Be upfront with employees and post clear instructions on how to submit a suggestion, as well as what will be done with each new idea you receive. Take the following into consideration when writing your instructions:

• In what time frame will suggestions be reviewed?
• What is the review process like? How will each suggestion be evaluated and who will be reviewing them?
• If a suggestion is determined to be viable, who will be responsible for its implementation? How will this be determined?
• When should employees expect to receive feedback on their suggestions?
• Is there any reward for ideas that are implemented?

9. Always announce implemented ideas.

Share the details of improvements that have been implemented with the entire company. You can do this by sending a company email or including a story in the company newsletter. This will give well deserved recognition to the employee who made the suggestion, and will also provide proof to all of your employees that their suggestions truly are being considered.

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Beginner’s guide to lean: Employee suggestion program best practices

My students are finishing up their lean assessments for this semester. Again, they found that that many manufacturing firms are falling short with their employee suggestion programs.

The students report that management teams are frustrated by lack of suggestions, employees are apathetic about suggestion programs and hundreds of good improvement ideas never see the light of day.

It’s not that these companies don’t realize the importance of engaging their frontline employees in continuous improvement. They do. They are far enough along on their lean journeys to know that the heart and soul of great lean companies are trained, motivated employees who consider it part of their jobs to identify and solve problems on a continuous basis.

A few of the companies that sponsor my student teams have definitely broken the employee suggestion program code. Here are some of their best practices:

1. The employee suggestion program must be supported by top leadership. It must be highly visible and easy to use.

Faurecia, a global automotive supplier, has invested heavily in its improvement idea process. As Joe Lupinski, plant manager at the Faurecia Interior Systems Plant in Fraser, Michigan, said, “Our improvement idea process is a worldwide initiative that Faurecia puts a lot of time and effort into maintaining as an excellent way of tapping into all of our employees’ creative minds. We make it easy for anyone in our facility to put thoughts and ideas down on paper so that no good idea goes unnoticed.”

Faurecia employs an easy-to-use, standardized triplicate form for improvement ideas. (See Figure 1.) This allows for ideas to be documented through every step of the process and ensures the idea goes full circle, with the originator having final say and signoff as to whether the idea was implemented as intended or not.

2. These companies realize that an effective employee suggestion program starts at the team level, must be owned by the first-line supervisor and must be fast to finish.

At Faurecia, Improvement Idea forms are prominently posted on informational boards right in the work cell area.

“The Improvement Idea process calls for the supervisor of the work cell to review the ideas on the board within a 5-day period and decide whether the idea will be adopted or not adopted. If adopted, the supervisor gives it to whoever will be responsible for implementing the idea.  Once the idea is implemented, the supervisor verifies implementation is complete. Finally, the original contributor of the idea signs at the bottom of the Improvement Idea form, verifying the idea has been successfully implemented,” said Scott Trombley, FES specialist at the Faurecia Fraser Interior Systems Plant.  

This easy-to-use, fast-to-finish Improvement Idea process has resulted in the Faurecia Fraser Plant averaging 30 improvement ideas per employee per year and more than $1 million in annual savings.

3. There must be high level recognition and attractive (but not gigantic) rewards.

Bret Badertscher, the plant manager of the Lear Rochester Hills Seating Plant turned around his plant’s employee suggestion program by doing just that.

“We get nowhere near the number of ideas from our workforce that I would like to get, but it has improved dramatically in the last year since we improved it. The main contributor that changed our suggestion program was the Reward and Recognition system,” said Baderyscher. “We do a quarterly drawing for a free vacation day for those who submit a viable suggestion. Based on the type of impact of the suggestion, the chances of winning increases. We also think it is important to recognize the employee by posting a picture of the winner with his/her suggestion near the employee entrance area for all to see. The suggestion board has a listing of all implemented ideas on the board and a list of ideas that weren’t implemented so we get feedback to those employees also.”

4. Employee suggestions must be measured and tracked in a way that communicates what is important to sustaining the flow of employee ideas.

“Typical metrics in a suggestion program are number of suggestions submitted, number implemented and dollars saved. Those are all lagging metrics that are focused on evaluating ideas rather than on speed of implementation,” said Robert Simonis of KCE Consulting. “Speed of implementation is the meaningful metric. If ideas are implemented quickly, it causes more ideas to be generated.  More ideas implemented quickly leads to better ideas being generated.  More good ideas being implemented quickly leads to rapid learning.  Rapid learning leads to profit enhancement and long term company success. Long term success was the original reason to have created an employee suggestion program in the first place.”

5. The best lean companies have a process to take great local ideas and standardize them throughout the plant and company.

I hope these “lean lessons” help you and your organizations on your lean journeys. 

Mark S. Doman is a Pawley Professor in Lean Studies at Oakland University in the Human Resource Development Department and a member of the leadership team at the Pawley Lean Institute. Prior to joining Oakland University, he had 25 years of business experience with Ford and AT&T, where he held various executive positions in operations, human resources and legal. He has led several major organizational change initiatives throughout his career that included Lean Workouts, quality circles, TQM, process re-engineering, kaizens and corporate restructuring. He is the author of “A New Lean Paradigm in Higher Education: A Case Study.” Quality Assurance in Education, Vol. 19 No. 3, 2011 and “How Lean Ready Are You?” Target, Vol. 28 No. 2, 2012. His email address is [email protected] .

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How to Run a Successful Employee Suggestion Program

Every business relies on getting good ideas from employees, and on improving processes over time in response to these ideas. After all, your workers are the ones at the coal face - it’s only natural that they’ll have the best suggestions for how to make things run more smoothly.

If you’ve established a positive and open workplace culture, your employees will offer their great ideas without you having to ask. If this is already the case, then well done!

However, not everyone wants to take the time and effort to offer their ideas. For many employees, the day to day demands of the job are enough to keep them busy. 

A great way to overcome this barrier and encourage your employees to contribute their most valuable suggestions? Commit to an employee suggestion program. 

In this article, we’ll take you on a tour through seven helpful tips on running a successful employee suggestion program. We’ll also examine how the world’s innovation leaders seek out employee ideas, and look at some of the major mistakes to avoid with suggestion programs. 

What is an employee suggestion program? 

An employee suggestion program is any system or process encouraging employees to submit helpful ideas for new products, identify potential improvements to the workplace, or call attention to any problems or difficulties they may be experiencing. 

In the past, businesses have used simple tools like suggestion boxes or public notice boards to encourage their employees to pass on their ideas for business improvements. 

Now, there are even better ways to encourage employees to make valuable suggestions. These include using anonymous suggestion forms, dedicated online processes, or even engaging via social media. 

In industries around the world, businesses are creating employee suggestion programs using the following techniques:

• Improvement inboxes: Having an email portal gives employees the chance to submit their ideas and concerns either anonymously or by naming themselves.
• Innovation competitions: To encourage the sharing of ideas, companies can host regular innovation competitions, with public recognition and rewards for the best ideas.
• Human resources: Many companies incorporate employee suggestions into processes such as annual performance reviews, encouraging people to share any ideas they may have for how to boost company performance.
• Monthly leaderboards: Competition is always a great motivator, and monthly ideas leaderboards are a great way to get people thinking and contributing their best ideas.
• Cash awards (or gift cards): Offering awards is another great technique to get people interested in contributing great ideas for workplace improvements. These don’t have to be huge - even a modest prize is enough to get people talking and thinking. 
• Staff meetings: A lot of businesses take the opportunity to ask employees for their ideas at staff meetings, creating the opportunity for public discussion. 

Staff meetings are a great chance to encourage employee suggestions. Source: Unsplash

Whichever technique you decide to use, employee suggestion programs offer some excellent benefits for your company. 

What are the benefits of an employee suggestion program?

Employee suggestion programs offer a way to gather new ideas, boost business performance, and commit to continuous improvement. The right program also helps employees to feel more engaged, empowered, and motivated to do their best work.

For new and emerging businesses, employee suggestion programs are a great way to increase performance - especially in your first year, when you’re still establishing systems and processes.

Here are some of the most significant benefits of employee suggestion programs. 

Increased employee engagement 

It’s human nature to want to be listened to. Knowing that management is interested in what employees have to say is a simple and effective way to boost engagement and motivation, and lets people feel like they have more control over their working environment.

This way, employee suggestion programs are more than just a conduit for management to access valuable and transformative ideas - they are also a key technique for boosting workplace morale and productivity. 

Efficient systems

As the people with the deepest hands-on experience of how your systems and processes work in practice, your employees will naturally have some great ideas on how to find new improvements and efficiencies. 

For example, let’s say you’re a car manufacturer looking to boost the efficiency on your production line. Who do you talk to first?

Your supervisors and managers might have some great ideas, but the ones with the most valuable knowledge are those working on the assembly line. Seeking their input is a great way to boost your efficiency and get products out the door a lot faster.

Continuous improvement

Every market leader knows that improvements to processes aren’t just a one-off thing. Excellence in business is a question of continuous improvement, and workers at every level need to be on the lookout for better ways of doing things.

Employee suggestion programs are a core part of continuous improvement. Creating a way for people to share their valuable ideas and suggestions helps to embed this mindset in every layer of your business.

Cost savings and increased revenue

The best employee ideas don’t just improve efficiency - they can also lead to lower costs, too. Even the most modest improvements to business processes can make all the difference to a business’s competitive edge. 

As the long list of real-world examples show, even a simple employee idea can lead to huge benefits for the business as a whole, helping to cut costs and boost revenue.

One great example here is British Airways , where a suggestion from a single employee about descaling bathroom piping has helped save the company over $750,000 in fuel costs each year. 

Greater connection between management and staff

If you’re in management, it can be easy to forget what it’s like to work at the coal face. Having a suggestion program helps to communicate the employee experience directly to managers, giving them a more accurate sense of working conditions.

This communication helps to build a greater level of understanding and connection between management and staff, and contributes to greater morale and higher productivity. It also makes managers aware of any problems nice and early, meaning solutions can be found quickly.

Higher levels of customer satisfaction

Finally, employee suggestion programs aren’t just useful for management and staff - they also contribute to a more positive experience for the customer. 

That’s because systems and processes are smoother as a result of employee input, leading to faster and more responsive customer service. For example, if you’re running a coffee shop and one of your baristas suggests a way to serve people faster, your patrons will benefit too.

Is an employee suggestion program right for your business?

Having an employee suggestion program gives your people the chance to contribute their best ideas for improvements to the workplace. When done well, it can make all the difference to a positive and open working environment. 

Before you commit to a formal employee suggestion program, however, there are some factors you’ll need to consider:

• Transparency: For a suggestion program to work well, you need to commit to a degree of transparency between workers and management.
• Management burden: The best employee suggestion programs require close management, including the time and resources needed to follow-up on great ideas.
• Hard truths: Suggestion programs can lead to the discovery of some amazing ideas, but they can also lift the lid on some unpleasant things, too. If you’re managing a suggestion program, you need to be ready for anything. 

As noted in Forbes , some businesses can access great ideas from employees without having a formal employee suggestion program in place. If you have a sufficiently open and trusting relationship with your staff, you may not need a formal program to encourage ideas.

The big mistakes to avoid with employee suggestion programs

If you decide to commit to a formal employee suggestion program, there are some key mistakes you’ll need to avoid.

Insufficient commitment from leadership

Suggestion programs work best when leadership is supportive and excited about the idea. If company management isn’t on board, it won’t work. 

As a first step, you need to get company leadership and management committed to the program. People need to recognize the potential upsides to having a suggestion program, and need to understand the potential it has to benefit every part of the business.

With the right commitment from company leadership, your suggestion program will be off to a running start.

Lack of transparency

Employee suggestion programs are an excellent way to boost transparency and encourage greater participation in the running of the business. To truly work well, however, these programs require a degree of transparency on what happens once a suggestion is received.

If suggestions simply disappear into a black box, employees will get frustrated, and will wonder why they bothered putting in the time and effort. Instead, you need to keep a public record of the suggestions people are making, and the response to these suggestions. 

This can feel like too much exposure, but trust us - being clear and transparent about the suggestions and your response to them will build a lot of faith in the system.

Poorly defined processes

If you’re going to commit to having an employee suggestion program, don’t do it in a haphazard way. Instead, develop a formal plan with standardized rules and expectations, and show this to your employees.

This is a great way to ensure consistency in the process and get buy-in from your people. With clarity and transparency, the suggestions will start rolling in.

Slow response

One of the most common complaints with employee suggestion programs comes down to a sluggish response from management. Far too often, employee suggestions are ignored in favor of more immediate concerns. In the worst cases, management simply forgets about them. 

This doesn’t just lead to missed opportunities for improvements - it is also terrible for workplace morale, with employees feeling like they’re being ignored completely. 

If you’re going to commit, make sure you put aside the time and resources to respond to suggestions promptly. Having a slow and unresponsive suggestion system is worse than having no system, so make sure you set yourself up to succeed.

Poor communication

A successful employee suggestion programme requires clear and consistent communication from company leadership. People at every layer of the company need to understand how the system works, or else they won’t be interested in participating. 

If the purpose and operation of the program isn’t clearly communicated to the whole business, your employees won’t know how to offer their best ideas. So, take the time to explain the program in clear and enthusiastic detail, and be ready to answer questions. 

7 tips for running a great employee suggestion program

Getting employee suggestion programs right can a lot of take time and effort. If you’re looking at a blank sheet of paper and wondering where to begin, the exercise can be a little intimidating! 

Fortunately for you, we’ve outlined our seven top tips for how to run a great suggestion program. From offering incentives to suggesters to having a team in place to review company responses, we’ve got everything you need to get it right.

#1) Offer guidance to help your employees provide their best ideas

As with crowdsourcing, co-creation, and open innovation, employee suggestion programs get their best results when participants have access to crisp, clear guidance and instructions. 

Your suggestion program guidance should answer the following questions:

• How should employees submit their suggestions? In what format? 
• Can employees submit ideas anonymously? 
• What level of detail is required? 
• What happens once an idea is submitted? 
• How long should an employee wait for a response to a suggestion? 
• What kind of incentives are there to encourage great ideas?

It might seem like overkill to lay things out in such detail, but trust us - writing clear and comprehensive guidance will also help you figure out what you want from the process, too. 

#2) Provide an incentive for suggesters

When designing a suggestion program, it pays to remember one key thing: Your employees are already busy people. Offering their ideas for workplace improvements and opportunities shouldn’t just be one other thing they have to deal with in their packed days.

A great way to incentivize people to take the time to contribute their best ideas is to create an incentive for suggesters. This could take the form of a small cash prize, or even a share of the profits resulting from a new product. 

Professional recognition is a great incentive for people to contribute ideas. Source: Unsplash

Alternatively, you can offer a non-monetary incentive, like public recognition or professional awards. The key thing is to make people feel valued for their contributions.

#3) Match the process to your workplace culture

When it comes to employee suggestion programs, there’s no one-size-fits-all. What works well for one company won’t necessarily be a good fit for the next.

That’s why you need to take the time to design a program that matches your workplace culture, including your preferred model of teamwork, the demands of your particular industry, and the interpersonal dynamics within your workplace. 

For example, let’s say you’re a software company with an established history of fun and productive office getaways. In this case, you could dedicate some time during these getaways to receiving and discussing employee suggestions for workplace improvements.

Alternatively, if you’re a company with more of a focus on individual projects, this kind of communal discussion might not be so suitable. In this case, an anonymous suggestion portal would be more appropriate. 

The goal is to design a suggestion program that suits the communication and teamwork preferences of your particular business. 

#4) Commit to responding within a set time period

The best way to avoid a stagnant suggestion program is to set a target response time for each suggestion submitted.

For example, if you tracked the time it took to go from suggestion to decision to implementation, and posted these figures on a monthly or quarterly basis, this would create a lot of public accountability, and would boost faith in the program.

Show your people how serious you are about continuous performance, and set a target time for company responses to employee suggestions. It’ll create a lot more interest in the program.

#5) Set up a review team to manage responses 

Responding to employee suggestions shouldn’t be the sole responsibility of some poor soul in management. That’s not only inefficient - it’s also unfair to the submitters.

Instead, you need a team representing a cross-section of the business to decide whether to implement a particular suggestion. 

This helps to ensure the right information and expertise is brought into play when responding to a suggestion, and makes it more likely that a particular suggestion will succeed. After all, continuous improvement is a team sport - one person can’t just go it alone.

#6) Evaluate the process

As with every other part of the business, an employee suggestion program can always be improved upon. Once you’ve got your program up and running, remember to set a time to look back and evaluate how it’s going, and where you could make improvements. 

This evaluation should examine the average response time, the clarity and frequency of communication concerning the results of suggestions made, and the number of suggestions received on a monthly basis. 

Looking honestly at these questions will help you to improve the suggestion program over time.

#7) Don’t forget to promote the program

Lastly, don’t forget to promote the suggestion program. You’ve taken the time to design a bespoke process that matches the particular demands of your workplace - don’t let it fail just because nobody knows about it! 

Instead, be sure to communicate the suggestion program to all employees on a regular basis. Where you have specific incentives available, let people know about these. 

Above all else, make sure everyone knows about the improvements made as a result of the suggestion program. Celebrating these improvements is the best promotion there is.

Employee suggestion programs: Some real-world examples

When thinking about how to get up a great employee suggestion program, there’s nothing more useful than looking at how some of the world’s market leaders are doing it. 

Now, we’ll take a look at what British Airways, 3M, and Amazon are doing when it comes to employee suggestion programs, what their results are, and how you can learn from them. 

British Airways

The airline industry is among the most competitive in the world, with carriers duking it out to stay on top with increasingly thin profit margins . 

In this environment, airline companies need access to the best ideas to stay on top. Sometimes, these ideas can come from management or industry consultants. An even better source of innovation? Airline employees.

British Airways has benefitted from some helpful employee suggestions. Source: Skift

That’s why British Airways has invested so heavily in its employee suggestion program. With this program, workers in every part of the business can contribute their most promising ideas for workplace improvements and company savings. 

This suggestion program has already resulted in some big wins for the company, with one employee’s suggestion to descale airplane bathroom piping saving more than $750,000 a year in fuel costs. In a competitive market, that’s huge.

In the case of British Airways, the company rolled out a formal staff suggestion program, allowing workers to submit ideas online, either anonymously or as part of their staff performance review process with management. Given the mobile nature of British Airways’ workforce, this remote system for employees to submit ideas is a natural and convenient fit. 

This example helps to illustrate just how valuable employee ideas can be in competitive industries, and how important it is to ask your workers for their suggested improvements. 

A famously innovative company, manufacturing giant 3M is the official birthplace of the 15% Program , whereby employees at every level are asked to spend 15% of their time on innovative projects. Now, even tech titans like Google are following suit with their own innovation quotas. 

In addition to this groundbreaking approach, 3M also places a huge emphasis on employee suggestions for new products, systems, and processes. This approach reflects the idea that every one of 3M’s employees could be responsible for the next world-shaping invention.

It’s this commitment to recognizing and celebrating employee innovation that has led to genius inventions like the Post-It note. 3M engineer Arthur Fry dreamed up this deceptively simple combination of paper squares and low-grade airplane adhesive way back in 1974.

3M’s approach to encouraging and celebrating employee suggestions recognizes that innovation and inventiveness can come from anywhere, at any time. By making innovation an ongoing consideration for employees, 3M can stay on top.

Amazon isn’t just any innovation leader. It’s arguably the most innovative company in the world today, and has the potential to completely reshape modern commerce. 

Arguably one of the key factors in Amazon’s global dominance stems from Amazon Prime, the company’s fast-shipping subscription service. Using Prime, customers simply pay a flat-rate annual fee and benefit from low-cost shipping for the entire year.

This idea came from Amazon software engineer Charlie Ward , who pitched the idea in the company’s digital employee suggestion box. Fed up with frustration at having to click through multiple pages to access low-cost shipping, Ward proposed charging customers a flat-rate each year and doing away with additional shipping costs at all. 

So far, this sounds like a standard story of company innovation, right? The real difference lies in how Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos responded to Ward’s suggestion. 

Amazon Prime is one of the most valuable ideas ever suggested by an employee. Source: CNET

Recognizing the value in the idea, Bezos gathered Amazon executives in November of 2004 and demanded a viable proposal by the end of the next quarter. By the time Amazon started offering Prime in mid-2005, the company already had thousands of subscribers interested. 

Now, Prime is an integral part of Amazon’s business model, with over 100 million global subscribers , and a range of additional customer offerings, such as streaming media. 

This example illustrates one of the key factors in running a successful suggestion program: responding to promising suggestions quickly, and assigning the right people to the task. By making Amazon Prime such a priority, Bezos set the company up for future success. 

So, when setting up a suggestion program for your business, remember to dedicate the resources necessary to respond to promising ideas as promptly as you can. Otherwise, you could miss out on a potentially world-changing opportunity. 

Your employees have the answers - all you need to do is ask

In every industry, in every part of the world, the beating heart of business comes down to one thing: employees with great expertise and ideas.

Rather than just relying on your employees to produce great work on a daily basis, you should also be asking them for their suggestions on how to improve things in the workplace. 

Whether you’re talking about ways to speed up production, increase the efficiency of your systems, or expand your operation into new markets, chances are your employees have got some great suggestions to offer. 

All you have to do to get access to these great ideas is know how to ask. 

So, take a look at our seven tips for running a successful employee suggestion program, our most common mistakes to avoid, and our collection of real-world examples. 

Then, think about how you could encourage your staff to submit their best ideas for workplace improvements. 

The Suggestion Box Must Die: There Are Better Alternatives

6 Ways to Make Process Improvement a Shared Business Goal

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Assignment – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

Table of Contents

Definition:

Assignment is a task given to students by a teacher or professor, usually as a means of assessing their understanding and application of course material. Assignments can take various forms, including essays, research papers, presentations, problem sets, lab reports, and more.

Assignments are typically designed to be completed outside of class time and may require independent research, critical thinking, and analysis. They are often graded and used as a significant component of a student’s overall course grade. The instructions for an assignment usually specify the goals, requirements, and deadlines for completion, and students are expected to meet these criteria to earn a good grade.

History of Assignment

The use of assignments as a tool for teaching and learning has been a part of education for centuries. Following is a brief history of the Assignment.

• Ancient Times: Assignments such as writing exercises, recitations, and memorization tasks were used to reinforce learning.
• Medieval Period : Universities began to develop the concept of the assignment, with students completing essays, commentaries, and translations to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.
• 19th Century : With the growth of schools and universities, assignments became more widespread and were used to assess student progress and achievement.
• 20th Century: The rise of distance education and online learning led to the further development of assignments as an integral part of the educational process.
• Present Day: Assignments continue to be used in a variety of educational settings and are seen as an effective way to promote student learning and assess student achievement. The nature and format of assignments continue to evolve in response to changing educational needs and technological innovations.

Types of Assignment

Here are some of the most common types of assignments:

An essay is a piece of writing that presents an argument, analysis, or interpretation of a topic or question. It usually consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Essay structure:

• Introduction : introduces the topic and thesis statement
• Body paragraphs : each paragraph presents a different argument or idea, with evidence and analysis to support it
• Conclusion : summarizes the key points and reiterates the thesis statement

Research paper

A research paper involves gathering and analyzing information on a particular topic, and presenting the findings in a well-structured, documented paper. It usually involves conducting original research, collecting data, and presenting it in a clear, organized manner.

Research paper structure:

• Title page : includes the title of the paper, author’s name, date, and institution
• Abstract : summarizes the paper’s main points and conclusions
• Introduction : provides background information on the topic and research question
• Literature review: summarizes previous research on the topic
• Methodology : explains how the research was conducted
• Results : presents the findings of the research
• Discussion : interprets the results and draws conclusions
• Conclusion : summarizes the key findings and implications

A case study involves analyzing a real-life situation, problem or issue, and presenting a solution or recommendations based on the analysis. It often involves extensive research, data analysis, and critical thinking.

Case study structure:

• Introduction : introduces the case study and its purpose
• Background : provides context and background information on the case
• Analysis : examines the key issues and problems in the case
• Solution/recommendations: proposes solutions or recommendations based on the analysis
• Conclusion: Summarize the key points and implications

A lab report is a scientific document that summarizes the results of a laboratory experiment or research project. It typically includes an introduction, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion.

Lab report structure:

• Title page : includes the title of the experiment, author’s name, date, and institution
• Abstract : summarizes the purpose, methodology, and results of the experiment
• Methods : explains how the experiment was conducted
• Results : presents the findings of the experiment

Presentation

A presentation involves delivering information, data or findings to an audience, often with the use of visual aids such as slides, charts, or diagrams. It requires clear communication skills, good organization, and effective use of technology.

Presentation structure:

• Introduction : introduces the topic and purpose of the presentation
• Body : presents the main points, findings, or data, with the help of visual aids
• Conclusion : summarizes the key points and provides a closing statement

Creative Project

A creative project is an assignment that requires students to produce something original, such as a painting, sculpture, video, or creative writing piece. It allows students to demonstrate their creativity and artistic skills.

Creative project structure:

• Introduction : introduces the project and its purpose
• Body : presents the creative work, with explanations or descriptions as needed
• Conclusion : summarizes the key elements and reflects on the creative process.

Examples of Assignments

Following are Examples of Assignment templates samples:

Essay template:

I. Introduction

• Hook: Grab the reader’s attention with a catchy opening sentence.
• Background: Provide some context or background information on the topic.
• Thesis statement: State the main argument or point of your essay.

II. Body paragraphs

• Topic sentence: Introduce the main idea or argument of the paragraph.
• Evidence: Provide evidence or examples to support your point.
• Analysis: Explain how the evidence supports your argument.
• Transition: Use a transition sentence to lead into the next paragraph.

III. Conclusion

• Restate thesis: Summarize your main argument or point.
• Review key points: Summarize the main points you made in your essay.
• Concluding thoughts: End with a final thought or call to action.

Research paper template:

I. Title page

• Title: Give your paper a descriptive title.
• Author: Include your name and institutional affiliation.
• Date: Provide the date the paper was submitted.

II. Abstract

• Background: Summarize the background and purpose of your research.
• Methodology: Describe the methods you used to conduct your research.
• Results: Summarize the main findings of your research.
• Conclusion: Provide a brief summary of the implications and conclusions of your research.

III. Introduction

• Background: Provide some background information on the topic.
• Research question: State your research question or hypothesis.
• Purpose: Explain the purpose of your research.

IV. Literature review

• Background: Summarize previous research on the topic.
• Gaps in research: Identify gaps or areas that need further research.

V. Methodology

• Participants: Describe the participants in your study.
• Procedure: Explain the procedure you used to conduct your research.
• Measures: Describe the measures you used to collect data.

VI. Results

• Quantitative results: Summarize the quantitative data you collected.
• Qualitative results: Summarize the qualitative data you collected.

VII. Discussion

• Interpretation: Interpret the results and explain what they mean.
• Implications: Discuss the implications of your research.
• Limitations: Identify any limitations or weaknesses of your research.

VIII. Conclusion

• Review key points: Summarize the main points you made in your paper.

Case study template:

• Background: Provide background information on the case.
• Research question: State the research question or problem you are examining.
• Purpose: Explain the purpose of the case study.

II. Analysis

• Problem: Identify the main problem or issue in the case.
• Factors: Describe the factors that contributed to the problem.
• Alternative solutions: Describe potential solutions to the problem.

III. Solution/recommendations

• Proposed solution: Describe the solution you are proposing.
• Rationale: Explain why this solution is the best one.
• Implementation: Describe how the solution can be implemented.

IV. Conclusion

• Summary: Summarize the main points of your case study.

Lab report template:

• Title: Give your report a descriptive title.
• Date: Provide the date the report was submitted.
• Background: Summarize the background and purpose of the experiment.
• Methodology: Describe the methods you used to conduct the experiment.
• Results: Summarize the main findings of the experiment.
• Conclusion: Provide a brief summary of the implications and conclusions
• Background: Provide some background information on the experiment.
• Hypothesis: State your hypothesis or research question.
• Purpose: Explain the purpose of the experiment.

IV. Materials and methods

• Materials: List the materials and equipment used in the experiment.
• Procedure: Describe the procedure you followed to conduct the experiment.
• Data: Present the data you collected in tables or graphs.
• Analysis: Analyze the data and describe the patterns or trends you observed.

VI. Discussion

• Implications: Discuss the implications of your findings.
• Limitations: Identify any limitations or weaknesses of the experiment.

VII. Conclusion

• Restate hypothesis: Summarize your hypothesis or research question.
• Review key points: Summarize the main points you made in your report.

Presentation template:

• Attention grabber: Grab the audience’s attention with a catchy opening.
• Purpose: Explain the purpose of your presentation.
• Overview: Provide an overview of what you will cover in your presentation.

II. Main points

• Main point 1: Present the first main point of your presentation.
• Supporting details: Provide supporting details or evidence to support your point.
• Main point 2: Present the second main point of your presentation.
• Main point 3: Present the third main point of your presentation.
• Summary: Summarize the main points of your presentation.
• Call to action: End with a final thought or call to action.

Creative writing template:

• Setting: Describe the setting of your story.
• Characters: Introduce the main characters of your story.
• Rising action: Introduce the conflict or problem in your story.
• Climax: Present the most intense moment of the story.
• Falling action: Resolve the conflict or problem in your story.
• Resolution: Describe how the conflict or problem was resolved.
• Final thoughts: End with a final thought or reflection on the story.

How to Write Assignment

Here is a general guide on how to write an assignment:

• Understand the assignment prompt: Before you begin writing, make sure you understand what the assignment requires. Read the prompt carefully and make note of any specific requirements or guidelines.
• Research and gather information: Depending on the type of assignment, you may need to do research to gather information to support your argument or points. Use credible sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites.
• Organize your ideas : Once you have gathered all the necessary information, organize your ideas into a clear and logical structure. Consider creating an outline or diagram to help you visualize your ideas.
• Write a draft: Begin writing your assignment using your organized ideas and research. Don’t worry too much about grammar or sentence structure at this point; the goal is to get your thoughts down on paper.
• Revise and edit: After you have written a draft, revise and edit your work. Make sure your ideas are presented in a clear and concise manner, and that your sentences and paragraphs flow smoothly.
• Proofread: Finally, proofread your work for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. It’s a good idea to have someone else read over your assignment as well to catch any mistakes you may have missed.
• Submit your assignment : Once you are satisfied with your work, submit your assignment according to the instructions provided by your instructor or professor.

Applications of Assignment

Assignments have many applications across different fields and industries. Here are a few examples:

• Education : Assignments are a common tool used in education to help students learn and demonstrate their knowledge. They can be used to assess a student’s understanding of a particular topic, to develop critical thinking skills, and to improve writing and research abilities.
• Business : Assignments can be used in the business world to assess employee skills, to evaluate job performance, and to provide training opportunities. They can also be used to develop business plans, marketing strategies, and financial projections.
• Journalism : Assignments are often used in journalism to produce news articles, features, and investigative reports. Journalists may be assigned to cover a particular event or topic, or to research and write a story on a specific subject.
• Research : Assignments can be used in research to collect and analyze data, to conduct experiments, and to present findings in written or oral form. Researchers may be assigned to conduct research on a specific topic, to write a research paper, or to present their findings at a conference or seminar.
• Government : Assignments can be used in government to develop policy proposals, to conduct research, and to analyze data. Government officials may be assigned to work on a specific project or to conduct research on a particular topic.
• Non-profit organizations: Assignments can be used in non-profit organizations to develop fundraising strategies, to plan events, and to conduct research. Volunteers may be assigned to work on a specific project or to help with a particular task.

Purpose of Assignment

The purpose of an assignment varies depending on the context in which it is given. However, some common purposes of assignments include:

• Assessing learning: Assignments are often used to assess a student’s understanding of a particular topic or concept. This allows educators to determine if a student has mastered the material or if they need additional support.
• Developing skills: Assignments can be used to develop a wide range of skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, research, and communication. Assignments that require students to analyze and synthesize information can help to build these skills.
• Encouraging creativity: Assignments can be designed to encourage students to be creative and think outside the box. This can help to foster innovation and original thinking.
• Providing feedback : Assignments provide an opportunity for teachers to provide feedback to students on their progress and performance. Feedback can help students to understand where they need to improve and to develop a growth mindset.
• Meeting learning objectives : Assignments can be designed to help students meet specific learning objectives or outcomes. For example, a writing assignment may be designed to help students improve their writing skills, while a research assignment may be designed to help students develop their research skills.

When to write Assignment

Assignments are typically given by instructors or professors as part of a course or academic program. The timing of when to write an assignment will depend on the specific requirements of the course or program, but in general, assignments should be completed within the timeframe specified by the instructor or program guidelines.

It is important to begin working on assignments as soon as possible to ensure enough time for research, writing, and revisions. Waiting until the last minute can result in rushed work and lower quality output.

It is also important to prioritize assignments based on their due dates and the amount of work required. This will help to manage time effectively and ensure that all assignments are completed on time.

In addition to assignments given by instructors or professors, there may be other situations where writing an assignment is necessary. For example, in the workplace, assignments may be given to complete a specific project or task. In these situations, it is important to establish clear deadlines and expectations to ensure that the assignment is completed on time and to a high standard.

Characteristics of Assignment

Here are some common characteristics of assignments:

• Purpose : Assignments have a specific purpose, such as assessing knowledge or developing skills. They are designed to help students learn and achieve specific learning objectives.
• Requirements: Assignments have specific requirements that must be met, such as a word count, format, or specific content. These requirements are usually provided by the instructor or professor.
• Deadline: Assignments have a specific deadline for completion, which is usually set by the instructor or professor. It is important to meet the deadline to avoid penalties or lower grades.
• Individual or group work: Assignments can be completed individually or as part of a group. Group assignments may require collaboration and communication with other group members.
• Feedback : Assignments provide an opportunity for feedback from the instructor or professor. This feedback can help students to identify areas of improvement and to develop their skills.
• Academic integrity: Assignments require academic integrity, which means that students must submit original work and avoid plagiarism. This includes citing sources properly and following ethical guidelines.
• Learning outcomes : Assignments are designed to help students achieve specific learning outcomes. These outcomes are usually related to the course objectives and may include developing critical thinking skills, writing abilities, or subject-specific knowledge.

Advantages of Assignment

There are several advantages of assignment, including:

• Helps in learning: Assignments help students to reinforce their learning and understanding of a particular topic. By completing assignments, students get to apply the concepts learned in class, which helps them to better understand and retain the information.
• Develops critical thinking skills: Assignments often require students to think critically and analyze information in order to come up with a solution or answer. This helps to develop their critical thinking skills, which are important for success in many areas of life.
• Encourages creativity: Assignments that require students to create something, such as a piece of writing or a project, can encourage creativity and innovation. This can help students to develop new ideas and perspectives, which can be beneficial in many areas of life.
• Builds time-management skills: Assignments often come with deadlines, which can help students to develop time-management skills. Learning how to manage time effectively is an important skill that can help students to succeed in many areas of life.
• Provides feedback: Assignments provide an opportunity for students to receive feedback on their work. This feedback can help students to identify areas where they need to improve and can help them to grow and develop.

Limitations of Assignment

There are also some limitations of assignments that should be considered, including:

• Limited scope: Assignments are often limited in scope, and may not provide a comprehensive understanding of a particular topic. They may only cover a specific aspect of a topic, and may not provide a full picture of the subject matter.
• Lack of engagement: Some assignments may not engage students in the learning process, particularly if they are repetitive or not challenging enough. This can lead to a lack of motivation and interest in the subject matter.
• Time-consuming: Assignments can be time-consuming, particularly if they require a lot of research or writing. This can be a disadvantage for students who have other commitments, such as work or extracurricular activities.
• Unreliable assessment: The assessment of assignments can be subjective and may not always accurately reflect a student’s understanding or abilities. The grading may be influenced by factors such as the instructor’s personal biases or the student’s writing style.
• Lack of feedback : Although assignments can provide feedback, this feedback may not always be detailed or useful. Instructors may not have the time or resources to provide detailed feedback on every assignment, which can limit the value of the feedback that students receive.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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Project Management

Task types & categories: how to organize tasks for a defined workflow.

March 4, 2024

Analyzing tasks is an integral part of a project manager’s duty. You start with a large pool of overlapping tasks of different priority levels and demanding different skill sets. Assigning these tasks across departments can be overwhelming, especially if you’re aiming to make your daily operations efficient.

To enjoy proper workflow assignment and accountability, project managers need to master task categories and task types. They help you break down your deliverables into tasks and subtasks and allocate work to team members based on their skills or project deadlines.

In this article, we’ll dig deep into task categories and types and show you how to organize and ace your work!

Bonus: We’ll break down the process of adding a new task type or category in ClickUp , an all-in-one project management solution. 

Task Types vs. Task Categories Explained [With Examples]

Importance of task types and task categories management, efficient organization, to-the-point resource allocation, transparent task relationships, process standardization, 1. research your project, 2. consult your team(s), 3. be open to reclassifications, 4. find a quality project and task management tool.

People often use task categories and task types interchangeably, but they aren’t the same thing. Technically, a task category is a universal set encompassing multiple task types. 

In other words, a task type describes a task’s characteristics on a micro level, while the task category is the macro concept. For example, you can create a task category called Team building . You can then add other task types to this category—for example, Find a venue, Order food , Send out invitations , and Allocate a budget .

The category describes the task’s nature, and all the tasks within it subscribe to that nature, ensuring there’s no confusion whatsoever. For example, “ Allocate a budget ” can be a super random task if you don’t know the context, which is team building in our example.

Both task types and categories are customizable.

Many project managers have task categories representing teams, like Design, Engineering, Marketing, and Sales. Task types within each category can represent the responsibilities of each team. For example, the Sales category can have task types like Communication, Forecasting, Goals, and Creating plans.

You can further classify your task types by priority, deadline, status, or another criterion that makes sense for your project. The idea is to make everything easily searchable. 

Tip: Most project management tools allow you to add tags to identify task types and categories. For example, if you’re using ClickUp, you can create, edit, and delete task tags to organize your work—all seamlessly accessible through Universal Search .

Classifying your tasks into types and categories may not make much sense if you’re working on something small-scale. But, as your project scales up, the number of tasks will multiply quickly, and this type of disorganization is the recipe for failure.

Besides supporting scalability , efficient task management is beneficial for:

• Faster task assignment and tracking
• Establishing accountability
• Setting priorities

Task types and task categories are essential to any efficient work breakdown structure (WBS). They help you deconstruct your project and divide it into smaller, easier-to-manage subtasks classified by type and category. Then, you can arrange task sequences and relationships to ensure coherent workflow order and minimize team misunderstandings.

If you’re a software development team using the system development lifecycle (SDLC) methodology , task types and categories are a must. These classifications help group your task flow into seven phases before, during, and after release:

• Development
• Implementation
• Maintenance 

These phases are your task categories, and you’ll set up different task types within each. That way, you’ll create a unique task hierarchy and a comprehensive overview that gives you maximum control over your projects.

However, classifying your tasks into types and categories is important not just in SDLC but in any project management methodology you choose. It helps you see the bigger picture and zoom in on details, find what you’re looking for in a few clicks, and optimize resources to prevent waste.

Pro tip: Preparing a hierarchical task flow? Use the ClickUp Work Breakdown Structure Template to save time. It comes with premade sections for organizing tasks, aligning team members, and tracking progress.

Understanding Task Classification in Project Management

Let’s go into detail to explain the role and importance of task classification in project management:

Swimming in piles of unclassified tasks can drain your and your teammates’ energy and lead to confusion and wasted time. By classifying your tasks into types and categories, you’ll turn yourself into an organization pro and ensure you can find specific tasks in a few clicks.

One of the biggest perks of organizing tasks into types and categories is understanding their nature. By grouping similar tasks, you’ll be able to properly allocate your resources , avoid holdups, and ensure your teams don’t step on each other’s toes. 

As you get more skilled at task classification, you’ll notice you can easily estimate a task’s length, priority, and budget, thus maximizing the success potential of your project plans.

Bonus: Enhance your task classification skills with visual aids! Use the ClickUp Resource Allocation Template to visualize resource availability and derive the most benefits from your people, materials, and budget.

Task classification allows you to create and manage task relationships to ensure your teams are working according to a set schedule. 

Let’s look at an example—say your task categories are Sales, Development, and Marketing . Within the Marketing category, you have task types like Design a website for client X and Optimize a website for client X . Obviously, you can’t optimize a website that doesn’t exist, so you’ll ensure that your team handles the Design a website for client X task type first.

Another way task types and categories can help you plan ahead and manage risks simultaneously is prioritization . You can create types and categories based on priority and guide your team to get high-priority, challenging tasks out of the way before addressing other tasks.

Properly understanding your task types and categories helps you identify what fits or doesn’t fit in a standard workflow for your team. The knowledge helps standardize all processes and ensure every team member knows exactly what to do and in what order.

In the long run, process standardization saves time, minimizes mistakes , and simplifies employee onboarding and training, so it’s definitely something you should take advantage of.

You can now identify processes that need to be standardized with the ClickUp SOP Template . This Doc template lets you define your task types and sequence of steps to improve collaboration and foster company-wide uniformity in processes.

4 Best Practices for Organizing Task Types and Categories

When it comes to organizing task categories and types, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. However, we have some tips and best practices that can help you out, especially if you’re new to task classification.

The rule of thumb for task classification is to know a project in-depth before breaking it down into tasks, types, and categories. If you don’t understand the project’s essence, classifying tasks into types and categories won’t help—in fact, it can actually slow you down and cause confusion across the board.

Explore and write down your project’s scope , deadlines, requirements, and goals to identify the right task types and categories that seem helpful in this context. Then, consider the criterion you’ll use for the classification. Some options are urgency, importance, team, time, cost, and approach.

Bonus: Use the ClickUp Project Scope Whiteboard Template to summarize tasks and activities, boost collaboration, and gain clarity on your project’s task types, milestones, timelines, and deliverables.

A demanding attitude won’t get you far with your team. Yes, you want the task classification to work for you, but you must also consider team dynamics , work styles , individual skills, and responsibilities. A smart solution here is brainstorming with departmental heads to create functional and logical task types and categories that complement the project.

As your projects expand, you’ll need to reconsider your organization of task types and categories to reflect changes to work complexity and scale. Regular tweaks and updates will help you pinpoint new task categories that should be tackled separately for greater efficiency.

You may have the best task classification initiatives, but they’re not worth much if you don’t have the tools to turn them into reality. If you want to create task categories and types that will help you and your team stay on course, you need a quality task management platform like ClickUp.

ClickUp is a stellar project and task management tool with functionalities that will not only help you classify tasks but also streamline collaboration and communication to keep teams lean and efficient.

Let’s see the options that make ClickUp an excellent choice:

ClickUp Tasks to set a task category or type and define workflows

ClickUp Tasks is a feature set that lets you create, organize, manage, and batch your tasks .

Let’s start with task creation—in only a few clicks, you can create tasks and subtasks to organize your work. ClickUp lets you select task types to manage different project requirements with ease. Some default options are Task, Milestone, Feature, Defect, and Customer.

You can choose an icon for each type to make it easier to identify and more visually appealing. If you don’t find what you’re looking for within the available task types, you can always customize your own . 🪄

To customize, use ClickUp Custom task types to represent different types of work related to categories like inventory items, customers, events, or your team. Creating a Custom task type is easy—you:

• Head to your Workspace settings
• Press Create Task Type
• Set the Icon, Singular & Plural Name, and Description fields
• Click on the Create Task Type check box

Ensure each Custom task type name is distinctive for easier navigation and organization.

Note: Only admins can create, assign, edit, and delete task types. Also, keep in mind that Custom task types are available only to users in ClickUp 3.0.

Leverage ClickUp Custom Fields and Task Priorities

The next option that’s crucial for task classification is ClickUp Custom Fields . In a way, these can be your task categories—they provide more info about each task and add context to the bigger picture.

You have 15+ Custom Field options to choose from. For example, use the Date Custom Field to add important dates to a specific task. Or, use the Money Custom Field to provide info like budget, expenses, or prices. With the People Custom Field, you can connect team members to specific tasks for easier navigation and reduced confusion. The Progress Custom Field helps you keep track of each task and identify issues early on.

Another option that makes task classification easier is ClickUp Task Priorities . With it, you can easily plan your next move and ensure your team knows what to tackle next. You have four priority flags to choose from:

• Red flag: Urgent; the person (or people) responsible for it should get it done NOW
• Yellow flag: High priority; get it done soon
• Blue flag: Normal; do it whenever you have time
• Gray flag: Low; do it at last

There’s more! If your projects involve a bunch of tasks that are repeated at specific intervals, you don’t have to create them from scratch every time. Instead, set recurring tasks in a few clicks and let ClickUp remind you of them automatically.

Another time-saving option is ClickUp Automations . Set triggers and actions, and allow ClickUp to handle repetitive tasks while your team focuses on more knowledge-intensive task categories.

ClickUp views to visualize a specific task type or category 

A multidimensional approach to task classification can uncover new insights and help you adjust your game, boost efficiency, and streamline workflows. ClickUp’s version of a multidimensional approach is ClickUp views —they let you observe tasks and projects from different angles.

The platform offers 15+ views , and you can switch them as you please, depending on what you want to focus on. If you want a general overview of your tasks and filter them effortlessly, use the List view . The Board view is a Kanban board that helps you zoom in on your project’s progress and classify tasks based on a specific criterion, such as status, priority, or assignee.

One of the more advanced views is the Gantt Chart . It lets you monitor and adjust timelines and tasks to reflect new developments, create dependencies, and keep a close eye on the project’s progress. Another advanced view is Workload . With it, you can review your team’s capacity for different functions or categories.

ClickUp Whiteboards to brainstorm task category names (or anything, really!)

We’ve mentioned that organizing task types and categories is a team sport. For that, you need a tool that encourages collaboration and communication. ClickUp Whiteboards is exactly that—it lets you and your team brainstorm, strategize, and turn ideas into reality on an infinite digital canvas .

This canvas gives you the freedom to express your creative side and collaborate with your team through text, drawings, shapes, comments, sticky notes, and attachments. Ask your team members for input on task classification, create a category name, and design project hierarchies . Every Whiteboard update happens in real time, so it’s perfect for hybrid and remote teams.

As each participant gets a cursor with their name on it, you can easily track who’s doing what.

Plus, you can create tasks directly on the Whiteboard and provide more context by linking them to files or other tasks.

User-friendly ClickUp task list templates

You don’t have to organize your tasks from scratch and waste time—why not use ClickUp task list templates ? These prebuilt framework documents offer a solid foundation for listing, organizing, prioritizing, and monitoring the completion of tasks and activities.

The templates offer clarity and customizability—you can adjust every element to align with your project’s scope and requirements and your team’s working style.

Task list templates aren’t the only ones in ClickUp’s collection. The platform offers a template library with 1,000+ options focusing on areas like marketing , finance and accounting , and personal use . Find your favorite, make a few tweaks, and enjoy your shortcut to success! 💪

ClickUp Brain to create an interactive repository of assigned and completed tasks

ClickUp merged task and project management with AI to create a revolutionary work assistant— ClickUp Brain . 🧠

This is one of the world’s first neural networks that learns everything about your company, projects, and tasks and acts as an interactive assistant to you and your team.

Your team members can use ClickUp Brain and its AI Knowledge Manager to get answers to their doc-, project–, and task-related questions, like what they should work on next or what the most urgent tasks are.

Besides answering questions, ClickUp Brain can be a decent assistant project manager. The AI Project Manager feature can write project summaries, get team updates, and build automations, all within a few seconds.

ClickUp Brain is also an avid AI Writer who can generate all kinds of documents, check spelling and grammar, and write audience-focused replies to messages. 

Create and Manage Task Categories and Types with ClickUp

Smart task classification is a vital skill for project managers who want to lead a successful team and deliver quality projects on time. But pure skill isn’t enough—you need a tool that supports it.

As a top AI project management tool , ClickUp has everything you need to create, organize, and fast-track tasks and efficiently collaborate with your team.

Sign up for ClickUp and enter the future of task management! 🌝

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Types of Assignments

Cristy Bartlett and Kate Derrington

Introduction

As discussed in the previous chapter, assignments are a common method of assessment at university. You may encounter many assignments over your years of study, yet some will look quite different from others. By recognising different types of assignments and understanding the purpose of the task, you can direct your writing skills effectively to meet task requirements. This chapter draws on the skills from the previous chapter, and extends the discussion, showing you where to aim with different types of assignments.

The chapter begins by exploring the popular essay assignment, with its two common categories, analytical and argumentative essays. It then examines assignments requiring case study responses , as often encountered in fields such as health or business. This is followed by a discussion of assignments seeking a report (such as a scientific report) and reflective writing assignments, common in nursing, education and human services. The chapter concludes with an examination of annotated bibliographies and literature reviews. The chapter also has a selection of templates and examples throughout to enhance your understanding and improve the efficacy of  your assignment writing skills.

Different Types of Written Assignments

At university, an essay is a common form of assessment. In the previous chapter Writing Assignments we discussed what was meant by showing academic writing in your assignments. It is important that you consider these aspects of structure, tone and language when writing an essay.

Components of an essay

Essays should use formal but reader friendly language and have a clear and logical structure. They must include research from credible academic sources such as peer reviewed journal articles and textbooks. This research should be referenced throughout your essay to support your ideas (See the chapter Working with Information ).

If you have never written an essay before, you may feel unsure about how to start.  Breaking your essay into sections and allocating words accordingly will make this process more manageable and will make planning the overall essay structure much easier.

• An essay requires an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion.
• Generally, an introduction and conclusion are approximately 10% each of the total word count.
• The remaining words can then be divided into sections and a paragraph allowed for each area of content you need to cover.
• Use your task and criteria sheet to decide what content needs to be in your plan

An effective essay introduction needs to inform your reader by doing four basic things:

Table 20.1 An effective essay

An effective essay body paragraph needs to:

An effective essay conclusion needs to:

Common types of essays

You may be required to write different types of essays, depending on your study area and topic. Two of the most commonly used essays are analytical and argumentative .  The task analysis process discussed in the previous chapter Writing Assignments will help you determine the type of essay required. For example, if your assignment question uses task words such as analyse, examine, discuss, determine or explore, you would be writing an analytical essay . If your assignment question has task words such as argue, evaluate, justify or assess, you would be writing an argumentative essay . Despite the type of essay, your ability to analyse and think critically is important and common across genres.  

Analytical essays

These essays usually provide some background description of the relevant theory, situation, problem, case, image, etcetera that is your topic. Being analytical requires you to look carefully at various components or sections of your topic in a methodical and logical way to create understanding.

The purpose of the analytical essay is to demonstrate your ability to examine the topic thoroughly. This requires you to go deeper than description by considering different sides of the situation, comparing and contrasting a variety of theories and the positives and negatives of the topic. Although in an analytical essay your position on the topic may be clear, it is not necessarily a requirement that you explicitly identify this with a thesis statement, as is the case with an argumentative essay. If you are unsure whether you are required to take a position, and provide a thesis statement, it is best to check with your tutor.

Argumentative essays

These essays require you to take a position on the assignment topic. This is expressed through your thesis statement in your introduction. You must then present and develop your arguments throughout the body of your assignment using logically structured paragraphs. Each of these paragraphs needs a topic sentence that relates to the thesis statement. In an argumentative essay, you must reach a conclusion based on the evidence you have presented.

Case Study Responses

Case studies are a common form of assignment in many study areas and students can underperform in this genre for a number of key reasons.

Students typically lose marks for not:

• Relating their answer sufficiently to the case details
• Applying critical thinking
• Writing with clear structure
• Using appropriate or sufficient sources
• Using accurate referencing

When structuring your response to a case study, remember to refer to the case. Structure your paragraphs similarly to an essay paragraph structure but include examples and data from the case as additional evidence to support your points (see Figure 20.5 ). The colours in the sample paragraph below show the function of each component.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Code of Conduct and Nursing Standards (2018) play a crucial role in determining the scope of practice for nurses and midwives. A key component discussed in the code is the provision of person-centred care and the formation of therapeutic relationships between nurses and patients (NMBA, 2018). This ensures patient safety and promotes health and wellbeing (NMBA, 2018). The standards also discuss the importance of partnership and shared decision-making in the delivery of care (NMBA, 2018, 4). Boyd and Dare (2014) argue that good communication skills are vital for building therapeutic relationships and trust between patients and care givers. This will help ensure the patient is treated with dignity and respect and improve their overall hospital experience. In the case, the therapeutic relationship with the client has been compromised in several ways. Firstly, the nurse did not conform adequately to the guidelines for seeking informed consent before performing the examination as outlined in principle 2.3 (NMBA, 2018). Although she explained the procedure, she failed to give the patient appropriate choices regarding her health care. 

Topic sentence | Explanations using paraphrased evidence including in-text references | Critical thinking (asks the so what? question to demonstrate your student voice). | Relating the theory back to the specifics of the case. The case becomes a source of examples as extra evidence to support the points you are making.

Reports are a common form of assessment at university and are also used widely in many professions. It is a common form of writing in business, government, scientific, and technical occupations.

Reports can take many different structures. A report is normally written to present information in a structured manner, which may include explaining laboratory experiments, technical information, or a business case.  Reports may be written for different audiences including clients, your manager, technical staff, or senior leadership within an organisation. The structure of reports can vary, and it is important to consider what format is required. The choice of structure will depend upon professional requirements and the ultimate aims of the report. Consider some of the options in the table below (see Table 20.2 ).

Table 20.2 Explanations of different types of reports

Reflective writing.

Reflective writing is a popular method of assessment at university. It is used to help you explore feelings, experiences, opinions, events or new information to gain a clearer and deeper understanding of your learning. A reflective writing task requires more than a description or summary.  It requires you to analyse a situation, problem or experience, consider what you may have learnt and evaluate how this may impact your thinking and actions in the future. This requires critical thinking, analysis, and usually the application of good quality research, to demonstrate your understanding or learning from a situation. Essentially, reflective practice is the process of looking back on past experiences and engaging with them in a thoughtful way and drawing conclusions to inform future experiences. The reflection skills you develop at university will be vital in the workplace to assist you to use feedback for growth and continuous improvement. There are numerous models of reflective writing and you should refer to your subject guidelines for your expected format. If there is no specific framework, a simple model to help frame your thinking is What? So what? Now what?   (Rolfe et al., 2001).

Table 20.3 What? So What? Now What? Explained.

The Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

The Gibbs’ Cycle of reflection encourages you to consider your feelings as part of the reflective process. There are six specific steps to work through. Following this model carefully and being clear of the requirements of each stage, will help you focus your thinking and reflect more deeply. This model is popular in Health.

The 4 R’s of reflective thinking

This model (Ryan and Ryan, 2013) was designed specifically for university students engaged in experiential learning.  Experiential learning includes any ‘real-world’ activities including practice led activities, placements and internships.  Experiential learning, and the use of reflective practice to heighten this learning, is common in Creative Arts, Health and Education.

Annotated Bibliography

What is it.

An annotated bibliography is an alphabetical list of appropriate sources (books, journals or websites) on a topic, accompanied by a brief summary, evaluation and sometimes an explanation or reflection on their usefulness or relevance to your topic. Its purpose is to teach you to research carefully, evaluate sources and systematically organise your notes. An annotated bibliography may be one part of a larger assessment item or a stand-alone assessment piece. Check your task guidelines for the number of sources you are required to annotate and the word limit for each entry.

How do I know what to include?

When choosing sources for your annotated bibliography it is important to determine:

• The topic you are investigating and if there is a specific question to answer
• The type of sources on which you need to focus
• Whether they are reputable and of high quality

What do I say?

Important considerations include:

• Is the work current?
• Is the work relevant to your topic?
• Is the author credible/reliable?
• Is there any author bias?
• The strength and limitations (this may include an evaluation of research methodology).

Literature Reviews

It is easy to get confused by the terminology used for literature reviews. Some tasks may be described as a systematic literature review when actually the requirement is simpler; to review the literature on the topic but do it in a systematic way. There is a distinct difference (see Table 20.4 ). As a commencing undergraduate student, it is unlikely you would be expected to complete a systematic literature review as this is a complex and more advanced research task. It is important to check with your lecturer or tutor if you are unsure of the requirements.

Table 20.4 Comparison of Literature Reviews

Generally, you are required to establish the main ideas that have been written on your chosen topic. You may also be expected to identify gaps in the research. A literature review does not summarise and evaluate each resource you find (this is what you would do in an annotated bibliography). You are expected to analyse and synthesise or organise common ideas from multiple texts into key themes which are relevant to your topic (see Figure 20.10 ). Use a table or a spreadsheet, if you know how, to organise the information you find. Record the full reference details of the sources as this will save you time later when compiling your reference list (see Table 20.5 ).

Overall, this chapter has provided an introduction to the types of assignments you can expect to complete at university, as well as outlined some tips and strategies with examples and templates for completing them. First, the chapter investigated essay assignments, including analytical and argumentative essays. It then examined case study assignments, followed by a discussion of the report format. Reflective writing , popular in nursing, education and human services, was also considered. Finally, the chapter briefly addressed annotated bibliographies and literature reviews. The chapter also has a selection of templates and examples throughout to enhance your understanding and improve the efficacy of your assignment writing skills.

• Not all assignments at university are the same. Understanding the requirements of different types of assignments will assist in meeting the criteria more effectively.
• There are many different types of assignments. Most will require an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion.
• An essay should have a clear and logical structure and use formal but reader friendly language.
• Breaking your assignment into manageable chunks makes it easier to approach.
• Effective body paragraphs contain a topic sentence.
• A case study structure is similar to an essay, but you must remember to provide examples from the case or scenario to demonstrate your points.
• The type of report you may be required to write will depend on its purpose and audience. A report requires structured writing and uses headings.
• Reflective writing is popular in many disciplines and is used to explore feelings, experiences, opinions or events to discover what learning or understanding has occurred. Reflective writing requires more than description. You need to be analytical, consider what has been learnt and evaluate the impact of this on future actions.
• Annotated bibliographies teach you to research and evaluate sources and systematically organise your notes. They may be part of a larger assignment.
• Literature reviews require you to look across the literature and analyse and synthesise the information you find into themes.

Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford.

Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., Jasper, M. (2001). Critical reflection in nursing and the helping professions: a user’s guide . Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Ryan, M. & Ryan, M. (2013). Theorising a model for teaching and assessing reflective learning in higher education.  Higher Education Research & Development , 32(2), 244-257. doi: 10.1080/07294360.2012.661704

Academic Success Copyright © 2021 by Cristy Bartlett and Kate Derrington is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Types of Assignments

Cristy Bartlett and Kate Derrington

Introduction

As discussed in the previous chapter, assignments are a common method of assessment at university. You may encounter many assignments over your years of study, yet some will look quite different from others. By recognising different types of assignments and understanding the purpose of the task, you can direct your writing skills effectively to meet task requirements. This chapter draws on the skills from the previous chapter, and extends the discussion, showing you where to aim with different types of assignments.

The chapter begins by exploring the popular essay assignment, with its two common categories, analytical and argumentative essays. It then examines assignments requiring case study responses , as often encountered in fields such as health or business. This is followed by a discussion of assignments seeking a report (such as a scientific report) and reflective writing assignments, common in nursing, education and human services. The chapter concludes with an examination of annotated bibliographies and literature reviews. The chapter also has a selection of templates and examples throughout to enhance your understanding and improve the efficacy of  your assignment writing skills.

Different Types of Written Assignments

At university, an essay is a common form of assessment. In the previous chapter Writing Assignments we discussed what was meant by showing academic writing in your assignments. It is important that you consider these aspects of structure, tone and language when writing an essay.

Components of an essay

Essays should use formal but reader friendly language and have a clear and logical structure. They must include research from credible academic sources such as peer reviewed journal articles and textbooks. This research should be referenced throughout your essay to support your ideas (See the chapter Working with Information ).

If you have never written an essay before, you may feel unsure about how to start.  Breaking your essay into sections and allocating words accordingly will make this process more manageable and will make planning the overall essay structure much easier.

• An essay requires an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion.
• Generally, an introduction and conclusion are approximately 10% each of the total word count.
• The remaining words can then be divided into sections and a paragraph allowed for each area of content you need to cover.
• Use your task and criteria sheet to decide what content needs to be in your plan

An effective essay introduction needs to inform your reader by doing four basic things:

Table 15.1 An effective essay

[table “17” not found /]

An effective essay body paragraph needs to:

[table “18” not found /]

An effective essay conclusion needs to:

[table “19” not found /]

Common types of essays

You may be required to write different types of essays, depending on your study area and topic. Two of the most commonly used essays are analytical and argumentative .  The task analysis process discussed in the previous chapter Writing Assignments will help you determine the type of essay required. For example, if your assignment question uses task words such as analyse, examine, discuss, determine or explore, you would be writing an analytical essay . If your assignment question has task words such as argue, evaluate, justify or assess, you would be writing an argumentative essay . Despite the type of essay, your ability to analyse and think critically is important and common across genres.  

Analytical essays

These essays usually provide some background description of the relevant theory, situation, problem, case, image, etcetera that is your topic. Being analytical requires you to look carefully at various components or sections of your topic in a methodical and logical way to create understanding.

The purpose of the analytical essay is to demonstrate your ability to examine the topic thoroughly. This requires you to go deeper than description by considering different sides of the situation, comparing and contrasting a variety of theories and the positives and negatives of the topic. Although in an analytical essay your position on the topic may be clear, it is not necessarily a requirement that you explicitly identify this with a thesis statement, as is the case with an argumentative essay. If you are unsure whether you are required to take a position, and provide a thesis statement, it is best to check with your tutor.

Argumentative essays

These essays require you to take a position on the assignment topic. This is expressed through your thesis statement in your introduction. You must then present and develop your arguments throughout the body of your assignment using logically structured paragraphs. Each of these paragraphs needs a topic sentence that relates to the thesis statement. In an argumentative essay, you must reach a conclusion based on the evidence you have presented.

Case Study Responses

Case studies are a common form of assignment in many study areas and students can underperform in this genre for a number of key reasons.

Students typically lose marks for not:

• Relating their answer sufficiently to the case details
• Applying critical thinking
• Writing with clear structure
• Using appropriate or sufficient sources
• Using accurate referencing

When structuring your response to a case study, remember to refer to the case. Structure your paragraphs similarly to an essay paragraph structure but include examples and data from the case as additional evidence to support your points (see Figure 15.5). The colours in the sample paragraph below show the function of each component.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Code of Conduct and Nursing Standards (2018) play a crucial role in determining the scope of practice for nurses and midwives. A key component discussed in the code is the provision of person-centred care and the formation of therapeutic relationships between nurses and patients (NMBA, 2018). This ensures patient safety and promotes health and wellbeing (NMBA, 2018). The standards also discuss the importance of partnership and shared decision-making in the delivery of care (NMBA, 2018, 4). Boyd and Dare (2014) argue that good communication skills are vital for building therapeutic relationships and trust between patients and care givers. This will help ensure the patient is treated with dignity and respect and improve their overall hospital experience. In the case, the therapeutic relationship with the client has been compromised in several ways. Firstly, the nurse did not conform adequately to the guidelines for seeking informed consent before performing the examination as outlined in principle 2.3 (NMBA, 2018). Although she explained the procedure, she failed to give the patient appropriate choices regarding her health care. 

Topic sentence | Explanations using paraphrased evidence including in-text references | Critical thinking (asks the so what? question to demonstrate your student voice). | Relating the theory back to the specifics of the case. The case becomes a source of examples as extra evidence to support the points you are making.

Reports are a common form of assessment at university and are also used widely in many professions. It is a common form of writing in business, government, scientific, and technical occupations.

Reports can take many different structures. A report is normally written to present information in a structured manner, which may include explaining laboratory experiments, technical information, or a business case.  Reports may be written for different audiences including clients, your manager, technical staff, or senior leadership within an organisation. The structure of reports can vary, and it is important to consider what format is required. The choice of structure will depend upon professional requirements and the ultimate aims of the report. Consider some of the options in the table below (see Table 15.2).

Table 15.2 Explanations of different types of reports

[table “20” not found /]

Reflective writing

Reflective writing is a popular method of assessment at university. It is used to help you explore feelings, experiences, opinions, events or new information to gain a clearer and deeper understanding of your learning. A reflective writing task requires more than a description or summary.  It requires you to analyse a situation, problem or experience, consider what you may have learnt and evaluate how this may impact your thinking and actions in the future. This requires critical thinking, analysis, and usually the application of good quality research, to demonstrate your understanding or learning from a situation. Essentially, reflective practice is the process of looking back on past experiences and engaging with them in a thoughtful way and drawing conclusions to inform future experiences. The reflection skills you develop at university will be vital in the workplace to assist you to use feedback for growth and continuous improvement. There are numerous models of reflective writing and you should refer to your subject guidelines for your expected format. If there is no specific framework, a simple model to help frame your thinking is What? So what? Now what?   (Rolfe et al., 2001).

Table 15.3 What? So What? Now What? Explained.

[table “21” not found /]

The Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

The Gibbs’ Cycle of reflection encourages you to consider your feelings as part of the reflective process. There are six specific steps to work through. Following this model carefully and being clear of the requirements of each stage, will help you focus your thinking and reflect more deeply. This model is popular in Health.

The 4 R’s of reflective thinking

This model (Ryan and Ryan, 2013) was designed specifically for university students engaged in experiential learning.  Experiential learning includes any ‘real-world’ activities including practice led activities, placements and internships.  Experiential learning, and the use of reflective practice to heighten this learning, is common in Creative Arts, Health and Education.

Annotated Bibliography

What is it.

An annotated bibliography is an alphabetical list of appropriate sources (books, journals or websites) on a topic, accompanied by a brief summary, evaluation and sometimes an explanation or reflection on their usefulness or relevance to your topic. Its purpose is to teach you to research carefully, evaluate sources and systematically organise your notes. An annotated bibliography may be one part of a larger assessment item or a stand-alone assessment piece. Check your task guidelines for the number of sources you are required to annotate and the word limit for each entry.

How do I know what to include?

When choosing sources for your annotated bibliography it is important to determine:

• The topic you are investigating and if there is a specific question to answer
• The type of sources on which you need to focus
• Whether they are reputable and of high quality

What do I say?

Important considerations include:

• Is the work current?
• Is the work relevant to your topic?
• Is the author credible/reliable?
• Is there any author bias?
• The strength and limitations (this may include an evaluation of research methodology).

Literature Reviews

It is easy to get confused by the terminology used for literature reviews. Some tasks may be described as a systematic literature review when actually the requirement is simpler; to review the literature on the topic but do it in a systematic way. There is a distinct difference (see Table 15.4). As a commencing undergraduate student, it is unlikely you would be expected to complete a systematic literature review as this is a complex and more advanced research task. It is important to check with your lecturer or tutor if you are unsure of the requirements.

Table 15.4 Comparison of Literature Reviews

[table “22” not found /]

Generally, you are required to establish the main ideas that have been written on your chosen topic. You may also be expected to identify gaps in the research. A literature review does not summarise and evaluate each resource you find (this is what you would do in an annotated bibliography). You are expected to analyse and synthesise or organise common ideas from multiple texts into key themes which are relevant to your topic (see Figure 15.10). Use a table or a spreadsheet, if you know how, to organise the information you find. Record the full reference details of the sources as this will save you time later when compiling your reference list (see Table 15.5).

Overall, this chapter has provided an introduction to the types of assignments you can expect to complete at university, as well as outlined some tips and strategies with examples and templates for completing them. First, the chapter investigated essay assignments, including analytical and argumentative essays. It then examined case study assignments, followed by a discussion of the report format. Reflective writing , popular in nursing, education and human services, was also considered. Finally, the chapter briefly addressed annotated bibliographies and literature reviews. The chapter also has a selection of templates and examples throughout to enhance your understanding and improve the efficacy of your assignment writing skills.

• Not all assignments at university are the same. Understanding the requirements of different types of assignments will assist in meeting the criteria more effectively.
• There are many different types of assignments. Most will require an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion.
• An essay should have a clear and logical structure and use formal but reader friendly language.
• Breaking your assignment into manageable chunks makes it easier to approach.
• Effective body paragraphs contain a topic sentence.
• A case study structure is similar to an essay, but you must remember to provide examples from the case or scenario to demonstrate your points.
• The type of report you may be required to write will depend on its purpose and audience. A report requires structured writing and uses headings.
• Reflective writing is popular in many disciplines and is used to explore feelings, experiences, opinions or events to discover what learning or understanding has occurred. Reflective writing requires more than description. You need to be analytical, consider what has been learnt and evaluate the impact of this on future actions.
• Annotated bibliographies teach you to research and evaluate sources and systematically organise your notes. They may be part of a larger assignment.
• Literature reviews require you to look across the literature and analyse and synthesise the information you find into themes.

Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford.

Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., Jasper, M. (2001). Critical reflection in nursing and the helping professions: a user’s guide . Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Ryan, M. & Ryan, M. (2013). Theorising a model for teaching and assessing reflective learning in higher education.  Higher Education Research & Development , 32(2), 244-257. doi: 10.1080/07294360.2012.661704

Academic Success Copyright © 2021 by Cristy Bartlett and Kate Derrington is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book