what is the meaning of task list

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Brought to you by ProjectManager, the online task management tool used to plan over 2 million projects.

What Is a Task List?

Why use a task list, what is task list software, desktop vs online task list software, must-have task list software features, to-do list vs weekly task list vs project task list.

• How to Manage a Task List in ProjectManager.com

Maintaining Your Task List

More on task management, task lists resources.

A task list is, of course, a list of tasks. Listing out your tasks is a useful exercise that helps you work more efficiently, because you have outlined what you need to do.

Therefore, your task list is a place where all the work needed to complete the project is collected. It can be a personal task list that gathers only your own work, or a team task list that captures the work the group needs to accomplish.

A task list can be more than just a simple list of tasks, though. For example, ProjectManager lets you add priority to tasks to show what tasks need to be completed first. You can also note deadlines, add descriptions of the work, create sub-tasks and even set recurring tasks. Our list view is great for teams managing their work and tracking it in real time, but it’s also a rudimentary schedule or simplified work breakdown structure.

ProjectManager has robust online task lists so you can manage work with your team— learn more .

Simply, a task list makes big goals appear more achievable by breaking them down into smaller bits.

Writing things down is always helpful. As you assemble your task list, you might notice things that had first escaped you. This gives you a better picture of the whole project and helps you plan to complete it.

There’s also an advantage to task lists when it comes to analyzing your work. By looking back over your task list, you can determine what worked best and what didn’t. Then, when you create a new task list, you can use this knowledge to better organize and execute your work.

Task list software has features that let you organize your work by helping you plan, prioritize and track your progress . It’s designed to help you define each task and tag it for priority, project and more.

Some software solutions offer greater control over your tasks, allowing you to assign them to team members, attach files and even include the costs and resources associated with executing them. Task list tools like this are typically bundled with larger project management software features.

A task list, at its most basic, is just a number of things you have to do, but digital tools have more bells and whistles, save you time and can help you work more productively.

But how do you choose the best task management software for your team? There are pros and cons to both that should be outlined before you make a decision.

Desktop Task List Software

Desktop software applications tend to be pricey, and that cost increases for each team member you want to add to the tool. They do, however, tend to be faster and somewhat more reliable because they aren’t reliant on the speed of your internet connection. If you lose internet connectivity, a desktop tool will still allow you to work which is a big pro.

Online Task List Software

For online applications, there’s always a concern about security. Your work is in the cloud, which means it might not feel as secure, but it’s actually safer than if it resides in one hard drive that can burn out or be corrupted. Pricing is by the subscription model, so you can sign up for what you want.

The biggest difference between the two is that online task list software connects managers and teams, which is especially helpful if you’re working remotely and not all networked in one office. Also, online tools provide real-time data, so you’re reacting to the most current information on the state of the project.

Not all online task list software offerings are the same. When you’re looking for the one that’s right for you, make sure it has these essential features.

Connect Teams with Real-Time Tools

Get your teams to work more productively by giving them a collaborative platform where they can communicate in real-time and share documents. Better still, have automated alerts that keep everyone updated by email whenever a comment is made on a task.

Manage Your Own Workload

Keep productive by managing your own tasks on a personal to-do list. Look for one that doesn’t have to be shared by the whole team, but allows you space to own your own work. It is also helpful if your to-do list can be shared with others when you’re collaborating.

Know Who’s Working on What and When It’s Due

Manage your work better by not only having a list, but a tool that allows you to assign tasks from it to others on your team. By having a start and finish date you can set the expected duration, which allows team members to know what’s due when, which keeps you on track.

Add Documents and Images to Tasks

Attach files to your tasks to have all the important related information right at hand. Look for a tool that has unlimited file storage, which allows you to attach files directly at the task level but also all paperwork that goes along with the project in one central hub.

Find What You Need Fast and Easy

Put tags on your tasks to better organize your work. You want tags that will detail the priority of the tasks, of course, but it’s also helpful to have tags that identify the project, department and other details that will make them easier to search.

See the Smaller Tasks & Set Recurring Ones

Know your sub-tasks when you look at your task list. Not all task lists go into the detail you get when planning on a Gantt chart. Task list software that has subtasks gives you more information, which helps you get organized and better execute the work. If the task repeats throughout the project, save time and see recurring tasks to avoid busy work.

“Task list” and “to-do list” are often used interchangeably. Sometimes, you’ll even hear it referred to as a project task list. Then there are weekly task lists, which seems self-explanatory. While all these terms are similar in concept and share many aspects, there are some key differences that are important to know.

A to-do list is often more personal than professional. It tends to be the shopping list stuck to your refrigerator door. In fact, to-do lists are often even more specific than a grocery list in that they tend to organize only a day.

Weekly Task List

A weekly task list is used to expand on the scope of the to-do list. It’s not a bunch of items that must be completed during the day, but rather a more long-term look at bigger projects. That is, they’re milestones. Milestones in projects mark the end of one phase and the beginning of the next, but they can also be used to note important dates or work.

Project Task List

This brings us to the project task list, which is usually more professional and robust in what it aims to do. It’s like a to-do list, in that there can be daily work included in it, and it’s like a weekly task list in that it usually has milestones, too. But it is more collaborative. There are other stakeholders involved. It’s going to have more features and the due dates will be less flexible. It’s the tool preferred by businesses working on projects because it works harder to organize.

How to Manage a Task List in ProjectManager

ProjectManager is an award-winning tool that organizes your task to help you work more productively. A full project management software, task list features are seamlessly integrated into a suite of tools that manage your project from start to finish. To begin managing your task list follow the following steps.

Add or Import Tasks

Creating a task list starts with assembling all the tasks required to fulfill the requirements of your work. Be thorough and include everything, no matter how small, as you can edit it down later.

Import that task list from any spreadsheet or add the tasks manually into the task list project view. There are also industry-related templates to help you get started.

Prioritize Tasks

Having all your tasks is the first step in organizing them. Next, you want to prioritize what must be done when to provide a chronological order. This begins to develop your schedule.

Make a tag for each task to determine the level of priority, from very low to critical. This tells teams what must be done first and also helps you search your task list.

Add Due Dates

Every task has a beginning and end date. To build your schedule you must start by estimating the duration of each of the tasks.

Add the dates to our task list. There’s a calendar that allows you to select the dates. Just choose the timeline and save the task.

Fill Out Details

Tasks are more than priorities and due dates. They are small jobs that need to be executed by the team. Therefore, you need a space in which to provide directions and more.

Fill the field for descriptions and add directions on executing the task. Then attach any relevant documents or images directly to the task so your team can consult them as necessary.

Assign, Track & Add Recurring Tasks

When your task list is complete, you need to execute it or assign that work to your team. Once the work begins, you’ll need to track its progress to make sure you’re on schedule.

Use the pulldown menu to assign the task to the appropriate team member. Track their progress on the real-time dashboard, team page, with one-click reporting and more.

If the task repeats, set up a recurring task by updating the recurrence settings on the task card. You can find it under the task name between the due date and priority.

Once you’ve created your task list, you can’t just sit back and reap the benefits. A task list is a living document and requires occasional maintenance. Maintenance, in this instance, is more than simply crossing out those tasks you’ve completed. You always need to look over your task list, reevaluate your priorities and edit as needed.

Best Practices

Here are a few things you can do to get the most out of your task list.

• Be as thorough as possible. It’s easier to delete than add, so add everything no matter how small to capture everything you have to do in one place. If you need to edit, you can trim down the list to only essentials.
• Assign each task with a number to identify it. This helps you when referencing the task, and facilitates communication when the task list is shared with a team. It also makes it easier to search for if you have an extensive task list.
• Divide your task list into different categories. You’ve already done this in terms of priority, but that’s only one category. You might want to organize it by project phase or by which department or team is responsible for executing that task. This allows you to keep track of your work and check on its status so nothing falls through the cracks.
• Turn your task list into a graph, such as a timeline chart. This lays out all your work chronologically on a horizontal timeline and provides you with perspective. This view can help you better plan your schedule, as you’re seeing every task in relation to the larger deadline.

Things to Avoid

It should be clear what is needed to make a task list, but it deserves reiterating. There are shortcuts you might take to just get everything on paper, but it’ll be a problem down the line.

• Not estimating the duration of the task. Without a time estimation , your task isn’t part of the larger project schedule and can bog you down when you don’t have the time to spare.
• Using different methodologies/mediums. You might start with a list on paper, then decide you need a more dynamic digital tool and finally land on an online application. If you’re testing the waters, that’s fine, but you don’t want to have bits and pieces of your work floating around all over the place. Once you’ve measured the pros and cons, make a decision and stick with it.
• Don’t make your task list the day you’re starting to do that work. Some people like to start the day with a task list, but it takes time away from work, which dings your productivity, and could be just procrastinating. It’s better to end the day by looking towards the coming day (or week or month) and gathering up your work then. That way you can start the day running.
• Don’t be too unrealistic. A task list is a working document, not a wish list. Keep it loaded with achievable goals. To determine what is realistic and what isn’t, you can use the SMART technique , which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, results and timeframe. It’ll help you know what you can and can’t do.

Task lists are not the only way to manage tasks, of course. There’s a whole field devoted to this discipline called task management . This expands on the task list to include assigning, collaborating, tracking and reporting on the work.

For example, a kanban board is a visual tool that is used to make work more efficient. Tasks are represented by cards, which move from column to column as they pass through the production cycle. This allows teams to manage their backlog and plan sprints, while managers have transparency into their process.

Gantt charts are a visual tool for planning and scheduling your project. They have a timeline where every task is mapped from start to finish. But Gantts can then break up the larger task into milestones, which indicate when one phase ends and another begins. They also have tools to link task dependencies, those tasks that need to start or finish when another starts or finishes. This avoids bottlenecks later on in your project.

If you’re looking for a task list tool that can go the distance, then check out ProjectManager. The tool is fully loaded with all the task management features listed above and more to help you plan, track and report on your project. Stay on track and work more productively by taking this free 30-day trial . Sign up today!

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Article • 9 min read

To-Do Lists

The key to efficiency.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Do you often feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to do? Do you find yourself missing deadlines? Or do you sometimes just forget to do something important, so that people have to chase you to get work done?

All of these are symptoms of not keeping a proper "To-Do List." These are prioritized lists of all the tasks that you need to carry out. They list everything that you have to do, with the most important tasks at the top of the list, and the least important tasks at the bottom.

By keeping such a list, you make sure that your tasks are written down all in one place so you don't forget anything important. And by prioritizing tasks, you plan the order in which you'll do them, so that you can tell what needs your immediate attention, and what you can leave until later.

To-do lists are essential if you're going to beat work overload. When you don't use them effectively, you'll appear unfocused and unreliable to the people around you.

When you do use them effectively, you'll be much better organized, and you'll be much more reliable. You'll experience less stress, safe in the knowledge that you haven't forgotten anything important. More than this, if you prioritize intelligently, you'll focus your time and energy on high-value activities, which will mean that you're more productive, and more valuable to your team.

Keeping a properly structured and thought-out list sounds simple enough. But it can be surprising how many people fail to use them at all, never mind use them effectively.

In fact, it's often when people start to use them effectively and sensibly that they make their first personal productivity breakthroughs, and start making a success of their careers. The video, below, gives some tips on how you can start to use to-do lists more effectively.

Click here to view a transcript of this video.

Preparing a To-Do List

Start by downloading our free template . Then follow these steps:

Write down all of the tasks that you need to complete. If they're large tasks, break out the first action step, and write this down with the larger task. (Ideally, tasks or action steps should take no longer than 1-2 hours to complete.)

You may find it easier to compile several lists (covering personal, study, and workplace, for example). Try different approaches and use the best for your own situation.

Run through these tasks allocating priorities from A (very important, or very urgent) to F (unimportant, or not at all urgent).

If too many tasks have a high priority, run through the list again and demote the less important ones. Once you have done this, rewrite the list in priority order.

Using Your To-Do List

To use your list, simply work your way through it in order, dealing with the A priority tasks first, then the Bs, then the Cs, and so on. As you complete tasks, tick them off or strike them through.

What you put on your list and how you use it will depend on your situation. For instance, if you're in a sales-type role, a good way to motivate yourself is to keep your list relatively short, and aim to complete it every day.

But if you're in an operational role, or if tasks are large or dependent on too many other people, then it may be better to focus on a longer-term list, and "chip away" at it day-by-day.

Many people find it helpful to spend, say, 10 minutes at the end of the day, organizing tasks on their list for the next day.

When you're prioritizing tasks, make sure you differentiate between urgency and importance. For more on this, see our article on Eisenhower's Urgent/Important Principle .

Using Software

Although using a paper list is an easy way to get started, software-based approaches can be more efficient in spite of the learning curve. These can remind you of events or tasks that will soon be overdue, they can also be synchronized with your phone or email, and they can be shared with others on your team, if you're collaborating on a project.

There are many time management software programs available. At a simple level, you can use MSWord or MSExcel to manage your lists. Some versions of Microsoft Outlook, and other email services such as Gmail™ , have task lists as standard features. Remember the Milk is another popular online task management tool that will sync with your smartphone, PDA, or email account. It can even show you where your tasks are on a map. Other similar services include Todoist and Toodledo .

One of the biggest advantages to using a software-based approach to manage your list is that you can update it easily. For example, instead of scratching off tasks and rewriting the list every day, software allows you to move and prioritize tasks quickly.

All of us think, plan and work differently. A program that works well for a colleague might not work well for you simply because you learn and think in your own way. This is why it's useful to research and try several different ways of compiling your list before deciding on a single system.

To-do lists can help you get, and stay, on top of important projects and piles of tasks or decisions.

For instance, imagine you're heading a team that's working on a project. There are so many tasks to do, and so many people doing them, that staying on top of it all seems overwhelming.

In this situation, structure your list by team member, writing out tasks and deadlines for every person on the project. Each day as you write out your own tasks that need completion, you can also check your Team To-Do List to see who's working on what, and if anything is due in that day. You can also include other tasks that you need to complete as part of your job.

Or, imagine you're in a sales role and have a long list of people who you need to talk to. You write out a list of everyone you need to call and every client you need to see, and start prioritizing.

You know that one client is really keen on your product and is ready to buy, so you prioritize them with an "A" – this is a prospect that's really worth focusing on. Conversely, you know that another prospect is playing you off against several competitors, meaning that you'll make less profit, and that there's a reasonable chance that you won't get the business. You prioritize this person with a "D". It's worth making some effort here, but you should focus most of your attention on better prospects.

To-do lists are particularly useful when you have a small number of tasks that you need to complete. However, they can become cumbersome when you have too many items on them, or when you need to progress multiple projects. At this stage, it's worth starting to use Action Programs , which are designed to manage more complex situations reliably.

To be well organized in the workplace, you need to be using to-do lists. By using them, you will ensure that:

• You remember to carry out all necessary tasks.
• You tackle the most important jobs first, and don't waste time on trivial tasks.
• You don't get stressed by a large number of unimportant jobs.

Start by listing all of the tasks that you must carry out.

Mark the importance of the task next to it, with a priority from A (very important) to F (unimportant). Redraft the list into this order of importance. Then carry out the jobs at the top of the list first. These are the most important, most beneficial tasks to complete.

You can also use software-based approaches to manage your list. You can often access these from anywhere, and they can often be synced with your Smartphone or PDA.

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Getting Things Done (GTD)

Systematize the clutter in your brain and get things done

• Introduction

What is GTD? A brief overview

More resources

• Grab the GTD template
• How a General Contractor Uses Todoist + GTD to Run His Small Business

Or scroll on for the full guide

Getting Things Done, or GTD for short, is a popular task management system created by productivity consultant David Allen. The methodology is based on a simple truth: The more information bouncing around inside your head, the harder it is to decide what needs attention. As a result, you spend more time thinking about your tasks than actually doing them. When information piles up in your head, it leads to stress, overwhelm, and uncertainty.

Allen observed that our brains are much better at processing information than storing it ("your head's a crappy office"). His GTD method lays out how to dump all your mental clutter into an external system and then organize it so you can focus on the right things at the right times. When your GTD workflow is set up right, you’ll be able to confidently answer “what should I be working on?” at any given moment without worrying that you might forget something important you need to do later.

Try GTD if you...

Feel overwhelmed by the amount of things you need to keep track of

Worry about forgetting small details

Wear lots of hats in your job and life

Starts lots of projects but have trouble finishing them

Have never GTD'd before (everyone should GTD at least once in their lives)

This guide will introduce you to GTD principles and workflows and what we think is the most intuitive way to implement them. We'll be focusing on how to GTD with Todoist, but the same principles apply no matter what app you use. The key to GTD isn’t the specific tools you choose but rather the habits you employ on a daily basis to think about and prioritize your work.

The GTD method is made up of five simple practices to systematize the clutter in your brain and get things done:

Capture Everything: Capture anything that crosses your mind. Nothing is too big or small! These items go directly into your inboxes.

Clarify: Process what you’ve captured into  clear and concrete action steps . Decide if an item is a project, next action, or reference.

Organize: Put everything into the right place. Add dates to your calendar, delegate projects to other people, file away reference material, and sort your tasks.

Review: Frequently look over, update, and revise your lists.

Engage: Get to work on the important stuff.

While GTD requires an upfront investment in time and energy to set up, it pays off with consistent use. You’ll no longer worry about forgetting a deadline or missing an important task. Instead, you’ll be able to respond to incoming information calmly and prioritize your time confidently.

Some very specific but seemingly mundane behaviors, when applied, produce the capacity to exist in a kind of sophisticated spontaneity, which, in my experience, is a key element to a successful life. — David Allen

Though the basis of GTD are these five simple steps, they’re not always easy to execute. GTD doesn’t require a specific tool, app, or product. Allen doesn’t even make a case for digital over analog systems. Rather, the key to any lasting productivity system is to keep it as simple as possible and to use it as often as possible. Your tool should be versatile enough to handle your most complex projects yet simple enough to maintain when you’re low on energy.

The rest of this article will cover the specifics of each of the five GTD practices above and walk you through how to implement them with Todoist. But, again, the same principles should apply no matter what tool you use.

For GTD to work, you must stop storing information in your brain. Anything that crosses your mind — to-dos, events, ideas, book recommendations, etc. — must be captured and stored immediately in an inbox. In GTD, an inbox, be it physical or digital, is a visual representation of all the inputs you need to somehow deal with on a daily basis.

Your inbox is only used to collect the chaos of your thoughts in order to get them off your mind. This is not the place or time to worry about organization.

In Todoist, your inbox will be the default place to hold all your inputs until you can organize them. To add a new task to your Inbox in the web or desktop apps, click the plus sign in the right corner or simply press “q.” The task will be added to the Inbox by default unless you otherwise specify a project.

Do an initial mind sweep

If you’re just starting out with GTD, do a full mind sweep of all the "open loops" you can think of — anything you might need to take action on in the future. Add them as tasks to your Todoist Inbox now. Consult the GTD  trigger list to help jog your memory for commitments you may have forgotten.

Capture new tasks right away

One of the core tenets of GTD is to get tasks out of your head and into your external system the moment they come to you. Todoist syncs across platforms — computer, phone, web browser, email client, smartwatch, or smart home assistant — so you can enter tasks anytime, from anywhere.

Whenever a new task comes to mind, make it a habit to immediately add it to your Inbox and worry about organizing it later. To capture tasks as quickly as possible wherever you are, we recommend installing Todoist or your app of choice:

As an app on your computer

As an app on your phone

As an extension for the web browser you use (for adding websites as tasks)

As a plugin for the email client you use (for adding emails as tasks)

Browse and download the Todoist apps

Consolidate your inboxes

You can use Todoist to consolidate your other inboxes — from emails you need to follow up on, to messages you need to take action on, to articles to read, to grocery lists, to reference materials you save for later. The fewer inboxes you have to check for open loops, the easier your system will be to maintain.

Send items to Todoist from your email or team messaging tool:

Use Todoist's plugins for Gmail and Outlook to quickly add emails as tasks

Forward emails directly to your Todoist inbox using your project forwarding address.

Turn messages into tasks from your team messaging tools like Twist or Slack .

Capture reading & reference material:

Take photos of business cards or event reminders and attach them to the relevant task’s comments .

Attach files from Dropbox, Google Drive, or your computer to any task to read or work on later.

Connect a reading app like Pocket with Todoist via our IFTTT integration and have a Todoist task automatically created every time you add an article to Pocket.

Download Todoist for Chrome, Safari, or Firefox to save any url to access later.

Use the Todoist share extensions on Android or iOS to share pages from mobile apps as tasks.

Attach reference materials – photos, documents, links, notes, or even audio files – to the relevant tasks.

Now that your inbox is full, the next step is to transform the chaotic clutter of everything you’ve captured into concrete action steps. Go through each item in your inbox, and do one of the following (there are more specifics on how to do each step in the next section):

If the item will take less than 2 minutes, complete it right away.

If it can be delegated, assign the task to someone else.

If it's a non-actionable reference item (e.g., a file, document, article, contact information, etc.) that you'll need to come back to later, file it away in a separate reference project or attach it to the comments of the relevant task or project.

If the item needs to be done at a specific date and/or time, give the task a due date .

If the task is no longer needed or actionable, delete it.

If a task requires more than one step, create a project to house all of the items associated with it and identify the next action you can take to move the project forward.

Make your tasks as specific and actionable as possible. Add as much information as you can to save you time puzzling over it later. For example, “Call Mom” may actually need to be entered as “Call Mom to discuss birthday dinner.” Or, "Taxes" could be "Call Mary to discuss tax documents" with Mary's phone number and a list of the specific documents attached in the task’s comments (more on task comments later).

Make your tasks as specific and actionable as possible.

Once you’ve clarified an item in your inbox, it’s time to sort it into the appropriate place. In reality, clarifying and organizing your tasks will happen in tandem as you clean out your inbox, but it's helpful to think about them as separate actions.

There are many different ways to organize your tasks with the GTD methodology, but we recommend using a combination of projects and labels.

One-off tasks

These are tasks that take longer than 2 minutes but only require one step. For example, "reply to Josh's email about project pricing" or "renew car tabs." You don't want them cluttering up your inbox, but they also don't belong in any other project.

Create a new Todoist project for one-off tasks

Create a new project called One-Off Tasks.

Drag and drop your one-step tasks from the inbox to this project by clicking on the grey "handle" to the left of the task name and dragging it to the project name in the left-hand menu.

You can also designate a different project by typing "#" into the task field to pull up a list of all your projects. Select your project from the list or type the project name to narrow down the results.

Use the # shortcut to select a project

You’ll find that many of the tasks you wrote down are actually projects. In the GTD philosophy, projects are any item that requires more than one step to complete. For example, "paint the bedroom" is a project because it includes other tasks like getting paint samples, picking a color, buying supplies, prepping walls, etc. Here's how to handle projects in Todoist:

Create a new project for each multi-step project you identified as you were clarifying your tasks.

Drag and drop the associated tasks from your Inbox to the appropriate project. Or click on a task and type "#" into the task field to pull up a list of your projects to choose from.

As you think of other steps, add them as new tasks inside the projects.

Create a project for any item that takes 2 or more steps to complete

Areas of focus

It may be helpful to group your projects based on your " Areas of Focus " — the GTD term for the various areas of responsibility you have in your life. These areas are a tool to draw attention to your broader life goals while deciding what to work on next. If a task does not fit within the scope of any of your areas of focus, it may be time to reassess if it's something you want to spend your time on. Or you may just want to separate your projects between "Work" and "Personal."

You can easily accomplish this in Todoist using sub-projects . Here's how:

Create a project for each area of focus. This project won’t have any tasks in it; it’s just for visual organization.

Click on the grey handle to the left of the project name and drag and indent your actual projects underneath the high-level “Folders” you just created to turn them into sub-projects.

(Optional) To create even more visual separation between your areas of focus, assign a different project color for each area.

Nestle sub-projects under each Area of Focus

Now, you can keep your project list clean by collapsing your sub-projects underneath the parent project. For example, while you're at work, you can keep your work projects in view while your personal projects are hidden and vice versa.

To keep things simple, finish setting up your GTD system first to get a sense of your workflow. If needed, come back and organize your projects into broader categories later.

Next actions

These are tasks with a clear, concrete action you’ll do at the next opportunity (e.g., "Email James the budget for the office party"). Next actions are separate from future actions — steps you'll take eventually but do not need your focus right now.

Identify the next action for each project by tagging it with the label "@next."  To add a label, simply type "@" into the task field and start typing the task name.

Create a new @next label

See all your tasks labeled @next

Tasks with a due date and/or time

For items that must be completed at a specific date and/or time, schedule them . But be warned: GTD cautions against over-reliance on due dates. Only add them to the tasks that really have to be done on a given date and time. For everything else, trust your next actions and a regular weekly review of all your task lists (more on that later).

While editing a task, you can click on the Schedule field and select a date and time from the calendar. Or simply type the due date and/or time into the task field using natural language, for example, next Monday at 8am .  The smart Quick Add will automatically recognize and highlight the due date and add it when you save the task. You can even type in recurring due dates, like every other Wednesday, for tasks that repeat on a regular basis.

Type a due date into the task field using natural language like "Friday"

You can move items with due dates from the inbox to the relevant project or to the One-Off Tasks  project if they aren't associated with a multi-step project.

Todoist Tip

Sync your Todoist with Google Calendar so that calendar events appear in Todoist as tasks and scheduled Todoist tasks appear in your Google Calendar as events.

See your Todoist tasks in your Google Calendar and your Google Calendar events in Todoist.

Some of the items you capture in your inbox will be reminders of things you want to bring up with someone else rather than next actions. To keep track of these agenda items:

Create a new project called Agendas.

Create a new sub-project underneath Agendas for each person you need to touch base with on a regular basis. For example, your boss and any direct reports. You may also want to create sub-projects for each regular team or project meeting you have. For example, Marketing Weekly .

Add the items you need to bring up as tasks in the relevant agenda sub-project.

When you meet with that person or come to the meeting, pull up the relevant project to see a list of all of the items you need to cover.

(Optional) Share your agenda projects with the relevant people so everyone can see, add, and even assign items to discuss.

Create sub-projects underneath a master Agendas project for each regular meeting you have

Reference materials

Reference materials are non-actionable items that you need to save (e.g., tax documents, reading material, spreadsheets, Word docs, phone numbers, etc.). While they aren't tasks themselves, they’re often needed to complete a task later. You can organize these kinds of supporting reference materials in Todoist by attaching them to the relevant task or project comments:

Task-specific reference materials can be attached to the relevant task's comments.

Attach task-specific reference materials to task comments.

Higher-level project materials (design specs, drafts, shared folders) can be attached or linked to in the project comments.

Save project-level reference materials in project comments

This way, when you're ready to start the task or project, you'll have all of the information you need close at hand.

You'll likely also have reference materials not associated with a specific task or project. For example, an article you saved from the web for later, a file with important information, or a gift idea for your partner's next birthday. You can keep track of these in Todoist. Here's how:

Create a new Reference project

Create new sub-projects underneath the Reference project for each type of reference list. For example, Gift Ideas ,  Birthdays , Contact Information, Recipes , etc.

Move your reference material tasks to the appropriate project by dragging and dropping them from your Inbox. Or select a new project via Quick Add by clicking to edit the task and typing "#" into the task field followed by the project name.

To collapse your reference sub-projects, click on the grey arrow to the left of your Reference  parent project. This helps remove visual clutter from your list.

Create new projects for different types of reference materials

Waiting for

These are items that have been delegated or are awaiting action by someone else. For example, if you need to finish writing a blog post but are waiting on your editor to get you feedback on your last draft. Identify these tasks by tagging them with the label "@waiting_for." Keep @waiting_for tasks organized inside the projects they're related to or inside the One-Off Tasks project if they're unrelated to other tasks.

Label tasks your waiting on something to complete with an @waiting_for label

Someday/maybe

Many items that you capture will be ideas for things you want to do in the future but don't have the bandwidth to work on now (e.g., places you may want to travel, books to read, new projects you may want to try, ideas for blog posts, etc.). You want to be able to review these later, but you don't want them gumming up your system now.

Create a new Someday/Maybe project

Add all of the tasks and/or you want to do in the future but aren't actively working on

(Optional) Add sub-projects for specific types of "Someday/Maybe" tasks. For example, you may want to separate Someday/Maybe — Personal and Someday/Maybe — Work  projects

Review your someday/maybe projects when time and energy open up to take on new work

Create a Someday/Maybe project to house your ideas for the future

Tasks that can be delegated

If you can delegate a task to free up your own time and energy, you should. In Todoist, you can share projects with people , assign them tasks with due dates, and collaborate in comments.

Share projects and assign tasks to the people you collaborate with

Your sharing setup will be different depending on your circumstances. Here are 3 ways you could set it up:

Create a separate shared project for each person you collaborate with (you could even reuse your Agendas sub-projects for this purpose)

Create a workspace dedicated to your team

Share existing projects that involve heavy collaboration ad hoc

Or you could use a combination of all three approaches.

Quick Tip: You can search for all of the tasks you've delegated using the query "assigned by: me". It's a handy list to reference during your weekly review.

With your project lists and tasks sorted, you're now ready to tackle contexts. In GTD, contexts identify tools, places, or people that you require to complete a given task. In other words, contexts allow you to focus on what you can actually get completed, given your current circumstances. For example, if you are at your office, you don’t want to waste time sorting out all the next actions you have at home.

Following the project approach, we laid out above, the easiest way to add contexts is with labels . GTD recommends the following contexts:

Computer/internet

You can also add others that will help you sort your tasks quickly based on your current context. Some people like to add an Email context to take care of all their emails at once. Others add labels for the amount of time a task might take. For example, if you have just 15 minutes before your next meeting, it's helpful to be able to identify all the tasks you could do quickly with an @15_min label. For most people, it's more useful to create an "Offline" label rather than an "Internet" one for tasks you can do when you don't have an Internet connection.

Create labels for each context

It’s tempting to go overboard and start creating labels for everything — resist the temptation. For your GTD system to work, you need to build a habit of adding the correct labels to each and every task. The fewer labels you have to choose from, the easier it will be to remember.

For a full guide on how to add and use labels in Todoist visit our Help Center .

Here is where the time spent clarifying and organizing your tasks pays off. Your system is now full of concrete, actionable items organized into logical categories, ready for you to jump in. You’ll see that all of the labels, projects, and due dates added in the steps above help you quickly answer the question “What should I be doing right now?” at any given moment.

The time spent clarifying and organizing your tasks means that when it's time to engage with work, you have fewer choices to make and fewer reference materials to find. To decide what to do next, you can see upcoming tasks with due dates, sort tasks by label, or create filters to see your next actions based on context.

Today and Upcoming views

When you're ready to sit down to work, click on Today in the left-hand navigation menu to see any tasks that you must complete today. Open Upcoming to see what's coming down the pipeline this week and any week in the future.

See which tasks you need to get done today

Use Upcoming view to visualize and plan the week ahead.

View Next Actions and Contexts via labels

To view a full list of next actions across all your projects, type "@next" into the Quick Find bar at the top of your Todoist.

Search for a label to view all of the associated tasks

See all your next actions filtered by area of responsibility

You can also quickly sort your tasks by context by selecting a given label to see all the associated tasks. For example, if you search for @errands, you'll see a list of tasks with the @errands label that can be completed while you're already out and about. To see a list of all the tasks you're waiting on something to complete, search for the label @waiting_for.

You can also view all the tasks tagged with a specific label by clicking on the label's name in the label list to the left of your Todoist.

Create more custom task views with filters

The real GTD magic happens when you create your own custom task views in Todoist using  filters . Filters are essentially saved searches that sort your list with one click. You can use filters to search for tasks based on:

Date a task was created

Or a combination of some or all of the above

We have a full guide on how to set up and work with filters in our Help Center .

Set up custom filters to view your next actions by Area of Focus

For GTD, the most relevant labels will likely combine "@next_action" with an area of focus or a context. For example, to set up a filter for all the next actions you can do at work, use the query "##Work & @next_action." This will show all tasks in your Work project and associated sub-projects with the @next_action label. Or create a filter for next actions that can be finished at the office using the query "@next_action & @office."

The most useful task views will depend on your specific needs, but these are some of the most common useful ones:

Add your most important task views to your favorites so they appear at the top of your navigation menu above your Projects list. Simply right-click the filter, label, or project and select “Add to Favorites.” The filter will then show up in your navigation panel.

Each week, set aside time to review your lists, organize your tasks, and keep your system running smoothly. The review helps you adapt to changes, refocus your attention, identify next actions, and reflect on your workflow.

David Allen has called this weekly review a "critical factor for success" because frequent review of your system will ensure that you aren’t just doing things, but that you are doing the right things.

To get started, import  Todoist’s GTD Weekly Review template  into your projects list. This template includes all of the steps you’ll need to complete your review each week. Customize the template by adding sub-tasks or task comments to hold the lists of all your inboxes and your current areas of focus or to track reflections on your week.

Import the GTD Weekly Review template into your Todoist

Schedule your weekly review by setting up a recurring date in any task field. Simply enter your date in natural language, like “every Sunday at 5pm,” and Todoist will automatically recognize and schedule it when you save the task.

There's a reason why millions of people around the world swear that Getting Things Done changed their lives. While strict GTD isn't for everyone, you're bound to pick up a habit or two that will help you worry less and do more. Everyone interested in being less stressed and more productive should try it at least once.

Give it a shot and see which aspects of GTD work for you!

Laura Scroggs

Laura is a freelance writer, PhD candidate, and pug mom living in Minneapolis, MN.

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Master Your To-Do List and Get Things Done

Max 13 min read

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To-do or not to-do… that is the question!

But if you are reading this, you have decided that you need to do a to-do list.

The name describes its function: a to-do list is simply a list of tasks that you would like to accomplish. There are quite literally millions of templates designed to plug and play but having a deeper understanding of the psychology of to-do lists will ensure you are using this powerful tool to its full potential.

What is the Difference Between a To-Do List and a Checklist?

To-do list and checklist are terms that are often used interchangeably, but there are some very important distinctions to consider.

A to-do list is a specific list of tasks that you wish to accomplish in a set amount of time, usually daily but sometimes more long term.

A checklist is a to do list but it is specific to a repeatable process.

For example, maybe you are going camping this weekend. On your to-do list for the day, you will see “pack for camping trip”. The act of packing is a task that you wish to accomplish that day so it belongs on a to-do list. If camping is a regular activity for you, it is helpful to have a camping packing checklist. Though you have gone camping before, having a checklist will take the pressure off of our brain to remember what it was that you packed (or forgot to pack) last time.

You may think that you have done something enough times to not need a checklist but some of the brightest minds in the most complicated professions make use of checklists… and in some cases, it actually saves lives! Dr. Atul Gawande, author of The Checklist Manifesto and responsible for the Safe Surgery Initiative and Checklist , was able to reduce surgery related complications and deaths by over 35% with his simple yet effective checklist for surgery procedures. He found that simple steps were missed in preparation for procedures, even by the best of surgeons. Having a consistent and standard checklist took the pressure off of an already intense process by having a simple 19 point one page checklist to refer to.

Okay, so you may not be performing life saving surgery but if some of the smartest minds make use of this simple system, it is safe to say that implementing it in your own life will also have a positive impact.

Creating Effective Checklists

Greg McKeown, author of Effortless: Make It Easier to do What Matters Most , has a simple 4 item list to consider when creating your checklists:

• Observe your process
• Record your process
• Refine your process
• Teach your process to others

Greg is a big fan of actually recording yourself during the process and note what could be done better. Recording yourself may help you find efficiencies in your own process. Teaching others your process is a great way to retain the information and may even help someone else be more productive. In completing these steps, you are effectively creating a template checklist that can be reused by yourself or others.

Consider your everyday tasks and note what repeatable processes would benefit from a checklist.

Your Brain Likes To-Do Lists

The human brain is plastic, meaning that it is capable of changing as we take in new information or form new habits.

Think about it, we can literally change how our brains are wired by implementing helpful systems. Once we form a habit, it becomes automatic which is actually a great way to conserve our brainpower for more complicated tasks.

Your brain is a big fan of to-do lists. When you write down your to-dos, it gives permission to your brain to let them go. We tend to use our brain as this short term storage unit when that isn’t how it works and is not optimal for your productivity or energy.

Jot it down, your brain will thank you.

The Brain Dump

A clear brain is a happy brain.

Before you even think about drafting to-do lists, you need to perform a brain dump. A brain dump, like to-do lists, is pretty self explanatory: take what is taking up space in your brain and dump it onto a page or digital document.

Every. Single. Thing.

The first time that you do this, you may feel a bit overwhelmed. Chances are that you have been relying heavily on your brain to store unfinished tasks or ideas and have quite the backlog. Fortunately, you will start to feel lighter as you pour everything on to the page.

Have you ever wondered why unfinished tasks tend to take up so much space in our heads? Why do they pop up at the most inconvenient times? Russian psychologist Bulma Zeigarnik called this phenomenon the Zeigarnik effect. He suggests that unfinished tasks create cognitive tension and your brain keeps bringing it forward in an attempt to keep it in our short term memory so as not to forget it.

The magic of a brain dump is that you can get these tasks and ideas out of your head and to a safe place so your brain doesn’t feel the need to constantly remind you. Letting your brain rest will keep it energized for more demanding and important tasks.

Try scheduling a regular time for brain dumps. While once a week would be great, but even once a month would make a big difference in how you feel. Try doing a brain dump at the end of the week and you may find that you spend less time on your weekends ruminating about unfinished work to-dos.

To-Do List for Mental Health

Creating to-do lists can keep you on task but they also have surprising mental health benefits.

Most people today will describe feeling overwhelmed or stressed which is an unfortunate reality of our hustle culture. While the pandemic certainly has people rethinking work and life balance, most people are still left with heavy workloads and conflicting priorities.

Not only will writing down your daily tasks help to keep you organized, there is a real reward when you check off an item on your list – it is called dopamine. Dopamine is the “happy” hormone and we feel it because that checked off item represents an accomplishment – big or small. Even if a task can be done quickly, take a minute to add it to your to do list if only just to check it off because that small dopamine hit may just carry you through to the next task and the one after that.

While it is important to keep your professional work out of the space that you sleep in, having a notepad beside your bed to jot down to-dos will get them out of your head and actually help you to sleep better. The Zeigarnik effect is a notorious disrupter of sleep and the last thing you should be thinking about at the end of the day is unfinished or pending tasks. With practice, you will be able to jot these to-dos down at the end of your workday instead of before you go to bed. Knowing that there is a place for these thoughts, should they creep into your head, provides you with a sense of comfort knowing you won’t fall asleep to the tune of pending to-dos.

Feeling as though you are productive and are contributing to something outside of yourself is a cornerstone of mental health and to-do lists can help you accomplish that. There are times in our day where we have some unexpected time on our hands – Clients cancel, flights are late, or any number of unexpected things come up that give us unaccounted for blocks of time in your day. When you have a to-do list handy, you will likely be able to move to another task. You will feel productive which is a great boost to your overall mental health.

Types of To-Do Lists

Generally speaking, there are two main types of to-do lists – short and long term. Before dissecting the different types, it is important to understand how to be SMART with any type of list.

SMART To-Do Lists

Every task on your short or long term to-do list should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Bound.

It is tempting to have less items on your list and be more vague in their descriptions. You may decide to write down “prepare for team meeting” as an item on your list but being more specific will be more helpful in managing your time and keeping you on track. Ask yourself what exactly is needed to prepare for this meeting:

• Is there any preliminary research to be done?
• Do you need to draft an agenda?
• Are there minutes from a previous meeting to review?
• Do you need to prepare a visual presentation?
• Have they been sent a reminder?
• Is there any documentation you will need to print?

The one task of preparing for a client meeting was easily broken down into 6 possible SMART tasks. While this may add more items to your list, they are more specific and will help ensure that you are fully prepared and don’t miss anything.

When it comes to ensuring that a task is measurable, you need to consider what it will look like when it is complete. If you have a task on your list to clear your inbox, a measurable indicator of the task being completed would be an empty inbox. Another task may be to find a better deal on a company cell phone or internet plan. The measure involved in that task’s completion would be a reduced phone or internet bill.

Oftentimes, measurement isn’t a specific number but more about the status of the outcome. If your theoretical client meeting ends with a happy customer, your measurement would be in terms of satisfaction.

Be real, do you think you can actually finish your end of year report in one day with 20 other items on your to-do list? Likely not.

Refer back to the first item in the SMART acronym, specific. Break a task down in a way that is designed to set you up for success and be reasonable with the time and energy that will be required of you to complete it.

Perhaps completing an end of year report isn’t attainable in a single day, the best you can manage is the outline of the report or the collection of supporting materials. That is okay! When you set attainable to-dos, you are setting yourself up for success (and a nice dopamine hit).

Is the task on your list relevant to your end goal? The answer to this question can depend on how you manage and categorize your lists. It is helpful to have several lists to lump relevant tasks together but also to ensure that you have goals that those tasks will combine to reach. Grouping tasks together will also help you maintain focus. Jumping from client meeting presentation to end of year report will cost you time in the switch so it may be more efficient to dedicate your morning to writing related activities and afternoon to meetings, lumping the relevant tasks together.

If you have a list in front of you, it may be helpful to actually write the goal at the beginning of the list. Ask yourself if you check off every item, will you be steps closer to that goal? If you are writing an end of year report, every task on that list should take you one step closer to completing that specific and measurable goal.

Deadlines are essential. You can run with the assumption that the items on your to-do list are due by the end of the day which works for some, but certain tasks will have deadlines that exist within the run of the day and should be noted. Noting deadlines will help you prioritize your daily activities, taking the guesswork out of the flow for your day.

Short Term To-Do Lists

Short term to-do lists are more familiar and include those that you would use for daily tasks. These often look like a notepad with checkboxes on your desk, a magnet pad on your fridge, or a list written on a whiteboard. These items are generally one time items like those specific to a particular task such as preparing for a work presentation. To-do lists are also often used for household chores and maintenance.

A work to-do list may look something like this:

• Check voicemail
• Send email to client regarding the status of the venue
• Choose a template for the end of year presentation
• Send in lunch order before 11:00am
• Draft agenda for team meeting

A personal to-do list may look something like this:

• Drop cupcakes off at the school before 9:00am
• Fill up gas tank
• Pick up part for the lawnmower
• Clean cat litter
• Wash bedding

While there are endless possibilities when it comes to individual lists, these examples all clearly demonstrate a specific task that can be done in a regular day. When a time isn’t specified or the task is non-time specific, it is safe to assume that the task simply needs to be accomplished at some point during the day. The cat litter can be changed anytime but the cupcakes need to be dropped off before the class party.

Anything that cannot be completed in a day is considered an item to add to your long term to-do list. If you go to the next metric, it would make sense that you may also make use of weekly or even monthly to do lists. While not as detailed, these lists provide a bigger picture or an overview of the period of time and can be referenced in order to develop effective daily lists. For example, your weekly to-do list may note certain reports or presentations that are due. This list can be used to develop more specific items to be done in the course of a day to make the larger task more manageable.

Another example could be a larger project such as reaching a certain sales goal by the end of the year. This one item could live on your long term to-do list and be further broken down by goals for the month and weekly actions that will help get you there such as running a promotion or drafting a plan. When you consider the utility of long term to-do lists. It is easy to see how long term to-do lists can be helpful for breaking down daily tasks to help you reach your goals.

Master To-Do List

While it does fall in the category of long term to-do lists, it is worth specifically mentioning the master to-do list…The to-do list of all to-do lists.

Think of a master to-do list as an organized brain dump, a place where you can add any tasks for both short and long term lists. If you have done your brain dump properly, you should end up with a number of items, some of which have nothing to do with each other all in one place. It is helpful to use a digital document so that you may easily copy and paste, grouping similar tasks and breaking down larger ones.

With everything in one place, you can pull from your master to-do list and add to your daily, weekly, or even monthly lists. Some items may remain on your master to-do list for a while and that is okay, you can get to them when they become a priority and they will be safely stored and out of your head in the meantime.

Creating Templates to Increase Productivity

We often find ourselves doing the same or similar tasks over and over again in our professional and personal lives. If this is the case for you, it may be helpful to create some templates that you can use to save time and energy.

If you travel regularly, it would be helpful to create a checklist of the items that you know you will need. Even if you have traveled dozens of times, having a list will ensure that you haven’t forgotten anything and take the load off your brain from having to dig around and find information from your past. Remember, even surgeons do it.

Another handy use of templates would be for work. If you work for an organization that plans events, it would be helpful to have checklists for pre and post event planning. Given that the event planning process looks similar each time, you can look professional and be prepared at the same time.

Invest some time to create templates that will save you time in the long run.

Big or small, short term or long term, to-do lists can help you reach your goals.

What do you wish to have accomplished at the end of the day? Perhaps you have a report that is due, a meeting with a client, or graphics to design for a new webpage. In an ideal world, you can picture the end of your day having accomplished the tasks specific to your goal.

But it isn’t enough to simply write “complete report” on your list. Depending on the type of report, you may have some research to do, some feedback to collect, or even need to design a template that can be used for future reports.

Bring it all back to your goal and the specific actions you need to do to accomplish it. Here are some final tips to ensure that your to-do lists are as effective as possible:

• Be SMART – Make sure that every item on your list is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Bound.
• Prioritize – When did “priority” become “priorities”? Having multiple priorities simply waters down the importance and significance of having a single one. That does not mean that you only ever have to-do lists with only one item but it does mean that you understand that you have an order to the tasks that you wish to accomplish.
• Pick a Medium – While some people can manage both digital and physical lists it is best to pick one and stick with it.
• Use Categories – Keeping your to-dos organized by using categories will help keep you focused on the task at hand. It isn’t enough to breakdown work and personal, having categories within these lists will benefit you.
• Schedule Prep Time – Your to-do lists are not going to make themselves, put some time and consideration into drafting them and ensure they align with your goals of the day.

To-do lists are an incredibly helpful tool that you can use to stay focused and boost your productivity. Plan a brain dump, create a master to-do list, and start organizing your tasks in a way that will serve you.

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What is a project task list and how to approach it?

• February 7, 2022

Project task lists help project managers deliver effective and efficient results. Task lists outline and describe your projects. They guide your project’s team members. Task lists inform your customers and other stakeholders of the project’s progress. A project task list is a physical (or digital) representation of the thinking and planning process and a record of the project’s completion.

So, what is a task list? What are the benefits of using project task lists? What is the best approach to task list creation? 

What is a task list in project management?

In its simplest form, a task list is a to-do list. A to-do list divides your project into smaller bite-sized chunks. That may be enough for a small, simple project. 

What about larger, more complex, or fairly long-term projects? A task list is the combination of your project’s tasks, so let’s define a project task first. Tasks are described in more detail than items on a to-do list. The kind of detail we’re talking about includes:

• Description. What are we going to do in each stage? Describe the work. But, it might even be helpful to describe the necessary skill sets to deliver the stage.
• Prioritization. Some tasks build on earlier tasks. It helps to establish the importance and order of tasks.
• Duration. Tasks take time. Estimate how long a task should take. 20 work hours? 40 work hours?
• Deadline. Your project is likely timebound. So, logically then the tasks are also timebound. Clarify deadlines for each activity. Your customer expects punctuality! 
• Resource allocation . Your resources in this context are the people on your team. You need to know who can receive work and when. Your team members need to know their responsibilities. Identify who is available when and then who does what.

Your project management task list captures each task in a one-stop shop outlining your project. Think of your task list as a roadmap that provides robust and structured guidance for you and your project team.

When is a task list useful?

A task list is a project management tool so you can use a task list for any project. Building the task list prompts you to plan and review your project with care and clarity.  

Let’s see if creating a project task list will help you plan, manage and deliver your project. Reflect on these questions:

• Would it help to break your project into smaller stages?
• Can work on some stages of your project occur simultaneously?
• Are you working on your project alone?
• Or, are there multiple team members involved?
• Are you responsible for managing your employees’ time?
• Does your project have a deadline?
• Would a shared reference point help you communicate with your team or customers?
• Are you managing more than one project at a time?
• Are some team members deployed on more than one project simultaneously?
• Do you want to create an environment conducive to efficient work?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should plan and manage your projects with task lists.

Benefits of a project task list

Creating and using a project task list provides many benefits to you, your team, and, most importantly, your customers.

• Clarity. The task list gives the project manager a coherent overview and an easier way to manage. In turn, team members get a clear view of each task and how they fit together. Everybody knows what to do, when to do it, how long it will take, and who will do what. 
• Efficiency. The task list shows you who has work and who is available for more work. This allows for simultaneous task completion, which makes the project go faster. This efficiency can lead to more time for more projects.
• Risk prevention. Imagine your team encountering obstacles while working on a task. Does the project come to a grinding halt? No way! While designated team members resolve the issues with the problem task, other tasks can continue on schedule. This means the task list reduces risk and helps lead to success. 
• Motivation. Because the project is broken down into small units, your team can see accomplishment after accomplishment throughout the duration of the project. You can check off each task as your team completes them. A series of small achievements is much more motivating than waiting a long time for one large success. Also, a project task list can prompt a strong team working culture. You can give ownership of the project tasks to your team members by involving them in creating the task list. Of course, the task list is a managed tool, but it does not need to be top-down. 
• Communication tool. Communication is essential within a team and with your customers and other stakeholders. One of the best things about a project task list is that it is a communication tool. It allows your team to track progress throughout the duration of the project. The task list gives your team a shared reference point for regular stand-up meetings. Exploit it to show your customer how the project is going, both progress and trouble-spots.

You might be also interested in: Workflow Documentation for enhanced team efficiency

But it’s not just a tracking tool. A task list for employees gives your team reflection and learning opportunities. From this perspective, the task list leads to improvements in your current project and can even inform future projects. It improves the way your team does its work.   

How to create a project task list

Here’s a brief step-by-step guide to help.

1.  Determine Scope

Scope defines what is and is not part of the project . Agree on the project’s scope with your client before anything else.

2.  Determine Resources

Resources are who you have available to work on the project. Weekwise.com gives you a crystal clear view with its simple-to-use ‘ Resource Planning ’ tool showing you who is available and when.

3.  Identify Main Stages

Use Weekwise to create a timeline of the project and how its main stages fit together.

4.  Describe and Assign Tasks

Now you can describe each task’s work activity, identify the deadline and the number of work hours involved, fine-tune prioritization and dependencies, and allocate your resources. With Weekwise.com it’s remarkably easy to define assignments, including work duration and number of hours assigned. Remember, Weekwise.com provides each worker’s skill sets and availability and the ‘ Match Skills & Availability ’ tool lets you drag and drop the right team member directly into a task. If you lack a resource for a task, Weekwise.com reminds you to find one! 

A fantastic online planning tool that can help you set up your project task list is Weekwise. 

Weekwise.com gives you all the handy, intuitive features that will make creating and managing a project task list a piece of cake. Weekwise.com enables you to manage your projects easily and efficiently online with real-time data from anywhere. It’s time to reduce your stress while improving your projects’ results with Weekwise.com.

Contact us to get Weekwise access 

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Project Task List

What is a project task list.

A project task list is a document that outlines all of the tasks required to complete a project. It includes the task name, description, start and end dates, duration, resources needed, and any other relevant information. The task list is used by project managers to plan and track progress on the project. It also serves as a communication tool between team members and stakeholders.

Benefits of Using a Project Task List

Using a project task list can help ensure that all tasks are completed on time and within budget. It provides an overview of the entire project, allowing project managers to easily identify potential problems or areas where additional resources may be needed. Additionally, it helps keep team members focused on their individual tasks and allows them to track their progress. Finally, it serves as an effective communication tool between team members and stakeholders.

How to Create a Project Task List

Creating a project task list requires careful planning and organization. First, the project manager should define the scope of the project and create a timeline for completion. Next, they should break down the project into smaller tasks and assign each one to an individual or team member. Finally, they should add details such as start and end dates, duration estimates, resources needed, and any other relevant information.

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What is the Importance of Having a Task List for Work?

Dakota Sheetz

Introduction to work task lists.

Any business owner or manager can find themselves overwhelmed from time to time. It can even feel like you don't have enough hours in a day to achieve all those pressing tasks. But there is a way you can turn that feeling of overwhelm into one of control. Believe it or not, it can start and end with a work task list. Having a to-do list can be a simple yet effective way to organize all those rushing thoughts in your head. Once they're on paper, you can then be in a better position to focus on them one by one. Not yet convinced? Read on to find out more.

The Psychology Behind A To Do' List

Experts have long spoken about the benefits of keeping diaries and journals. You might have stopped scribbling down notes in adulthood, but maybe you shouldn't have. Once those sometimes-confusing feelings are on paper, you feel better for it. This can translate into the business world, as well. While you're no longer writing about your teenage angst, you can often make more sense of your workload when it's laid out in front of you. And you'll thank yourself for it later. A Florida State University study found that a plan of attack could ease the anxiety associated with a task. You may have concerns about jobs that lie ahead, but concrete plans for achieving them can be freeing. Juggling Tasks We've all felt the anticipation and excitement of watching a person juggle. They start with two, which is manageable, but then more and more balls are thrown into the air. The more balls that you add, the harder it gets to catch them all. Now, imagine those balls are jobs you have to do in a day. They are all in your mind, but they all can't fit into the forefront of it at once. Before you know it, you've dropped one, then two, then three. All of a sudden, you've dropped them all. When your brain is struggling with your mental list, spilling it out onto paper is freeing it up to be more efficient. You then only have to have one task on your mind, because the rest are safely stored in a physical space.

The Benefits of a Work Task List

A work task list takes no time at all to prepare, but it can offer some astounding benefits in the business world. Organize Your Information When you are in a position of leadership, you're tasked with juggling many balls. Let's take the hospitality industry, for example. You might have to remember to complete a staff roster, order napkins, and finalize the menu for a function. Throughout the day, you add more tasks to your mental list. Then, the order of importance becomes skewed. By writing a to-do list, you can organize all that critical information. They Are Quick and Easy A to-do list is something you can create in 30 minutes or less but can add at least that much time in productivity to your day. Instead of wracking your brain trying to think of what comes next, it's written in front of you. You Can Prioritize Your Work Load Everything you achieve in a day will feature on the importance' scale. Do you need to order napkins first, or finalize that menu? When you spend time writing a list, you can order the items on it in terms of importance. They Can Be Shared Communication is critical in any workplace . When everyone around you knows what's going on, you can all function better as a team. The beauty of a list is that it doesn't have to remain with you. Digital lists, for example, can be shared with everyone who needs to know what's on it. By doing so, you can even avoid double handling. If you're ordering the napkins, your employee knows they don't have to. They Can Ease Your Mind You won't find too many business owners who don't carry the stress of their business operations on their shoulders. A OnePoll survey found 41 percent of SMEs had stressed owners at the helm. At least 37 percent of those blamed it on getting everything done. Something as simple as a list can make you feel more in control of everything you need to achieve. That can ultimately lead to stress reduction.

Key Takeaways

• Several studies have shown that you can alleviate your anxiety by writing down what you need to achieve.
• Freeing your mind of those pressing tasks can make you more efficient.
• Task lists are quick and easy but can be of significant benefit to daily business operations.

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Differences Between To-Do Lists and Task Lists

Discover the key differences between To-Do Lists and Task Lists to better manage your tasks.

A business, work and daily activities can only run efficiently with a task list. This list is the primary support for efficiency and productivity. People who feel overwhelmed by a ton of work are often unfamiliar with to-do lists. Or if they get used to it, they use it ineffectively.

Task lists are often associated with to-do lists and priority lists. However, if you dive deeper, these two terms are different. A to-do list is part of the task list that contains non-professional activities. Nonetheless, some remote employees often use it.

The most crucial point of the to-do list is not what's on the list, but you're the main priority. You are the one who completes the to-do list. Maybe you didn't realise it when you started your day at the office, opening multiple browser tabs and responding to emails. You know that you must complete many tasks besides responding to emails. Then you end up multitasking.

In 2018, Stanford News released an article on multitasking. The report reveals that multitasking changes the brain and makes you less productive. Switching tasks quickly will reduce brain productivity by 40% due to mental blocks.

To avoid multitasking, you can use task lists and to-do lists. But before that, let's get to know these two terms more deeply.

What is a To-Do List?

The simple definition of a to-do list is a list of tasks that you need to complete. To-do lists can also contain things you want to do, and it's personal. Most often, to-do lists are made based on a priority scale. Generally, lists are written on paper that you can paste in easy-to-see places.

To-do lists are used for short-term priorities, for example, a day. Its use is to help the memory remember what needs to be done soon. Daily to-do lists make your day more productive and efficient.

What is a Task List?

While the task list is a list of tasks, you must do it over the long term. The task list describes tasks in more detail than the to-do list.

Unlike the to-do list, some people make task lists in digital form. They divide task lists by duration, such as weekly lists or specific projects. To-do lists help you plan agendas , meetings and other activities.

Differences between To-Do Lists and Task Lists

We divide task lists and to-lists based on their use and scope. Here are the details:

1. The Utility

To-do lists are often used for personal rather than professional purposes. It usually contains to-the-point sentences, and only owners understand them. Professionals use to-do lists in several frameworks, such as Scrum .

Scrum framework uses a to-do list to write down activity details in each progress. The leader will create a global to-do list, while the developers will create a detailed version. Each sentence should be clear so that the whole team understands the goal.

While the task list helps make steps in the project. At the beginning of the project, the leader will break down the task and group it based on the timeline. Before starting the project, the entire team understands every step forward. So a to-do list is a detailed version of a task list if it's in a professional setting.

2. The Scope

To-do lists are personal and for short-term goals. It only organises your activities for a day or a specific duration. Its presence keeps you organised and becomes an everyday external memory. To-do lists also eliminate unnecessary activities and prevent wasted time.

While the task list generally includes weekly, monthly or timeline activities for a project. This means that anyone and more than one person can use this list. The task list can also be a milestone in a project that signifies each project's phase has been completed. However, some task lists can contain a list of daily tasks but in a collaborative version .

Managers generally make task lists in digital versions through project management tools that are more accessible to others. On the task list, you can group which tasks are prioritised through the Eisenhower Matrix . Another function of the task list is to track the project's progress.

Benefits of To-Do Lists and Task Lists

The simple solution of taking 30 minutes daily to make a to-do list helps set goals. These notes help boost productivity and make life more organised. But there are other benefits of these two lists. Here are some more:

1. Boost motivation

It's easy to say, “I want to get that promotion”, but you still don't know how. Therefore, start making to-do lists and task lists for the steps you have to do. As you complete each step, you'll gain the confidence to cross items off your list.

2. Improved memory

We are all incapable of remembering every single thing that happens in life. And to-do lists are an aid to your memory in retaining important information. You won't lose any of this information if you look at the list daily. Remembering essential things will reduce stress and anxiety.

3. Better Organisation

With to-do lists, organising tasks makes things more manageable. You can see an outline of unfinished tasks and cross out those completed. Having a to-do list also means saving time and using it for other activities.

4. Be more productive

Productivity is always related to focus and priority. The more tasks you cross out on the list, it means you've maximised the time you have. When you don't have a to-do list, your focus will be divided into unimportant things. It also signifies that time management is bad.

5. More personal time

Between meetings or working in the office, try to make time for activities you like. A to-do list will help you manage your time and complete tasks more efficiently, leaving free time for hobbies. You can start planning each task and the time needed. Try to be honest with yourself and start committing to a schedule; you will get time to relax and enjoy your hobbies.

To summarise, To-Do Lists and Task Lists are both effective tools for organising and prioritising tasks. The key difference between the two lies in their scope and level of detail.

The choice between a to-do list and a task list comes down to personal preference and the type of work you are doing. To-do lists are broader and less specific, while task lists are more focused and detailed.

Choose the ideal free project management tool using VirtualSpace that aligns with your preferences and the nature of your tasks. VirtualSpace empowers you to stay organised, prioritise effectively, and enhance productivity.

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What is a task? and how to get more of them done

While the word “task” might bring about feelings of despair related to chores or undesirable actions, this is usually related more so to the way you have to manage your time than the task itself.

In this article, we’ll do a deep dive into tasks, show you the best ways to break down larger projects into them, while covering efficient approaches to manage and distribute tasks.

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What is a task in a project?

In project management, a task is a work item or activity with a specific purpose related to the larger goal. It’s a necessary step on the road towards project completion.

For example, it could be something as complex as a mobile app bug fix.

Or it could be something as simple as photocopying the latest brochure for distribution.

Single tasks are typically assigned to a single person or team, while the larger project could be a company-wide endeavor.

The task may or may not include a start and end date or a series of subtasks—this all depends on the complexity of the project at hand, which could be related to industry.

How do you break down a project into smaller tasks?

Even long term Scrum projects that last  11.6 weeks   on average make use of task management to get their work done efficiently and effectively.

Part of task management includes creating manageable workloads, considering task dependencies, and of course, communicating across teams to avoid double work or roadblocks.

To avoid these issues, you need some way to break down the high-level project deliverables and goals into tangible tasks.

In the next section, we’ll show you two of the most popular methodologies, Waterfall, and Scrum.

Work Breakdown Structure

The work breakdown structure (WBS) is the official method of breaking down projects in the PMI Guidebook.

To figure out how to break the entire project into tasks, you first need to divide it into the actual deliverables required to hand over the final product or result to the client.

For example, if you’re planning to make a mountain bike, you can break that down into the frame, handlebars, pedals, wheels, chains, and so on.

( Image Source )

You also need to work out the dependencies of the project (aka which deliverables require another one for completion).

If we were to simplify the WBS, the section on manufacturing the bike frame might look something like this.

Of course, each item contains multiple tasks such as sourcing vendors, reviewing designs, picking materials, and more.

But if you assign these tasks to teams who have the necessary skills to complete all of them, that’s what the top-level plan might look like.

If you use an Agile framework, like Scrum, you won’t bother breaking down the entire project into detailed tasks at an early stage. Avoiding this large-scale exercise in prediction is one of the primary principles of Agile.

Instead, you’ll focus on planning out a deliverable increment of your product in Scrum sprints . These are 2–4 week periods of focused work dedicated to delivering a working product version of the final deliverable.

The basis for planning out these iterations is a backlog of features or user stories (functionality from the user’s perspective). You may also have a product roadmap to outline the long-term product direction as well.

The product backlog is continually pruned and optimized before, during, and after sprints. Even if you’re not planning software projects, you can often single out elements that you can deliver in increments.

Before each Sprint, you meet with your team and stakeholders (invested parties) to discuss which user stories are the most important. You select a few items and create a dedicated sprint backlog.

Each user story is then further divided into tasks, and team members take ownership of the specific tasks they can handle.

It’s not ideal for all organizations or projects, but it’s an antidote against micromanagement in complex projects.

What size should a project task be?

So how granular should you get? What should the scope and length of the task in your project be?

It depends on the size of your project and your PM framework, but here are some rules of thumb.

The 8/80 rule for WBS

In traditional project management, a rule of thumb is that no task should be shorter than 8 hours or longer than 80 hours in the WBS.

That’s why the PMI recommends keeping tasks between 20–80 hours in the WBS.

Your individual teams can then have more granular task boards to manage their own to-do lists and/or break 2-week tasks down into daily sub-tasks.

Task length in Scrum

While user stories generally have no specified length, they’re often broken down into manageable chunks, usually one workday or less.

The official Scrum Guide doesn’t use the word tasks, but instead uses the term work unit:

“ Work planned for the first days of the Sprint by the Development Team is decomposed by the end of this meeting, often to units of one day or less. ”

On a Scrum board , you can use story points (at monday.com, we equate 1 SP to a workday) to estimate the length of the task.

Tasks shouldn’t require more than one resource

When you break down deliverables into individual tasks, time isn’t the only consideration. The best approach is to make sure the person (or resource) who’s assigned the task can complete it from start to finish.

For example, a graphic designer could create a wireframe for an app, but wouldn’t be able to create a working prototype.

So you should split the larger deliverable of a working feature prototype into wireframe/design and development (at the very least).

For larger companies, a resource could be an entire team that includes designers, developers, and software testers. In which case, you don’t have to get as granular when planning and assigning tasks.

Accurately estimating task durations

The best way to predict the duration of tasks is to involve the actual resources who will handle the task in the planning process.

You don’t need to switch to Agile or Scrum to make this happen. You just need to involve the actual project implementers in the planning process, not just management.

Not only can they help with task durations, but they can also help with dependencies and expecting potential bottlenecks.

What is the best way to organize project tasks?

There are hundreds of different frameworks and methods for managing projects and breaking them down into tasks.

A few stand out because of their efficiency and ease of adoption and have become popular as a result.

Let’s take a closer look at these industry-leading options.

Waterfall refers to the traditional “predictive” project management approach. It’s called predictive because you plan every phase of the project from start to finish before even getting started.

The reason it’s called waterfall is that the projects are planned to follow a sequential order.

First, you start out by figuring out the requirements of the project. What deliverables do you need to deliver a finished product?

Then you move on to designing and creating (implementing) it. Finally, you verify that the product works as intended, and launch it. The last stage includes the long-term maintenance of the product.

While berating waterfall is a popular pastime among younger management professionals, it has its place.

For physical products with a lot of dependencies and high costs associated with actual production time, mapping out the entire project in detail can be the best approach.

Instead of a specific methodology, Agile outlines a core set of values and principles to apply to your projects. As a result, Agile is an umbrella term that covers many different methodologies and frameworks .

The most famous principle is to deliver working iterations of your project frequently. That’s in contrast to planning out an entire product from start to finish like with waterfall.

Lean, like Agile, is not a specific framework that details a project management approach. Instead, it refers to a management philosophy with a core set of principles.

The focus of Lean is eliminating waste in processes throughout each stage of production. The execution is what controls the outcome, after all.

Fixing bottlenecks between departments to speed up the final assembly is a good example.

Not to be confused with Agile, which is more about high-level concepts and principles, Scrum is an actual framework for project management.

It outlines clear rules, meetings (ceremonies), and deliverables (artifacts), not just values.

For example, Scrum teams should only include a maximum of 9 regular team members. Daily Scrum meetings should only last 15 minutes.

The entire process of designing and completing a sprint is laid out in detail. That’s what makes the Scrum framework so useful for teams that want to implement more Agile principles into practice.

How to use a project management platform for effective task management

Instead of slowing down your managers and teams with an inefficient process, take advantage of the latest task management software .

monday.com is a digital workspace with all the functionality a project manager could ever want, wrapped in a package that’s actually easy to learn and use.

Pick the framework or methodology you want to work with

If you want to reach a completely new target level of productivity, basic task management won’t cut it. You need to introduce a project management framework that goes beyond daily tasks.

Luckily, monday.com makes it easy to make the switch. We offer dedicated templates for everything from WBS to Scrum.

Develop the high-level project roadmap

For consistent results, you should develop a high-level project roadmap. It will help guide all decisions and priorities as the project progresses.

Get more granular with a WBS and other task boards

This is where you break the larger goals into smaller deliverables and start to establish the workload for each team or department that’s involved.

It should outline the overall process but may not specify every activity or task, depending on the scale of the project.

But it’s not the best for planning individual tasks within the involved teams or departments.

Which is why monday.com also offers more basic task boards that these teams can use to manage the day-to-day.

You can easily divide larger items into smaller subtasks and assign them as well.

Use integrations and automations to automate menial tasks

If you want to perfect your workflow , it’s not enough to create some new task boards. You also need to eliminate repetitive menial tasks.

For example, with our smart integrations, you can automatically update a card or create a new task when you receive an email or message.

It’s a useful feature for a wide variety of teams and use-cases. For example, your software team could get a new task with every bug report.

By automating menial tasks, you give your managers and team the time and space to focus on crucial high-level decisions.

Keep managers up to speed with dashboards and reports

Want to see at a glance if tasks are being completed on schedule, or which people (or teams) are available for last-minute work?

You can easily create and customize a dashboard that will give your managers instant access to all the information they need.

Master your tasks

Breaking down a project into tasks and assigning them effectively requires a bit of balance.

Finding the framework that works best for your industry and internal workflows and pairing them with the tips above can help you find the happy medium of management and autonomy that will allow your teams to thrive.

Whichever you choose, monday.com has the right templates and tools to help your projects succeed.

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Definition of task

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Definition of task  (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

• intrust

task , duty , job , chore , stint , assignment mean a piece of work to be done.

task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

Examples of task in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'task.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English taske , from Middle French dialect (Picardy, Flanders) tasque , from Medieval Latin tasca tax or service imposed by a feudal superior, alteration of *taxa , from taxare to tax

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing task

• brought to task
• called to task
• take to task
• the task at hand

Articles Related to task

Can 'Task' Be Used as a Verb?

Taking a usage peeve to task

Dictionary Entries Near task

Tasikmalaya

task-and-bonus system

Cite this Entry

“Task.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/task. Accessed 14 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of task, medical definition, medical definition of task, more from merriam-webster on task.

Nglish: Translation of task for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of task for Arabic Speakers

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The Complete Glossary of Project Management Terminology

By Kate Eby | February 24, 2017

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Establishing standardized definitions for common project management terms is a challenge, even for seasoned pros. To help you achieve this goal, we’re offering this authoritative reference guide, pulling together a complete list of project management terminology. This glossary contains more than 600 terms and provides simple, clear explanations.

Included on this page, you'll find definitions from A-Z, from activity codes and dependencies , to performance reporting and timeboxes . 

Project Management Terms

A - project management terms.

Accept - A decision to take no action against a threat. Project teams typically accept risks when they fall below risk thresholds or when the team thinks it best to act only if and when a threat occurs. (See also risk acceptance )

Acceptance criteria - The specific requirements expected of project deliverables. To be formally accepted, deliverables must meet all acceptance criteria.

Acceptance test - A test in which a team of end users runs a product through its full range of use to identify potential problems.

Acquisition process - This process obtains the personnel and resources necessary for project work. Acquisitions are closely coordinated with project budgets and schedules.

Action item - An activity or task that must be completed.

Action item status - This tracks an action item’s progress from creation to closure. Since work packages comprise multiple action items, keeping action item statuses updated is important for project progress.

Activity - The smallest unit of work necessary to complete a project work package (which includes multiple activities). Time, resources, and finances are required to complete each activity.

Activity code - An alphanumeric value by which activities can be grouped and filtered. A code is assigned to each activity.

Activity identifier - A unique alphanumeric value by which an individual activity can be distinguished. An activity identifier is assigned to each activity.

Activity label - A short descriptor for an activity. Activity labels may be placed below arrows representing activities in activity-on-arrow (AOA) diagrams.

Activity list - This documents all the activities necessary to complete a project. Each activity is accompanied by its activity identifier and a description of the work it entails.

Activity-On-Arrow (AOA) - In this network diagram, arrows represent activities and nodes represent events or milestones. AOA diagrams can only indicate finish-to-start relationships.

Activity-On-Node (AON) - In a network diagram of this nature, nodes represent activities and arrows illustrate logical relationships between activities. AON diagrams can illustrate four relationship types: start-to-start, start-to-finish, finish-to-start, and finish-to-finish.

Actual cost of work performed (ACWP) - This represents the total cost incurred for work done in a given period of time.

Actual duration - The length of time taken to complete an activity.

Actual effort - The amount of labor performed to complete an activity. It is expressed in person-hours or similar units of work.

Actual expenditure - The sum of costs paid from a budget.

Actual progress - This measures the amount of work completed on a project. It is used to assess the comparison between project progress and project baselines and is usually stated as a percentage.

Adaptive project framework (APF) - An approach to project management that rejects traditional, linear project management and instead accepts changing requirements and allows projects to be affected by external business environments. The APF stresses flexibility in many aspects of project management and focuses on performing and evaluating project work in stages to allow room for replanning due to changing business goals, objectives, and requirements.

Administrative closure - This refers to the set of formal requirements fulfilled to end a project. Among other things, it involves documenting the formal acceptance of deliverables and ensuring that all relevant information is sent to a project’s sponsor and stakeholders.

Aggregate planning - This strategy uses demand forecasts to manage scheduling and planning for project activities between three and 18 months in advance, so that the necessary resources and personnel can be efficiently acquired or assigned.

Agile - The Agile family of methodologies is a superset of iterative development approaches aimed at meeting ever-changing customer requirements. Agile development proceeds as a series of iterations, or sprints, with incremental improvements made in each sprint. Since agile projects do not have fixed scopes, agile methodologies are adaptive, and the iterative work is guided by user stories and customer involvement.

Agile project management - Agile project management draws from concepts of agile software development. Agile approaches focus on teamwork, collaboration, and stakeholder involvement, as well as the use of iterative development methods.

Agile software development - Agile software development originates from the Agile Manifesto , a set of principles that emphasizes meeting changing requirements through collaborative development and making ongoing improvements through iteration. It stresses the importance of being reactive to rapid changes in external environments.

Allocation - The assigning of resources for scheduled activities in the most efficient way possible. (See also resource allocation )

Alternative analysis - The evaluation of possible courses of action for project work in order to find the most suitable course of action.

Analogous estimating - This technique uses historical project data to prepare time and cost estimates. It is considered the most inaccurate estimation technique. (See also top-down estimating )

Analytical estimating - This technique computes total project time and cost estimates by preparing estimates for each project activity and adding them together. Analytical estimating is considered the most accurate estimation technique. (See also bottom-up estimating )

Application area - The specific project category of which the project is a part. Application areas can be defined on the basis of project products’ characteristics or applications or by the projects’ customers or stakeholders.

Apportioned effort - Project work associated with components of a work breakdown structure and performed in proportion, with discrete effort. Since the amount of apportioned effort (which includes activities such as quality assurance) depends directly on the amount of discrete effort, it cannot be considered separately from discrete effort. It is one of three types of activities used to measure work performance as part of earned value management.

Approach analysis - During the project planning phase, this type of analysis is used to examine the various methods by which a project’s goals may be achieved.

Arrow diagramming method (ADM) - A method of constructing a network diagram that uses arrows to represent activities and nodes to represent events or milestones. The ADM is used to construct activity-on-arrow (AOA) diagrams.

Artifact - Items that support software development. Artifacts include both items associated with the process of development, such as project plans, and items used to support actual aspects of development, such as use cases and requirements.

Assignment contouring - The process of assigning people to project work for changing numbers of hours per day as the project moves through different stages. Assignment contouring is typically done using project management software.

Assumption - Factors deemed to be true during the project planning process, though proof of their validity is not available. A project’s assumptions can affect its risks and outcomes, so you must consider them carefully.

Authorization - In general, authorization is the power to make decisions that the management grants. The specific remit for authorization varies on a case-by-case basis.

Authorized work - Work that management or others in authority approve.

Avoid - A response to a negative risk that seeks to ensure the risk does not occur or (if the risk cannot be eliminated) seeks to protect the project objectives from the negative risk’s impact. (See also risk avoidance )

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B - Project Management Terms

Backward pass - This calculates late-start and finish dates for project activities by working backwards from the project end date.

Balance - A phase in the portfolio life cycle that involves balancing a portfolio’s components based on risk, costs, and use of resources. It is an aspect of organizational project management. (See also portfolio balancing )

Balanced scorecard - A Balanced scorecard is a concept or tool used to assess whether an organization’s activities are correlated with its general vision and objectives.

Bar chart - A diagrammed calendar schedule of project activities’ start and end dates in logical order. (See also Gantt chart )

Baseline - This term represent the costs and schedules approved at the start of the project. They use baselines as a basis for monitoring and evaluating performance.

Benefits realization -This term focuses on ensuring that project results give customers and stakeholders the benefits they expect.

Blueprint - A document that explains what a program means to accomplish and describes a program’s contribution to organizational objectives.

BOSCARD - This method details and considers the background, objectives, scope, constraints, assumptions, risks, and deliverables of new projects.

Bottom-Up estimating - This calculation computes total time and cost estimates for projects by preparing individual estimates for each of a project’s activities and adding them together. Bottom-up estimating is considered the most accurate estimation technique. (See also analytical estimating )

Brief -  This refers to the document produced during a project’s concept phase. It is the primary document outlining requirements.

Budget - The sum of money allocated for a project. The term may also refer to a comprehensive list of revenues and expenses.

Budgeted cost of work performed (BCWP) - The portion of the budget allocated to scheduled work actually performed in a period of time. (See also earned value )

Budgeted cost of work scheduled (BCWS) - The portion of the budget allocated to work scheduled to be performed in a period of time. (See also planned value )

Burn down chart - A graph that shows the relationship between the number of tasks to be completed and the amount of time left to complete these tasks.

Burst point - A point in a network diagram at which multiple successor activities originate from a common predecessor activity. None of the successor activities may start until one finishes the predecessor activity.

Business analysis - The practice of identifying and solving business problems. It focuses on creating and implementing solutions to business needs via organizational development, process reengineering, or any number of other methods.

Business case - A documentation of the potential outcomes of a new project, including benefits, cost, and effects. It shows the reasoning for starting the project.

Business imperative - An issue, situation, or circumstance with the potential to affect a business in one way or another, depending on the course of action used to address it. Organizations prioritize business imperatives for actions that will realize any potential benefits or avoid any potential harm.

Business model - A company’s business model is the system by which the organization’s  profitable activities are planned, structured, and executed, and by which it interacts with its customers.

Business operations - The entire ensemble of activities or business processes through which a company uses its assets to create value for its customers.

Business process - A Business process is a system of activities by which a business creates a specific result for its customers. There are three categories of business processes: management processes, operational processes, and supporting processes.

Business process modeling (BPM) - Business process modeling is the representation, analysis, and evaluation of business processes in an effort to improve them.  

Business requirements - The conditions a product must satisfy to effectively serve its purpose within a business.

Business value - The business value of a project is the sum of positive effects — tangible and intangible — it has on the business.

C - Project Management Terms

Calendar unit - The smallest unit of time — usually hours or days — by which project activity durations are measured.

Capability maturity model (CMM ) - This model is used to assess the maturity of business process capabilities. It was created to assess the capabilities of software development processes but is now used in a number of other industries as well. Like other maturity models, the CMM allows organizations to assess themselves against external benchmarks and provides recommendations for improvement.

CAPEX - CAPEX, or capital expenditure, is the money a company spends to acquire new fixed physical assets or upgrade old ones, typically for long-term use.

Case study - A case study involves extensive and in-depth formal research into an area of a company, a situation, or an event. Case studies typically result in formal reports that are published in academic or professional publications. They investigate important, singular, or locally representative cases that contribute to the advancement of knowledge.

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) - This is an entry-level certification for project managers offered by the Project Management Institute. It is designed to build knowledge of project management processes and terms.

Champion - A project champion makes project success a personal responsibility. This person pushes the project team to work hard, liaise with stakeholders on behalf of the project, and support the project manager. Project champion is an informal role.

Change control - Change control is the process of identifying, evaluating, approving, and implementing changes to a project. It ensures that changes are introduced in a controlled and effective manner and that any adjustments necessitated by changes are also addressed.  

Change control board - An appointed group of stakeholders who evaluate proposed changes and decide when and whether to make them.

Change control system/process - The process by which changes to the project are evaluated before approval, implemented, and documented.

Change freeze - The point at which scope changes to a project are no longer permissible.

Change management plan - A Change management plan details the change control process. It is created to ensure all changes are managed according to procedure. Change management plans can be created for individual projects or for organizations undergoing transitions.

Change request - A formal document submitted to the change control board that requests changes to the finalized project management plan. Change requests are usually made only for significant changes, as smaller changes with little to no impact on the project work can be brought to the project manager.

Client/Customer - The people who will directly benefit from a project. A team executes a project with specific attention to a client’s requirements.  

Closing phase - The final phase of the project management life cycle, in which all aspects of the project are officially completed and closed. This includes making sure that all deliverables have been given to the client, that the team notifies suppliers of completion, and that the team updates stakeholders regarding the end of the project and overall project performance.

Code of accounts - An alphanumeric system used to assign unique identifiers to all work breakdown structure components.

Collaborative negotiation - Collaborative negotiation entails all negotiating parties obtaining at least some of what they want from negotiations.

Communications log - This document is used to track all project-related communications. It is organized and edited by the project manager and details who communicated, when and where the communication took place, what information was shared, and the results of the communication.

Communications management plan - This plan states who will send and receive information on aspects of the project, what details are communicated, and when communications are sent. It is part of the project management plan.

Communities of practice - Groups of people who share an area of interest within project management. They meet regularly to share and develop knowledge in the area of interest.

Competence - The ability and knowledge required to perform the tasks associated with a specific role.

Competence framework - The set of competence expectations by which one assesses a person’s suitability for a specific role.

Concept - The beginning phase of the project management life cycle. In the concept phase, the team presents the opportunity or problem (along with possible solutions) and examines the general feasibility of the project.

Conceptual project planning - Conceptual project planning involves developing the documentation from which a project’s organization and control system will originate.

Concurrent engineering - A product development approach where design and development are carried out at the same time. It is used to shorten the development life cycle and to release products more quickly. The simultaneous execution of design and development can help to improve design practicality.

Configuration - Configuration of a product involves shaping its functions and characteristics to make it suitable for customer use.

Configuration management - Configuration management ensures that the product of a project meets all necessary specifications and stipulations. It provides well-defined standards for the management and team to guarantee that they meet quality and functional requirements, as well as any other characteristics considered important.

Consensus - A decision agreed upon by all members of a group.

Constraint - A limitation on a project. Among other things, constraints may be financial or based on time or resource availability.

Constructability - Constructability is a concept used in complex hard projects to assess and examine the entire construction process before beginning construction. It reduces the number of errors, setbacks, and delays once construction work actually begins.

Construction - The process by which a team builds infrastructure. Construction projects are complex. Engineers and architects supervise them, while a project manager manages the project work.

Consumable resource - A nonrenewable resource that cannot be used once consumed.

Contingency plan - An alternative or additional course of action planned in anticipation of the occurrence of specific risks.

Contingency reserve - An allocation of time or money (or both) set aside for the occurrence of known possibilities that could delay a project or make it more expensive. It is not the same as a management reserve, which is an allocation made for unforeseeable circumstances. Use of a contingency reserve is typically authorized upon the occurrence of a contingency.

Contract administration - The process by which a team manages a relationship with a contracting party. It establishes protocols for dealings between contracting parties.

Contract closeout - The process of determining whether the terms of a contract were completed successfully and of settling any remaining terms.

Control Account - A work breakdown structure tool that allows aggregation of costs for work packages as part of earned value management calculations.

Control chart - Control charts compare process results with historical averages and process control limits to show whether a process meets results expectations. If a process’s results are inconsistent or fall outside process control limits, it may need to be examined and adjusted.

Core process - A process that follows an established order and is central to the performance of the process system or project of which it is part.

Corrective action - A step taken to bring work back into alignment with performance expectations after it has failed to meet expectations. A corrective action, which is reactive, is not the same as a preventive action, which is proactive.

Cost baseline - The sum of work package estimates, contingency reserve, and other associated costs by which project performance is assessed. A formal change control process is necessary to change the cost baseline.

Cost benefit analysis - A Cost benefit analysis is used to weigh project costs against anticipated tangible project benefits.

Cost engineering - The application of scientific and engineering principles to several aspects of cost management. Among other things, cost engineers contribute to estimation procedures and project cost management. Cost engineering may also be called project controls in some industries.

Cost management plan - This plan details how project costs will be planned, funded, and controlled. It is a part of the project management plan.

Cost of quality - The cost associated with ensuring project quality. This cost may mean the difference between unacceptable and acceptable project results.

Cost overrun - A cost overrun occurs when unexpected costs cause a project’s actual cost to go beyond budget.

Cost performance index - A cost performance index measures the cost efficiency of a project by calculating the ratio of earned value to actual cost.

Cost plus fixed fee contract (CPFC) - Under a cost plus fixed fee contract, the seller is reimbursed for costs incurred and paid a predetermined fixed fee.

Cost plus incentive fee contract (CPIF) - Under a cost plus incentive fee contract, the seller is reimbursed for costs incurred and paid an additional fee if they meet performance criteria specified in the contract.

Cost plus percentage of cost contract (CPPC) - Under a cost plus percentage of cost contract, the seller is reimbursed for costs incurred and paid an additional amount equal to a percentage of the costs incurred if they meet performance criteria specified in the contract.

Cost reimbursable contract - A cost reimbursable contract is a contract under which a seller is reimbursed for costs incurred and paid an additional sum as per a predetermined agreement as profit. They are typically negotiated for projects with costs that are not fully known or not well defined.

Cost variance - The Cost variance of a project is its earned value minus its actual cost. A negative cost variance indicates that a project is running over budget. A positive cost variance indicates that a project is running below budget.

Cost/schedule impact analysis - A cost/schedule impact analysis determines the effects of a particular change on a project’s cost or schedule.

Crashing - A schedule compression technique used to speed up project work by increasing the rate at which critical path activities are completed by adding more resources — usually more personnel or more equipment. Crashing increases project costs, so it is used first on activities that can be sped up at the least additional cost.

Critical chain project management (CCPM) - Critical chain project management is an approach to managing projects that emphasizes the resources needed to complete project activities over activity order and durations set in a schedule. It uses resource optimization techniques like resource leveling and requires that activity start times be flexible.

Critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) - CISD is a psycho-educational exercise for small groups who have experienced a traumatic event. It is sometimes used in project management to help project teams cope with trauma and to rebuild team cohesion.

Critical path activity - A scheduled activity that is part of a project’s critical path.

Critical path method - The Critical path method is used to estimate the shortest length of time needed to complete a project and to determine the amount of float for activities that are not part of the critical path.

Critical success factor - A critical success factor is an aspect of a project that is crucial to the success of the project.

Criticality index - Each project activity is assigned a percentage called a criticality index, which is a measure of how frequently it is a critical activity in project simulations. Activities with high criticality indexes are likely to prolong project duration if delayed.

Current finish date -  The most up-to-date estimate of when an activity will finish.

Current start date - The most up-to-date estimate of when an activity will start.

Current state - A detailed representation of current business processes that is used as a point of comparison for efforts to analyze and improve processes’ efficiency, effectiveness, and outputs.

D - Project Management Terms

Data date - A data date, also called an as-of date, is a point at which a project’s status is measured and documented. It separates actual data from scheduled data.

Decision tree analysis - A diagrammatic technique used to illustrate a chain of decisions and to examine the implications of multiple decision-making or situational outcomes.

Decomposition - The hierarchical breaking down of project deliverables into smaller components that are easier to plan and manage.

Defect repair - An action taken to remedy a product that is nonfunctional or does not match expectations or requirements.

Define - The phase in the portfolio life cycle in which projects, programs, and any organizational changes needed to realize strategic objectives are identified and examined.

Definitive estimate - A definitive estimate reaches a total project cost estimate by computing cost estimates for all a project’s work packages. Definitive estimating is considered a highly accurate estimation technique, with estimates falling within a ten-percent range of the actual budget.

Deflection - The transferring of risk to another party, generally via a contract.

Deliverable - A final product or product component that must be provided to a client or stakeholder according to contractual stipulations.

Delphi technique - An estimation method based on expert consensus. Experts make estimates individually and simultaneously and then review their estimates as a group before making another set of estimates. The process is repeated, with the pool of estimates typically becoming narrower after each round of review until a consensus is reached. (See also wideband delphi )

Dependency - A logical relationship between project activities in a network diagram that determines when a dependent activity may begin.

Discrete effort - Project work directly associated with components of a work breakdown structure. It is directly measurable. Discrete effort is one of three types of activities used to measure work performance as part of earned value management.

Discretionary dependency - The preferred way to sequence activities when there is no logical limitation on how they must be ordered.

Do nothing option - An element of a project business case that states the consequences, if any, of not undertaking the project.

Drawdown - A method used to exercise control on the release of project funds. Instead of making entire project budgets available from the outset, management may choose to release funds at specific times. These releases are called drawdowns. Drawdowns may coincide with phase gates so that funds are released at the beginning of each phase.

Dummy activity - In activity-on-arrow diagrams, where arrows represent activities, dummy activities show logical relationships between activities. They are not actual activities themselves - dummy activity arrows are drawn with broken lines to differentiate them from regular activity arrows.

Duration - The amount of time taken to complete an activity or task from start to finish.

Duration compression - Duration compression techniques shorten a project’s duration without reducing its scope. This typically requires additional expenditure. There are two main duration compression techniques: crashing and fast tracking. (See also schedule compression technique )

Dynamic systems development method - The dynamic systems development method is one of the agile product development methodologies. Like other members of the agile family, it conducts development in a series of iterations, with user-story-based improvements made in increments. The dynamic systems development method operates with fixed cost and time constraints and uses the MoSCoW prioritization method to identify the desired product requirements with these constraints in mind.

E - Project Management Terms

Early finish date - The earliest time by which a scheduled project activity can logically finish.

Early start date - The earliest time by which a scheduled project activity can logically start.

Earned schedule - A method of measuring schedule performance that improves upon traditional earned value management. Earned value management tracks schedule variance only in terms of money and not in terms of time and thus does not accurately indicate schedule performance by the end of a project. To address this discrepancy, earned schedule theory uses the same data as traditional earned value management but tracks schedule performances separately with respect to money and time.

Earned value - A concept used to gauge project schedule and cost performance. Portions of the project budget are assigned to components of the work breakdown structure, and successful completion of a work breakdown structure component is understood as value earned through work.

Earned value management - A method of measuring project performance and progress with regard to scope, time, and costs. It is based on the use of planned value (where portions of the budget are allotted to all project tasks), and earned value (where progress is measured in terms of the planned value that is earned upon completion of tasks).

Effort - The amount of labor needed to complete a task. It is measured in person-hours or similar units.

Effort estimate - A calculated approximation of the effort — measured in staff-hours or similar units — needed to complete an activity.

Effort management - The most efficient allocation of time and resources to project activities.

End user - The person or persons who will eventually use the product of a project. Products are designed with end users in mind.

Enhancement, maintenance, and upgrade (EMU) - Enhancement, maintenance, and upgrade are project classifications used in the software development industry. Enhancement projects involve improving the functionality or performance of software. Maintenance projects keep software functioning as expected. Upgrade projects create a new version of the software, called a release.

Enterprise environmental factors - Internal and external factors that can impact projects. They include such things as climate, available resources, and organizational structure.

Enterprise modeling - Enterprise modeling is the creation of a model to represent an organization’s structure, processes, and resources. Enterprise models are built to increase understanding of how organizations work. They form the basis of improvement or restructuring efforts.

Epic - A set of similar or related user stories.

Estimate at completion (EAC) - The estimated total cost for all project work, calculated as the sum of the actual cost and the estimate to complete.

Estimate to complete (ETC) - At a given point in a project, the estimate of the cost of the work that still needs to be completed.

Estimating funnel - A metaphor for the increased accuracy in estimation made possible as a project progresses.

Estimation - The use of estimating techniques to reach approximations of unknown values.

Event chain diagram - A visual representation of a schedule network based on event chain methodology. It shows relationships between project activities and risk events.

Event chain methodology - A schedule network analysis method that enables uncertainty modeling. It is used to identify risk events’ impact on a schedule.

Event-Driven - The adjective describes an action that is prompted by the occurrence of an event.

Execution phase - The execution phase begins after activity approval and is the phase in which the team executes the project plan. Execution is typically the longest and most expensive phase in the project management life cycle.

Executive sponsor - Typically a member of the organization’s board who is ultimately responsible for the success of the project. They provide high-level direction to project managers and are accountable to the board for project success.

Expert judgment - The practice of using expert opinion to guide decision making.

External dependency - An outside relationship that affects the completion of a project activity.

Extreme programming (XP) - An agile software development methodology that emphasizes a high degree of responsiveness to evolving customer demands. Development cycles in extreme programming are short, and releases are frequent. Its main features include high-volume communication with customers and pair programming.

Extreme project management (XPM) - An approach to project management used mostly for complex projects with a high degree of uncertainty. XPM is designed for projects where requirements are expected to change. Therefore, it focuses on flexibility more than rigid scheduling. Where traditional project management proceeds sequentially through the project management life cycle and thus clearly defines problems, scopes, and solutions, extreme project management accepts that all three aspects will change as the project proceeds and thus emphasizes continual learning over deterministic planning.

F and G - Project Management Terms

Fallback plan - A predetermined alternative course of action adopted if a risk occurs and  a contingency plan proves unsuccessful in avoiding the risk’s impact.

Fast tracking - A schedule compression technique or duration compression technique in which the duration of a critical path is shortened by performing sections of some critical path activities concurrently instead of consecutively.  

Feasibility study - An evaluation of how likely a project is to be completed effectively, or how practical it is, taking resources and requirements into consideration.   

Finish-To-Start - In a finish-to-start relationship, a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has finished.

Finish-To-Finish - In a finish-to-finish relationship, a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has finished.

Fishbone diagram - A fishbone diagram is used in project management to identify and categorize the possible causes of an effect. (See also Ishikawa diagram )

Fixed duration - A task in which the time required for completion is fixed.

Fixed formula method - The fixed formula method calculates earned value in a given period of time by splitting a work package budget between the start and completion milestones of a work package. A known proportion of value is earned upon beginning the work package, and the rest is earned upon completing the work package.

Fixed price contract (FPC) - A fixed price contract pays an agreed-upon fee and does not incorporate other variables, such as time and cost.

Fixed units - A task in which the number of resources used is fixed.

Fixed work - A task in which the amount of effort required is fixed.

Float - A measure of the schedule flexibility involving a particular task.

Flowchart - A diagram that lays out the complete sequence of steps in a process or procedure.

Focused improvement - An improvement strategy based on the theory of constraints. Attention is focused on addressing one limiting factor — called a constraint — at a time in order to optimize a system. Each constraint is improved until it no longer limits the system’s performance.

Fordism - Fordism, named for Henry Ford, is a manufacturing system in which mass-produced goods are priced affordably enough that those producing them may reasonably buy them with their own wages.

Forecast - A prediction or estimation of future project status based on available information.

Formal acceptance - The step at which authorized stakeholders sign off on a product, indicating that it meets their expectations.

Forward pass - A technique used to calculate early start and finish dates by working forwards from a point in a project schedule model.

Free float - The amount of time by which an activity can be postponed without affecting the early start dates of a successor activity.

Functional manager - The individual in charge of all activities carried out by a particular functional department within an organization.

Functional organization - An organization which organizes and manages staff members in groups based on specialty areas.

Functional requirements - The working characteristics of a product. These are based on how end users will use the product.

Future state - A detailed representation of the ideal condition of a company’s business processes after improvement.

Gantt chart - A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that shows all the tasks constituting a project. Tasks are listed vertically, with the horizontal axis marking time. The lengths of task bars are to scale with tasks’ durations. (See also bar chart )

Gate - An end-of-phase checkpoint at which decisions are made regarding whether and how to continue with the project. (See also phase gate )

Go/No go - A point in a project at which it is decided whether to continue with the work.

Goal - An objective set by an individual or an organization. It is a desired endpoint reached by setting and working towards targets.

Goal setting - The process of creating specific, measurable, and attainable goals and of setting deadlines for these goals if desired.

Gold plating - The practice of incorporating features and improvements that go beyond a product’s agreed-upon characteristics. This is generally done to boost customer satisfaction.

Governance - The structure by which roles and relationships between project team members and an organization’s high-level decision makers are defined.

Graphical evaluation and review technique (GERT) - A network analysis technique that uses Monte Carlo simulation to bring a probabilistic approach to network logic and the formation of duration estimates. It is an alternative to the PERT technique but is not often used in complex systems.

H, I, and K - Project Management Terms

Hammock activity - In a schedule network diagram, a hammock activity is a type of summary activity that represents a number of grouped - but unrelated -smaller activities that occur between two dates.

Handover - In the project life cycle, a handover is the point at which deliverables are given to users.

Hanger - An unplanned break in a network path, usually caused by oversights regarding activities or dependent relationships between activities.

HERMES - A project management method created by the Swiss government and used by IT and business organizations. It is a simplified project management method that can be adapted to projects with varying degrees of complexity. It provides document templates to expedite project-related work.

High-Level requirements - The high-level requirements explain the major requirements and characteristics of the final product, including its purpose as a product and within the company. (See also product description )

Historical information - Data from past projects used in the planning of future projects.

Human resource management plan - A human resource management plan details the roles of and relationships between personnel working on a project, as well as how personnel will be managed. It is part of the project management plan.

Hypercritical activities - Critical path activities with negative slack time. They are created when a sequence of critical path activities leading up to another activity is too long to be completed in the stated duration.

Information distribution - The channels used to provide stakeholders with timely information and updates regarding a project.

Initiation phase – The formal start of a new project. It involves receiving proper authorization and creating a clear definition for the project.

Inputs - The information required to start the project management process.

Inspection - The process of reviewing and examining the final product to assess compliance to initial requirements and expectations.

Integrated assurance - The process of coordinating assurance activities across a number of assurance providers.

Integrated change control - The coordination of changes throughout all aspects of a project, including scope, budget, and schedule.

Integrated master plan (IMP) - A project management tool used to break down project work in large, complex projects. It lists project tasks and events in a hierarchical structure and shows relationships between them.

Integrated master schedule (IMS) - An integrated master schedule is produced from an integrated master plan. It is a list of all project tasks represented as a networked schedule.

Integration management plan - A document that explains integration planning and details how changes to project aspects will be managed.

Integration planning - The process of deciding how project elements will be integrated and coordinated and how changes will be addressed throughout the project management process.

Integrative management - Management processes that coordinate a number of project aspects including cost, schedule, and resources (among others).

Invitation for bid - An invitation for expressions of interest that a procuring organization extends. (See also request for proposal )

Ishikawa diagram - Ishikawa diagrams are used in project management to identify the possible causes of an effect. (See also fishbone diagram )

ISO 10006 - A set of quality-management guidelines for projects. It is a standard created by the International Organization for Standardization.

Issue - Anything that can cause problems for a project. The term typically refers to major problems that cannot be tackled by the project team on their own.

Issue log - Project issues and the persons responsible for resolving them. It may also include issue status, plans for resolution, and resolution deadlines.

Iteration - A concept from iterative software development that specifies a fixed time cycle for development work, typically a few weeks long. The development life cycle consists of a number of iterations, sometimes with a functional version of the software produced at the end of each one. Iterative development prioritizes time over scope, so there are rarely concrete requirements to be achieved in an iteration.

Iterative development - Iterative development focuses on developing products in a series of repeated fixed-time iterations, instead of working towards a single deliverable. At the end of an iteration, the team assesses progress and sets targets for the next iteration.

Iterative and incremental development - Iterative and incremental development is any combination of the iterative and incremental development approaches. It is an alternative to the waterfall development method: instead of focusing on sequential development with a single end product, it passes through a number of development cycles, with an improved version of the product, called an increment, produced at the end of each iteration.

Kanban - The word kanban means visual signal in Japanese. Kanban is a visual communication approach to the project management process. It uses visual tools like sticky notes or virtual cards in an online bulletin board to represent project tasks and to track and indicate progress throughout a project.

Kickoff meeting - The first meeting between a project team and stakeholders. It serves to review project expectations and to build enthusiasm for a project.

Key performance indicator (KPI) - A Key performance indicator is a metric for measuring project success. Key performance indicators are established before project execution begins.

L - Project Management Terms

Lag/Lag time - A necessary break or delay between activities.

Late finish date - The latest possible date a scheduled activity can be completed without delaying the rest of the project.

Late start date - The latest possible date a scheduled activity can be started without delaying the rest of the project.

Lateral thinking - Lateral thinking involves using a roundabout method to inspire new ideas or solutions. It can be done in a variety of ways, from using a random word to choosing an object in a room as a basis for thought.

Lead/Lead time - The amount of time an activity can be brought forward with respect to the activity it is dependent upon.

Lean manufacturing - A production methodology based on the idea of streamlining and doing more with less, such as by providing customers with the same product value while eliminating waste and thus reducing production costs.  

Lean six sigma – Lean six sigma combines the no-waste ideals of lean manufacturing with the no-defects target of six sigma. The goal of Lean six sigma is to eliminate waste and defects so that projects cost less and deliver more consistent quality.

Lessons learned - The sum of knowledge gained from project work, which can be used as references and points of interest for future projects.

Level of effort - Work that is not directly associated with components of a work breakdown structure but that can instead be thought of as support work. Examples of level of effort include maintenance and accounting. It is one of three types of activities used to measure work performance as part of earned value management.

Life cycle - The entire process used to build its deliverables. Life cycles are divided into a number of phases. A variety of life cycle models are in use in project management.

Line of balance - A graphical technique used to illustrate relationships between repetitive tasks in projects such as building identical housing units. Each set of repetitive tasks is illustrated as a single line on a chart. Project managers look for places where dependent tasks intersect, indicating that the successor task must be delayed.

Linear sequential model - A linear sequential model moves through a project life cycle’s phases systematically and sequentially. It is typically used for small projects with straightforward requirements, since sequential development makes it difficult to revise design based on testing or preliminary feedback. (See also waterfall model )

Linear scheduling method - A graphical scheduling technique used to assign resources when project work consists of repetitive tasks. It focuses on maximizing resource use and reducing time wastage due to interruptions.

Logic network - A chronologically arranged diagram that shows relationships between project activities.

Logical relationship - A dependency between project activities or between project activities and milestones.

M - Project Management Terms

Management - The act of overseeing planning, personnel, and resources to achieve a goal.

Management process - The act of planning and executing a project or process to meet a defined set of objectives or goals. Management processes may be carried out at multiple levels within organizations, with the scale and scope of activities typically increasing up the organizational hierarchy.

Management reserve - An allocation of money or time (or both) to address unforeseeable circumstances that might delay or increase the costs of a project. A management reserve is not the same as a contingency reserve, which is an allocation made for known possibilities. The senior management must typically approve any release of funds from a management reserve.

Management science (MS) - A field of study that seeks to improve organizational decision making through the use of quantitative and scientific research methods. It evaluates management decisions and outcomes to find optimal solutions to problems, and thus enables better decision making. (See also operations research )

Master project - A master project file comprises a number of smaller projects, called subprojects, arranged hierarchically.

Matrix organization - Employees in a matrix organization report to more than one boss, with different lines of reporting representing different organizational projects or functions. A matrix structure can boost employee engagement and cross-field approaches to problem solving, but it can also create ambiguity over an employee’s role.

Maturity model - Maturity is the extent to which an organization’s methods, processes, and decisions are standardized and optimized. A maturity model assesses one or more of these aspects against a set of external benchmarks to determine an organization’s maturity level. Maturity models allow organizations to assess themselves according to management best practices. They typically offer recommendations for improvement.

Megaproject - A complex, large-scale, and high-investment project. Only hard projects may be termed megaprojects.

Merge point - A point in a network diagram at which multiple predecessor activities culminate in a single successor activity. The successor activity may not start until all the predecessor activities have finished.

Milestone - Milestones indicate specific progress points or events in project timelines. They mark progress needed to complete projects successfully.

Milestone schedule - A milestone schedule details the time relationships associated with project milestones.

Mission statement - A concise enunciation of the goals of an activity or organization. Mission statements are usually a short paragraph, and can be created for entire organizations or for individual projects. They are designed to provide direction and guidance.

Modern project management - An umbrella term for a number of contemporary management strategies. In contrast to traditional management, modern project management: features more recognition of quality and scope variation; refines processes more frequently; stresses collective, interdisciplinary knowledge and team consensus over individual leadership. It is also less based on traditional hierarchies- modern project teams draw from a range of organizational levels and functional areas.

Monte Carlo simulation/technique - Monte Carlo simulation is a computer-based technique that performs probabilistic forecasting of possible outcomes to facilitate decision making. For each possible decision — from the most high-risk to the most conservative — a Monte Carlo simulation provides decision makers with a range of possible outcomes and the likelihood that each will occur.

MoSCoW - The MoSCoW prioritization method allows project managers to communicate with stakeholders on the importance of delivering specific requirements. The acronym indicates four categories of priority and importance for project requirements. Each requirement is prioritized as a “must have,” a “should have,” a “could have,” or a “won’t have.”

Most Likely Duration - An estimate of the most probable length of time needed to complete an activity. It may be used to compute expected activity duration through a technique called three-point estimation.

Motivation - A reason or stimulus that makes a person behave in a certain manner. In management, motivation refers to the desire to pursue personal or organizational goals and is positively associated with productivity.

Murphy’s Law - Murphy’s Law — “What can go wrong will go wrong.” — is cited in project management as a reason to plan adequately for contingencies.

N - Project Management Terms

Near-critical activity - A near-critical activity has only a small amount of total float, or slack time. Near-critical activities have a high chance of becoming critical since their float is easily exhausted.

Near-critical path - A series of activities with only small amounts of total float, called near-critical activities. A near-critical path may become a critical path if its float is exhausted.

Negative variance - The amount by which actual project performance is worse than planned project performance. Negative variances in time and budget show the project is taking longer and is more expensive than planned, respectively.

Negotiation - A discussion to resolve an issue between parties. Negotiations can take place at any point during an activity and may be formal or informal.

Net present value (NPV) - Net present value is a concept that compares the present value of a unit of currency to its inflation-adjusted possible value in the future. It allows organizations to determine the financial benefits, or lack thereof, of long-term projects.

Network Path - In a schedule network diagram, a network path is a logically connected continuous series of activities.

Node - In a network diagram, a node is a point at which dependency lines meet. In activity-on-node diagrams, nodes represent activities. In activity-on-arrow diagrams, they represent events or stages.

Nonlinear management (NLM) - Nonlinear management refers broadly to management practices which emphasize flexibility, self-organization, and adaptation to changing circumstances. It runs counter to concepts in linear management, which seek to impose structure on organizations. The defining characteristics of nonlinear management include encouragement of out-of-the-box thinking, proactivity in responding to challenges, and flexible working arrangements for employees.

O - Project Management Terms

Objective - A clear, concise statement about what an activity is meant to accomplish. Objectives are written to be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. A successful project meets all its stated objectives.

Operations and maintenance - Operations and maintenance is the stage at which a project or system is handed over to staff who will put it into full operation and carry out routine maintenance.

Operations management - The duty of ensuring that an organization's operations are functioning optimally. Operations managers maintain and improve the efficacy and efficiency of business processes. They seek to develop operations which deliver high-quality outputs while keeping costs low.

Operations research (OR) - A field of study that uses mathematical, statistical, and scientific methods to aid and optimize decision making. It uses techniques such as mathematical modeling and optimization to enable better decision making. (See also management science )

Opportunity - In project management, an opportunity is a possibility that can contribute to project objectives. Opportunities in project management are classified as a type of risk.

Opportunity cost - The opportunity cost of a particular course of action is the loss of potential gains from all alternative courses of action.

Optimistic duration - An estimate of the shortest length of time needed to complete a specific activity or task. It may be used to compute expected activity duration through a technique called three-point estimation.

Order of magnitude estimate - An order of magnitude estimate provides an early, imprecise idea of the time and money required to complete a project. It uses historical data from completed projects to form adjusted estimates for similar new projects, usually presenting these estimates as ranging from -25 percent to +75 percent of the actual budget to indicate the levels of uncertainty involved.

Organization - A formally structured arrangement of parties that actively pursues a collective purpose. Organizations can be affected by external factors, and they in turn can affect the external environment.

Organization development - Broadly, organization development involves strategic efforts to improve aspects of organizational performance such as efficacy, efficiency, and sustainability, as well as aspects of organizational health such as employee satisfaction and engagement. The term may also refer to a field of study focusing on the characteristics of organizations and their growth and evolution.

Organizational breakdown structure - A hierarchical model of an organization's units and all its activities. It shows relationships between activities and organizational units and indicates the responsibilities of each unit, thus providing a holistic perspective of how an organization operates.

Organizational enabler - Any practice, tool, knowledge, or skill base that facilitates an organization’s pursuit of its objectives may be termed an organizational enabler.

Organizational planning   - The strategic process of defining roles, responsibilities, and reporting hierarchies for parties within an organization, keeping the organization’s objectives in mind. It is carried out based on the principles and strategies by which an organization manages its members.

Organizational process assets - The specific set of formal and informal plans and processes in use at an organization. They also constitute the sum of knowledge and experience accumulated from past efforts. Organizational process assets are essentially the unique knowledge and processes that facilitate an organization’s operations.

Organizational project management - A strategic approach that emphasizes the effective management of projects, programs, and portfolios as the best way to pursue organizational objectives. It focuses on aligning an organization’s activities with its objectives and on managing these activities collectively, so they contribute to objectives.

Organizational project management maturity - A measure of an organization’s ability to meet its objectives by effectively managing all its activities. It can be assessed with a maturity model called the OPM3, which, like other maturity models, provides comparisons and recommendations for improvement.

Output - In project management, an output is the (usually physical) end product of a process.

Overall change control - The evaluation, coordination, and management of project-related changes. It concerns both the effective integration of changes to benefit the project and the management of adverse changes or emergencies, so that project activities are not disrupted.

P - Project Management Terms

P3 assurance - P3 assurance involves satisfying sponsors and stakeholders that projects, programs, and portfolios are on course to meet performance expectations, fulfill objectives, and meet requirements.

P3 management - P3 management refers collectively to the management of projects, programs, and portfolios.

Parallel life cycle - In a parallel life cycle, certain phases are conducted in parallel (they overlap).

Parametric estimating - A technique for estimating cost and duration based on using historical data to establish relationships between variables — for example, calculating unit costs and the number of units required to complete a similar activity.

Pareto chart - A Pareto chart is a combination bar chart and line graph where the bars represent category frequencies in descending order from left to right, and the line tracks the cumulative total as a percentage.

Path convergence - On a schedule network diagram, path convergence occurs when an activity has multiple predecessors.

Path divergence - On a schedule network diagram, path divergence occurs when an activity has multiple successors.

Percent complete - The percent complete indicates the amount of work completed on an activity as a percentage of the total amount of work required.

Performance measurement baseline - A performance measurement baseline uses the schedule, cost, and scope baselines to create a point of comparison by which project performance is assessed. Variance from the performance measurement baseline may prompt corrective action.

Performance reporting - Performance reporting is formally informing stakeholders about a project's current performance and future performance forecasts. The aspects of performance to be reported are typically laid out in a communications management plan.

Performing organization - The performing organization for a project is the one whose members and resources most directly perform the project work.

Pessimistic duration - The pessimistic duration is an estimate of the longest length of time needed to complete a specific activity or task. It may be used to compute expected activity duration through a technique called three-point estimation.

PEST analysis - A PEST analysis examines how political, economic, social, and technological factors might affect a project.

Phase - A distinct stage in a project life cycle.

Phase gate - A phase gate is an end-of-phase checkpoint where the project leadership reviews progress and decides whether to continue to the next phase, revisits work done in the phase, or ends the project.

Planned value (PV) - The budget assigned to the work it is meant to accomplish. (See also budgeted cost for work scheduled )

Planning - The development of a course of action to pursue goals or objectives.

Planning phase - In project management, planning refers specifically to a phase of the life cycle that involves creating plans for management, control, and execution, as well as for what a project is meant to accomplish.

Planning poker - A consensus-based estimation technique. It attempts to avoid the anchoring effect — where the first estimate forms a baseline for all subsequent estimates — by having project team members make estimates simultaneously and discuss their estimates until they reach agreement.

Portfolio - A collectively managed set of programs and projects.

Portfolio balancing - An aspect of organizational project management, portfolio balancing involves selecting and tailoring a portfolio’s components so they can be managed in line with organizational objectives.

Portfolio charter - A portfolio charter details the formal structure of a portfolio and describes what it is meant to achieve. It authorizes the creation of a portfolio and connects its management with organizational objectives.

Portfolio management - The collective management of portfolios and their components in line with concepts of organizational project management.

Portfolio manager - The individual responsible for balancing and controlling a portfolio in line with concepts of organizational project management.

Portfolio, program, and project management maturity model (P3M3) - The P3M3 assesses organizational performance in portfolio, program, and project management via a set of key process areas (KPAs). Like other maturity models, the P3M3 allows organizations to measure their performance against external benchmarks and provides a roadmap for project performance and delivery improvement.

Positive variance - The amount by which actual project performance is better than planned project performance. Positive variances in time and budget show the project is proceeding faster and is less expensive than planned, respectively.

Precedence diagramming method (PDM) - The process of constructing a project schedule network diagram. It illustrates the logical relationships between project activities and shows the order in which they must be performed by using nodes to represent activities and arrows to show dependencies. PDM also indicates early and late start and finish dates, as well as activity durations.

Precedence network - A precedence network visually indicates relationships between project activities. Boxes and links are used to represent activities and activity relationships. Precedence networks also detail the time relationships and constraints associated with activities.

Predecessor activity - In a schedule, a predecessor activity logically comes immediately before another activity, which is dependent on the predecessor.

Preventive action - A step taken to ensure future work does not stray from performance expectations. A preventive action, which is proactive, is not the same as a corrective action, which is reactive.

PRINCE2 - PRINCE2 is an acronym for projects in controlled environments, version 2. It is a project management methodology that emphasizes business justifications for projects.  PRINCE2 management is based on clear organization of project roles and responsibilities and managing when necessary rather than by obligation. It involves planning and executing projects in a series of stages, with stipulated requirements for each work package.

PRiSM - PRiSM is an acronym for projects integrating sustainable methods. It is a project management methodology that focuses on minimizing negative impacts on society and the environment. PRiSM focuses on sustainability. It is essentially green project management.

Probability and impact matrix - A visual framework for categorizing risks based on their probability of occurrence and impact.

Problem statement - A problem statement concisely states and describes an issue that needs to be solved. It is used to focus and direct problem-solving efforts.

Process - A process is a repeatable sequence of activities with known inputs and outputs. Processes consume energy.

Process architecture - The sum of structures, components, and relationships that constitute a process system, which is a complex system of processes. It refers to the overall design of a process system and comprises both infrastructure (the constituent parts and relationships) and suprastructure (the larger system of which the process system is part).

Process management - The act of planning, coordinating, and overseeing processes with a view to improving outputs, reducing inputs and energy costs, and maintaining and improving efficiency and efficacy.

Process-based project management - A methodology that views projects as means of pursuing organizational objectives. It involves using an organization’s mission and values to guide the creation and pursuit of project objectives. If project objectives aren’t in alignment with the company mission statement, they are amended accordingly.

Procurement management plan - A procurement management plan explains how an organization will obtain any external resources needed for a project.

Product breakdown structure (PBS) - A product breakdown structure is used in project management to record and communicate all project deliverables in a hierarchical tree structure. It may be thought of as a comprehensive list of all project outputs and outcomes.

Product description - A product description defines and describes a project product and its purpose. (See also high-level requirements )

Product verification - Product verification involves examining a deliverable to ensure, among other things, that it meets requirements, quality benchmarks, and expectations set by the product description. It is conducted before a product is presented to a customer for acceptance.

Professional development unit (PDU) - A continuing education unit that project management professionals (PMPs) take to maintain certification.

Program - A collectively managed set of projects.

Program charter - An approved document that authorizes the use of resources for a program and connects its management with organizational objectives.

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) - PERT is a statistical method used to analyze activity and project durations. PERT networks are typically illustrated with activity-on-arrow diagrams. The method makes use of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely durations to estimate expected durations for project activities and to determine float times, early and late start dates, and critical paths. (See also three-point estimating )

Program management - The collective management of programs and their components in line with concepts of organizational project management.

Program manager - A program manager has formal authority to manage a program and is responsible for meeting its objectives as part of organizational project management methods. They oversee, at a high level, all projects within a program.

Progress analysis - The measurement of progress against performance baselines. Progress analysis collects information about the status of an activity that may prompt corrective action.

Progressive elaboration - The practice of adding and updating details in a project management plan. It aims at managing to increase levels of detail as estimates are revised, and more up-to-date information becomes available.

Project - A temporary, goal-driven effort to create a unique output. A project has clearly defined phases , and its success is measured by whether it meets its stated objectives.

Project accounting - In project management, project accounting deals with reporting on the financial status of projects. It measures financial performance and actual costs against budgets or baselines. Therefore, it complements project management while providing financial information to the sponsor. Project accounting may also be referred to as job cost accounting.

Project baseline - A project baseline comprises the budget and schedule allocations set during the initiation and planning phases of a project. Assuming the scope of the project remains unchanged, it may be used to determine variance from budget or schedule.

Project calendar - A project calendar indicates periods of time for scheduled project work.

Project charter - A Project charter is a document that details the scope, organization, and objectives of a project. It is typically created by a project manager and formally approved by the sponsor. A project charter authorizes the project manager’s use of organizational resources for the project and is understood to be an agreement between the sponsor, stakeholders, and project manager. (See also project )

Project cost management (PCM) - The use of an information system to estimate, measure, and control costs through the project life cycle. It aims at completing projects within budgets.

Project definition - A project definition or project charter is a document created by a project manager and approved by a project sponsor that details the scope, organization, and objectives of a project. It authorizes a project manager’s use of resources for a project and constitutes an agreement between the sponsor, stakeholders, and project manager (See also project charter )

Project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) - The PMBOK is a collection of project management-related knowledge maintained by the Project Management Institute.

Project management office - An organizational unit that oversees project management-related activities within an organization. It seeks to facilitate and expedite project work through the use of standard procedures. A project management office also functions as a repository of general, project-related knowledge and resources.

Project management process - A management process that encompasses all phases of a project, from initiation to the meeting of objectives.

Project management professional (PMP) - A Project management professional (PMP) is a person certified by the Project Management Institute upon completion of a course of formal education, an examination, and a certain number of hours managing projects. The certification is considered the gold standard in project management.

Project management simulators - Software training tools that teach project management skills via interactive learning and provide real-time feedback by which project management trainees can practice and reassess their decision making. Some simulators, such as the Monte Carlo simulator, are used to support and complement decision making in real projects.

Project management software - Project management software is a family of tools typically used in the management of complex projects. They provide the ability to: calculate estimates; create and manage schedules and budgets; track and oversee project activities and progress; assign and allocate resources; optimize decision making; and communicate and collaborate with members of a project team.

Project management triangle - A visual metaphor that illustrates relationships between scope, cost, and schedule. It expresses the idea that none of the three aspects can be amended without affecting the others.

Project manager - The person tasked with initiating, planning, executing, and closing a project, and with managing all aspects of project performance through these phases. The term is typically used for a project management professional. Project managers are able to use organizational resources for projects. They serve as contact points for sponsors, program managers, and other stakeholders.

Project network - A visual representation of the activities and dependencies involved in the successful completion of a project.

Project performance indicators - Measures used to assess project performance, usually with reference to project or performance baselines. These typically include cost, schedule, and scope statuses.

Project phase - A distinct stage in a project management life cycle. Each phase comprises a set of project-related activities.

Project plan - A document formally approved by the project manager, sponsor, and other stakeholders which states the approved cost, schedule, and scope baselines. It guides project execution, control, and quality and performance assessment. The project plan also forms the basis for communication between parties involved in a project. Project plans can vary in their levels of detail.

Project planning - Project planning is usually the longest phase of the project management life cycle. It involves determining cost, schedule, and scope baselines and using these to create a detailed roadmap for executing project activities and producing deliverables.

Project portfolio management (PPM) - A method of collectively managing a portfolio’s constituent programs and projects to pursue organizational objectives. It involves optimizing the mix and scheduling of projects to pursue objectives as effectively as possible. Project portfolio management is closely related to organizational project management.

Project schedule network diagram - A diagram is a visual representation of how scheduled project activities are ordered and related. Depending on the type of network diagram, boxes represent activities or events, and arrows indicate activities or dependencies, typically with expected durations.

Project scope statement - A project scope statement details what a project is meant to achieve and describes the deliverables expected. It forms the basis of measurable objectives by which the success of a project will be assessed. Project scope statements are typically part of project plans.

Project stakeholders - Broadly, a Stakeholder is any party which may be affected by a project. In project management, the term usually refers to parties with an interest in the successful completion of a project.

Project team - A project team is responsible for leading and collectively managing a project and its related activities through the project’s life cycle. Project teams may contain members from several different functional groups within an organization. Depending on the nature of the project, a project team may be disbanded upon completion of a project.

Project tiers - Project sizing categorizes projects into project tiers based on staff power or time required for completion to determine the most appropriate project management practices.

Projectized organization - A projectized organization arranges all its activities into a collection of projects, programs, and portfolios. Projects are typically completed for external clients or customers. The prioritization of project work means the project manager can utilize resources and assign work as they see fit.

Proof of concept - A proof of concept is derived from a pilot project or experiment that examines whether an activity can be completed, or a concept can be realized. It shows the feasibility of an idea.

Proport - The term proport is used to define the sum of unique skills that team members bring to a project. These skills can be harnessed for collective benefit.

Q - Project Management Terms

Qualitative risk analysis - A project management technique that subjectively analyzes risk probability and impact. The risks are categorized on a probability and impact matrix, and those deemed significant may undergo a quantitative risk analysis.

Quality - In project management, quality is a measure of a deliverable’s degree of excellence. Quality may also refer to a clearly defined set of stakeholder requirements by which results are assessed.

Quality assurance - A set of practices designed to monitor processes and provide confidence that result in deliverables meeting quality expectations. It may involve quality audits and the stipulated use of best practices.

Quality control - The use of standardized practices to ensure that deliverables meet stakeholder expectations. It involves not only the definition and identification of unacceptable results but also the management of processes to optimize results.

Quality management plan - A quality management plan identifies stakeholders’ quality expectations and details quality assurance and quality control policies to monitor results and meet these expectations. It is part of a project management plan.

Quality planning - Quality planning involves identifying expected quality standards and creating mechanisms to ensure these standards are met. It may also recommend corrective action if quality standards are not being met.

Quality, cost, delivery (QCD) - QCD is an approach to management that focuses on assessing production processes with regard to three aspects: quality, cost, and delivery. It seeks to simplify process management and facilitate decision making by providing objective information about each of the three aspects, with an understanding that modifications to any one aspect will also affect the others.

Quantitative risk analysis - The mathematical analysis of risk probability and impact. In project management, it is not a substitute for qualitative risk analysis. Instead, quantitative analysis is conducted after qualitative analysis and assesses risks that qualitative analysis has identified as significant.

R - Project Management Terms

RAID log - RAID is an acronym for risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies. The RAID log is a project management tool that records developments in these four aspects of project work for the stakeholders’ benefit and for an end-of-project review.

RASCI/RACI chart - A RASCI chart is created during project initiation to identify those who are: responsible for project activities, accountable for ensuring that work is done, signing off on the work, consulted in relation to work activities, and informed about the status of the work. The acronym may be simplified as RACI . (See also responsibility assignment matrix )

Reengineering - Reengineering involves the extensive redesign or rethinking of core processes to achieve major performance improvements. It focuses on optimizing key performance areas such as quality and efficiency. Reengineering often involves restructuring organizations so that multi-functional teams can manage processes from start to end.

Release - In IT project management, a release is a fully functional software delivered to a customer as agreed, typically after a series of iterations.

Remote team - A remote team’s members work in collaboration, usually electronically, from different geographic locations.

Repeatable - The term repeatable is used to describe a sequence of activities that may be easily and efficiently replicated. Repeatable processes are economical since they typically avoid negative variances and have established operations.

Request for proposal - A formal invitation for expressions of interest that is extended by an organization looking to procure goods or services. (See also invitation for bid )

Request for quotation - Upon receipt of proposals after issuing a request for proposal, an organization will issue a request for quotations to shortlisted proposers, asking for detailed cost estimations for specific goods or services.

Requirements management plan - A requirements management plan explains how project requirements will be defined, managed, and delivered. It is part of a project management plan and is used to guide project execution and control to adequately deliver requirements.

Requirements traceability matrix - A table that tracks requirements through the project life cycle and product testing. It is used to ensure that a project is able to deliver the stipulated requirements during the verification process.

Requirements - A set of stipulations regarding project deliverables. They are a key element of the project scope and explain in detail the stakeholders’ expectations for a project.

Residual risk - Any risks that have not or cannot be addressed by risk mitigation or risk avoidance procedures.

Resource allocation - The assigning and scheduling of resources for project-related activities, ideally in the most efficient manner possible. Resource allocation is typically handled by a project manager, though they may be overridden by a program manager if resources are to be shared between multiple projects. (See also allocation )

Resource availability - Resource availability indicates whether a specific resource is available for use at a given time.

Resource breakdown structure - A hierarchical list of resources needed for project work, classified by type and function.

Resource calendar - A resource calendar indicates resource availability, usually by shift, over a period of time.

Resource leveling - A technique that involves amending the project schedule to keep resource use below a set limit. It is used when it is important to impose limits on resource use. Resource leveling can affect a project’s critical path.

Resource loading profiles - Resource loading profiles indicate the number and type of personnel required to do project work over periods of time.

Resource optimization techniques - Resource optimization techniques seek to reconcile supplies and demands for resources. Depending on whether project duration or limiting resource use is prioritized, they can be used to amend activity start and finish dates in ways that do or do not affect a project’s critical path. (See also resource leveling and resource smoothing )

Resource smoothing - A technique that makes use of float when allocating resources so as not to affect total project duration. It is used when project time constraints are important. Resource leveling does not affect a project’s critical path.

Resource-Limited schedule - A resource-limited schedule has had its start and end dates adjusted based on the expected availability of resources.

Resources - The elements needed for a project to successfully meet its objectives. Examples of resources include equipment, staff, locations, facilities, and money.

Responsibility assignment matrix - A responsibility assignment matrix identifies those who are: responsible for project activities, accountable for ensuring that work is done, consulted about work activities, and informed about the work status. (See also RASCI/RACI chart)

Retainage - The sum of money withheld from a contract payment until completion of the contract according to terms.

Return on investment (ROI) - The expected financial gain of a project expressed as a percentage of total project investment. It is used to assess the overall profitability of a project.

Risk - The probability of occurrence of a specific event that affects the pursuit of objectives. Risks are not negative by definition. In project management, opportunities are also considered risks.

Risk acceptance - Risk acceptance involves acknowledging a risk and not taking preemptive action against it.

Risk appetite - The amount and type of risk an organization is willing to accept in anticipation of gains. It is not the same as risk tolerance, which is the amount of variation in performance measures that an organization is willing to accept.

Risk assessment - An activity that involves identifying possible risks to a project and examining how these risks, if they occur, would affect objectives.

Risk avoidance - Risk avoidance focuses on avoiding threats that can harm an organization, its projects, or assets. Unlike risk management, which is geared toward mitigating the impact of a negative event, risk avoidance seeks to address vulnerabilities and make sure those events do not occur.

Risk breakdown structure - A hierarchical model of all risks, arranged categorically.

Risk category - A set of risks grouped by cause.

Risk efficiency - A concept based on the idea of maximizing the return-to-risk ratio. It can do this in two ways: by minimizing exposure to risk for a given level of expected return or by seeking the highest possible expected return for a given level of risk.

Risk enhancement - Risk enhancement involves increasing the probability of an opportunity, or positive risk, occurring.

Risk exploitation - Risk exploitation focuses on ensuring that an opportunity, or positive risk, occurs.

Risk identification - The process of identifying and examining risks and their effects on project objectives.

Risk management - A subset of management strategies that deals with identifying and assessing risks and acting to reduce the likelihood or impact of negative risks. Risk managers seek to ensure that negative risks do not affect organizational or project objectives.

Risk mitigation - Risk mitigation involves decreasing the probability of a negative risk occurring, as well as protecting project objectives from a negative risk’s impact.

Risk monitoring and control - The risk monitoring and control process uses a risk management plan to identify risks and implement appropriate risk responses.

Risk owner - A risk owner is responsible for determining and enacting appropriate responses to a specific type of risk. (See also risk response owner )

Risk register - A risk register, or risk log, is a tool used to chronicle risky situations and risk responses as they arise.

Risk response owner - A risk owner monitors a specific type of risk and implements appropriate risk responses when necessary. (See also risk owner)

Risk response planning - Risk response planning is typically conducted after risk analyses to determine appropriate courses of action for risks is deemed significant.

Risk sharing - Risk sharing involves handing ownership of a positive risk to a third party who is typically specialized and better able to realize the opportunity.

Risk threshold - The level at which the likelihood or impact of a risk becomes significant enough that the risk manager deems a risk response necessary.

Risk tolerance - The level of variation in performance measures that an organization is willing to accept. It is not the same as risk appetite, which is the level and type of risk an organization is prepared to accept in anticipation of gains.

Risk transference - Risk transference involves handing ownership of risk to a third party who is typically specialized and better able to address the risk or to withstand its impact.

Risk trigger - An event that causes a risk to occur. A trigger can serve as a warning that a risk has occurred or is about to occur.

Rolling wave planning - A planning approach that focuses on in-depth detailing of work to be accomplished in the near term and progressively lower levels of detail for work scheduled farther in the future. It is based on the idea that work scheduled in the future is more subject to change and thus less worth planning in detail. Rolling wave planning only works for schedules with clearly defined iterations.

Root cause - The primary reason an event occurs.

Run book - A comprehensive catalog of information needed to conduct operations and to respond to any emergency situations that arise during operations. It typically details, step by step, all regular operational procedures and emergency responses.

S - Project Management Terms

S-Curve analysis - An s-curve tracks cumulative financial or labor costs. S-Curve analysis is used to compare a project’s cumulative costs at any given point with a cumulative cost baseline created during the planning phase. It allows project managers and sponsors to assess performance and progress.

Schedule - A comprehensive list of project activities and milestones in logical order, with start and finish dates for each component.

Schedule baseline - A schedule baseline is the original project schedule — approved by the project team, sponsor, and stakeholders — by which performance is assessed. Schedule baselines are generally inflexible, though alteration of a schedule baseline via a formal change control process may be allowed.

Schedule compression technique - A schedule compression technique speeds up projects without affecting scope by decreasing the duration of a project’s critical path. There are two main schedule compression techniques: crashing and fast tracking. (See also duration compression )

Schedule model - A logically arranged, time-based plan for project activities. It is used to create a project schedule.

Schedule model analysis - Schedule model analysis examines the project schedule created from a schedule model. It aims to optimize the schedule, usually via the use of scheduling software.

Schedule network analysis - Schedule network analysis uses a variety of techniques to identify early and late start and finish dates for project activities and thus to create project schedules.

Schedule performance index (SPI) - The ratio of earned value to planned value at a given point in time. It shows whether a project is running to schedule. An SPI lower than one indicates the project is behind schedule. An SPI higher than one indicates the project is ahead of schedule.

Schedule variance - Schedule variance is the difference between earned value and planned value at a given point in time.

Scientific management - Scientific management was an early attempt to bring scientific approaches to process management. Its earliest form was derived from a 1911 monograph by Frederick W. Taylor, who focused on increasing economic efficiency via the analysis and optimization of labor processes.

Scope - The scope of a project constitutes everything it is supposed to accomplish in order to be deemed successful.

Scope baseline - The set of requirements, expectations, and work packages approved as project deliverables. It is used to guide and assess project performance.

Scope change management - Scope change management deals with amendments to the scope as set in the scope baseline and project management plan. Since scope amendments typically affect cost and schedule estimates, scope change management involves revising estimates and adequately communicating these to stakeholders, as well as obtaining the resources necessary to fulfill new scope requirements.

Scope creep - Scope creep refers to gradual changes in project scope that occur without a formal scope change procedure. Scope creep is considered negative since unapproved changes in scope affect cost and schedule but do not allow complementary revisions to cost and schedule estimates.

Scrum - Scrum is an iterative development procedure used in software development projects. Scrum-based projects focus on prioritizing requirements and working towards a clear set of goals over a set time period, called a sprint. The development team thus works through the list of requirements over a number of sprints. Scrum-based projects usually do not have project manager. Instead, the project team meets daily for progress updates.

Secondary risk - A risk created by a risk response.

Security - Security in project management refers broadly to protecting humans, information, and resources from risk.

Six Sigma - An approach to process management that focuses on the near total elimination of product or service defects. It uses quality management methods to improve and optimize processes involved in the production of a product or service so that 99.99966 percent of process outcomes are defect-free.

Slack time - The length of time an activity's early start can be delayed without affecting project duration. (See also float )

Slip chart - A slip chart graphically compares predicted activity completion dates with originally planned completion dates.

Slippage - The negative variance between planned and actual activity completion dates. Slippage may also refer to the general tendency of a project to be delayed beyond planned completion dates.

Soft project - A soft project does not have a physical output.

Software engineering - Software engineering is generally defined as the use of engineering principles in software development. It systematically employs scientific and technological approaches in the design, operation, and modification of software.

Spiral life cycle - An IT system’s development model that aims to learn from experience by drawing from both iterative development and the waterfall model. It has four sequential phases: identification, design, construction, and evaluation and risk analysis. At the end of each life cycle, an iteration is assessed by the customer, and the spiral sequence begins again upon receipt of customer feedback. The spiral model is typically used in long-term projects or those where requirements are expected to vary, and customer feedback is to be incorporated in phases.

Sponsor - A sponsor has ultimate authority over a project. They provide high-level direction, approve project funding as well as deviations from cost and budget, and determine project scope. Sponsors are typically members of the senior management and are expected to provide high-level support for a project.

Sprint - In iterative project development, a sprint is a fixed unit of time during which the project typically passes through a complete development life cycle. A sprint is usually a few weeks long.

Stakeholder - In project management, a Stakeholder is any party with an interest in the successful completion of a project. More generally, the term refers to anyone who is affected by a project. (See also project stakeholder )

Standards - A standard prescribes a collection of standardized rules, guidelines, and characteristics requirements for processes or products that are approved by a recognized body. Standards are not by definition mandatory. They are adopted by consensus, although they may be enforced as a requirement for participation in certain markets.

Start-To-Finish - In a start-to-finish relationship, a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has started.

Start-To-Start - In a start-to-start relationship, a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has started.

Statement of work (SoW) - A Statement of work is a comprehensive and detailed list of deliverables expected under a contract, with expected dates for each deliverable.

Steering committee - A steering committee provides high-level strategic guidance on a project. It typically comprises individuals from a number of stakeholder organizations and serves to provide consensus-based direction on projects with a large number or a diversity of stakeholders.

Story point - In sprint-based projects, a story point is a measure of the amount of work required to implement a particular user story. Assigning and totaling story points allows project teams to target a realistic number of user stories for action during an iteration or sprint.

Successor activity - In a schedule, a successor activity logically comes after and depends on an activity immediately preceding it.

Summary activity - In a network diagram, a summary activity combines a set of related activities and visually represents them as a single activity.

Sunk cost - A cost that cannot be recovered once spent.

Systems development life cycle (SDLC) - In systems engineering, the systems development life cycle is the process of creating, releasing, and maintaining an information system, which may comprise hardware, software, or both. The typical SDLC has six sequential phases: planning, analysis, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance.

Systems engineering - A field of engineering that applies principles of systems thinking to the development of complex systems. Since complex systems are more difficult to coordinate and make cohesive, systems engineering focuses on developing and optimizing systems as interactive wholes instead of sums of parts. As complex systems comprise both technical and human elements, systems engineering is, by nature, interdisciplinary.

T - Project Management Terms

Task - In project management, a task is a unit of work or activity needed for progress towards project goals. Typically, a task must be completed by a set deadline. Tasks may be further broken down into assignments or subtasks.

Task analysis - A task analysis details the actions or resources required to complete a task.

Testing - The testing phase involves assessment of the product developed so as to gauge quality and performance and to determine whether requirements have been met.

Theory of constraints - The theory of constraints explains that any process is limited from optimum performance by its weakest link or links, called constraints. The theory of constraints methodology involves identifying these weak links via a strategy called focusing and improving them until they no longer limit performance.

Threat - A negative risk that could adversely affect project objectives.

Three-point estimating - A superset of estimating techniques that use averages (or weighted averages) of most likely, optimistic, and pessimistic costs, and duration estimates to form final estimates.

Time and material contract - A time and material contract pays per unit of time and reimburses materials costs for contracted work.

Time chainage diagram - In project management, a time chainage diagram graphically represents scheduled activities for a hard project completed sequentially over a geographic distance, such as the construction of a motorway or the laying of a pipeline. It thus provides both a scheduled time and a relative geographic location for each activity.

Time limit - The time limit for a task is the window of time or deadline by which it must be completed.

Time-scaled network diagram - A network diagram is time scaled if the lengths of activities are drawn to scale to indicate their expected durations.

Timebox - Timeboxing is a project management strategy that prioritizes meeting deadlines over scope requirements. It involves assigning specific lengths of time, called timeboxes, to project activities. Project teams work to address as many requirements as possible within each timebox, proceeding to successor activities once the time limit has passed.

Timeline - A Timeline is a graphical, sequential representation of project activities.

To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI) - A project’s to-complete performance index is the cost performance it needs to achieve to be completed within budget. The TCPI is calculated as the ratio of work remaining to budget remaining.

Tolerance - The acceptable level of variance in project performance. The project sponsor is typically informed if tolerance levels are crossed.

Top-Down estimating - Top-Down estimating uses historical data from similar projects to compute time and cost estimates. (See also analogous estimating )

Total cost of ownership (TCO) - The total cost of ownership estimates the sum total of direct and indirect costs incurred in the purchase, operation, and maintenance of an asset through its life.

Total float - The length of time an activity can be delayed from its early start date without affecting the project end date.

Trigger condition - A condition that causes a risk to occur. Trigger conditions can serve as warning signs that risks have occurred or are about to occur. (See also risk trigger )

U, V, W, and X - Project Management Terms

Unified process - A unified process may refer to any one of a family of iterative software development process frameworks. Unified processes have four phases: inception, elaboration, construction, and transition. Each phase comprises a number of timeboxed iterations, which in turn involve a cycle of specifying requirements, analysis, design, implementation, and testing, with emphases on these shifting as the project team proceeds through iterations. Each iteration results in an improved version of the system called an increment.

Use case - In software development, a use case is a step-by-step list of actions that end users would take to achieve specific goals. Use cases facilitate end user-focused software testing.

User story - A project requirement stated in one sentence. It typically identifies users, real or hypothetical, what these users want from software, and why they want it. Project development teams prioritize user stories in each iteration by assigning story points

V life cycle - The V in V life cycle stands for verification and validation. It is a sequential software development process that matches a corresponding testing phase to each phase in the software development life cycle. During the verification phase, a project team works at increasingly granular levels of detail to identify requirements and design, and then builds the software. Validation proceeds in the opposite direction, as testers examine software components in turn before moving on to systems testing and finally checking that the project as a whole meets requirements.

Value engineering - Value engineering seeks to increase the functionality-to-cost ratio of a product by providing improved functionality at lower cost. Some applications of value engineering attract criticism, as manufacturers may decrease costs by using lower-quality components that decrease product lifespans.

Value for money ratio - In project management, the value for money ratio is expressed as the ratio of financial and other benefits to the resources expended in a project.

Value tree - A hierarchical model of the characteristics of a product or service that determine its value.

Variance analysis - The practice of investigating deviations between planned and actual performance.

Variance at completion (VAC) - A project’s variance at completion is the difference between its budget at completion and its estimate at completion.

Vertical slice - A performance indicator that demonstrates progress across all project components or performance areas at a given point in time.

Virtual design and construction (VDC) - A method  based on using technology in design and construction projects. It uses building information modeling (BIM) tools that focus on designable and manageable aspects of projects to create integrated models that predict project performance.

Virtual team - A virtual team comprises people from different organizations, locations, or hierarchies. It is not necessarily the same as a remote team, which is a group of people working together from different locations.

Waterfall model - The Waterfall model is a software development life cycle in which development phases are sequential, non-iterative, and do not overlap. It is typically reserved for small projects with straightforward, clearly defined requirements since a sequential development process makes it difficult to revisit the analysis and design phases once testing has begun. (See also linear sequential model )

Weighted milestone method - The weighted milestone method allows project managers to estimate earned value by splitting work packages into weighted segments. Each segment represents a portion of the budget value for the work package and ends with a milestone. When a segment milestone is classified as complete, a portion of the total work package value has been earned.

What-If scenario analysis - A simulation technique that allows project managers to determine and compare specific conditions’ effects on project schedules and objectives.

Wideband delphi - An estimation technique based on expert consensus. Each member of an estimation team uses a work breakdown structure to create anonymous estimates of the effort required to complete each project element or work package. The estimates are then reviewed as a group before the experts create new estimates, and the process is repeated for a number of rounds until a consensus is reached. (See also delphi technique )

Work - In project management, work is the amount of effort needed to complete a task.

Work authorization system - A formal procedure to ensure that project work is performed on time and in logical order.

Work breakdown structure (WBS) - A Work breakdown structure is a comprehensive, hierarchical model of the deliverables constituting the scope of a project. It details everything a project team is supposed to deliver and achieve. A work breakdown structure categorizes all project elements, or work packages, into a set of groups and may be used to form cost estimates.

Work breakdown structure dictionary - A document that details, describes, and provides scheduling information for every element of a work breakdown structure. It may be thought of as a dictionary-cum-schedule of work packages.

Work package - The work packages of a project are its lowest-level deliverables. They are detailed in a work breakdown structure dictionary.

Work stream - In project management, a work stream is a logically arranged series of activities that must be completed to pursue project objectives. The term typically refers to the full sequence of work activities from project initiation to project closure.

Workaround - A way to circumvent a problem which does not have a permanent solution or for which no adequate response was planned.

X-Bar control charts - An x-bar control chart includes two separate charts that display the means and sample ranges for a number of periodically gathered, same-size samples. The sampled data constitute some characteristic of a product or a process.

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Task List: An Important Tool for Any Business

A business cannot run efficiently without a task list as it is the foremost key to efficiency. People who feel overwhelmed with the amount of work that they need to do are often the people who are not familiar with task lists or if they are, do not use task lists effectively.

Most businesses run on a very tight deadline and if the people involved in particular business or project do not maintain a proper work schedule, then there is a huge possibility of facing a constant barrage of near deadlines and often, they will be missed.

A task list is actually a prioritized list of all the tasks and responsibilities that need to be performed at a certain amount of time. The list will contain everything that needs to be done and obviously, the tasks that have the nearest deadline are given priorities.

Creating your own task list might sound simple but using it can get really complicated since most people are just familiar with drawing up task lists but never get used to following them.

On the other hand, businesses or people who use task lists are those people who meet their deadline and are more successful because they are able to manage their time properly and therefore, increase their productivity.

When you create task lists for your projects, it’s equivalent to drawing up a specific plan on how you want to carry out your business. If there are "big tasks" that you need to perform, divide them into smaller tasks or even subtasks.

When a task is finished, you can tick it off the list. On the process, you are not just accomplishing tasks and keeping track of your progress, but you are also eliminating potential hindrances that you might face because as each task is carried out and ticked off, you will be able to foresee the next step that you need to perform.

Task lists also create short term and long term goals for the employees and companies. When each goal is accomplished (or ticked off because you're done with it), then you're not simply finishing tasks but inspiring employees to achieve higher goals because they can evidently see their progress.

A business full of satisfied employees is more successful than a company that have employees who whine more about their jobs than actually finishing them.

So what can you do for your business to make it more productive? Start using task lists today. To start, you need to find yourself a suitable task list software. I myself find Swift To-Do List the best tool for my needs. It has all the functions like recurrence, reminders, tree structure, subtasks etc., yet it can be customized thoroughly so it doesn't display anything I do not need.

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What Is a Task in Project Management?

• 1.  Project Management Basics
• 2.  Project Management Methodologies
• 3.  Project Management Life Cycle
• 4.  Best Project Management Software
• 5.  Team Collaboration Tips
• 6.  Agile Methodology Basics
• 7.  Agile Project Management Tools & Techniques
• 8.  Project Management Frameworks
• 9.  Resources
• 10.  Glossary
• Advanced Terminology
• Methodologies
• PM Software Features
• Basic Terminology
• Professional Development
• Agile Project Management

A task is a single unit of work — a single step in a multi-step project. A task is accomplished by a set deadline and must contribute towards work-related objectives. Just as project management is the coordination of individual tasks, a task can be further broken down into subtasks , which should also have clear start and end dates for completion.

Further reading:

• 3 Ways to Create Your Project Manager Calendar
• What is a Gantt Chart? (infographic)
• 10 Steps to a Kickass Project Kickoff: A Checklist for Project Managers

Basic Project Management

• Project Charter
• Project Management Stakeholders
• What is a Project?
• Work Breakdown Structure
• Project Objectives
• Project Baseline
• Project Management Scheduling
• Project Management Work Packages
• Project Management Scope
• Scope Creep

Advanced Project Management

• What is PERT?
• Network Diagram
• Risk Management
• Cost Estimation
• Feasibility Study
• Monte Carlo Analysis
• Project Integration
• Cost Management
• PMI Project Management
• What To Do With Certification
• Certification
• Become Certified
• PMP Certification
• Best Certification

Software Features

• Critical Success Factors
• Capacity Planning
• User Role Access Permissions
• Time Tracking
• Budget Tracking
• Request Forms
• Work Assignments
• Version Control
• Dependency Managements
• Project management Milestones
• Project Management Software
• Project Management Tools
• Project Management System
• Gantt Charts

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of task in English

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task noun ( WORK )

• act as something
• all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy) idiom
• be at work idiom
• hot-desking
• housekeeping
• in the line of duty idiom
• short-staffed
• undertaking

task noun ( SPEAK ANGRILY )

• all-points bulletin
• boss someone around
• put something on
• self-ordained
• shove someone around
• stick out for something

task | American Dictionary

Task | business english, examples of task, collocations with task.

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A scripted speech or broadcast has been written before it is read or performed.

Varied and diverse (Talking about differences, Part 1)

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• task (WORK)
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How-To Geek

Windows task manager: the complete guide.

Here's a 5500+ word guide explaining each and every feature and technical term in Windows 10's Task Manager

Quick Links

How to launch the task manager, task manager's simple view, the task manager's tabs explained, managing processes with the task manager, task manager menu options, viewing performance information, consulting app history, controlling startup applications, checking on users, managing detailed processes, working with services, process explorer: a more powerful task manager, key takeaways.

• The Windows Task Manager provides valuable information about system resource usage and process statistics.
• The Task Manager has a simple view and a more advanced tabbed interface.
• The Task Manager can be used to manage running processes and enable or disable startup processes.

The Windows Task Manager is a powerful tool packed with useful information, from your system's overall resource usage to detailed statistics about each process. This guide explains every feature and technical term in the Task Manager.

This article focuses on Windows 10's Task Manager, although much of this also applies to Windows 11 and Windows 7, too. Most of the changes to the Windows 11 Task Manager are cosmetic, so things might look a little different.

Windows offers many ways to launch the Task Manager . Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager with a keyboard shortcut or right-click the Windows taskbar and select "Task Manager."

You can also press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and then click "Task Manager" on the screen that appears or find the Task Manager shortcut in your Start menu.

The first time you launch the Task Manager, you'll see a small, simple window. This window lists the visible applications running on your desktop, excluding background applications. You can select an application here and click "End Task" to close it. This is useful if an application isn't responding — in other words, if it's frozen — and you can't close it the usual way.

You can also right-click an application in this window to access more options:

• Switch To : Switch to the application's window, bringing it to the front of your desktop and putting it in focus. This is useful if you're not sure which window is associated with which application.
• End Task : End the process. This works the same as the "End Task" button.
• Run New Task : Open the Create New Task window, where you can specify a program, folder, document, or website address and Windows will open it.
• Always On Top : Make the Task Manager window itself "always on top" of other windows on your desktop, letting you see it at all times.
• Open File Location : Open a File Explorer window showing the location of the program's .exe file.
• Search Online : Perform a Bing search for the program's application name and file name. This will help you see exactly what the program is and what it does.
• Properties : Open the Properties window for the program's .exe file. Here you can tweak compatibility options and see the program's version number, for example.

While the Task Manager is open, you'll see a Task Manager icon in your notification area. This shows you how much CPU ( central processing unit ) resources are currently in use on your system, and you can mouse over it to see memory, disk, and network usage. It's an easy way to keep tabs on your computer's CPU usage.

To see the system tray icon without the Task Manager appearing on your taskbar, click Options > Hide When Minimized in the full Task Manager interface and minimize the Task Manager window.

To see the Task Manager's more advanced tools, click "More Details" at the bottom of the simple view window. You'll see the full, tabbed interface appear. The Task Manager will remember your preference and will open to the more advanced view in the future. If you want to get back to the simple view, click "Fewer Details."

With More Details selected, the Task Manager includes the following tabs:

• Processes : A list of running applications and background processes on your system along with CPU, memory, disk, network, GPU, and other resource usage information.
• Performance : Real-time graphs showing total CPU, memory, disk, network, and GPU resource usage for your system. You'll find many other details here, too, from your computer's IP address to the model names of your computer's CPU and GPU.
• App History : Information about how much CPU and network resources apps have used for your current user account. This only applies to new Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps — in other words, Store apps — and not traditional Windows desktop apps (Win32 applications.)
• Startup : A list of your startup programs, which are the applications Windows automatically starts when you sign into your user account. You can disable startup programs from here, although you can also do that from Settings > Apps > Startup.
• Users : The user accounts currently signed into your PC, how much resources they're using, and what applications they're running.
• Details : More detailed information about the processes running on your system. This is basically the traditional "Processes" tab from the Task Manager on Windows 7.
• Services : Management of system services. This is the same information you'll find in services.msc, the Services management console.

The Processes tab shows you a comprehensive list of processes running on your system. If you sort it by name, the list is broken into three categories. The Apps group shows the same list of running applications you'd see in the "Fewer details" simplified view. The other two categories are background processes and Windows processes, and they show processes that don't appear in the standard simplified Task Manager view.

For example, tools like Dropbox, your antivirus program, background update processes, and hardware utilities with notification area (system tray) icons appear in the background processes list. Windows processes include various processes that are part of the Windows operating system, although some of these appear under "Background processes" instead for some reason.

You can right-click a process to see actions you can perform. The options you'll see in the context menu are:

• Expand : Some applications, like Google Chrome, have multiple processes are grouped here. Other applications have multiple windows that are part of a single process. You can select expand, double-click the process, or click the arrow to its left to see the entire group of processes individually. This option only appears when you right-click a group.
• Collapse : Collapse an expanded group.
• End task : End the process. You can also click the "End Task" button below the list.
• Restart : This option only appears when you right-click Windows Explorer. It lets you restart explorer.exe instead of simply ending the task. In older versions of Windows, you had to end the Explorer.exe task and then launch it manually to fix problems with the Windows desktop, taskbar, or Start menu. Now, you can just use this Restart option.
• Resource values : Lets you choose whether you want to see the percentage or precise values for memory, disk, and network. In other words, you can choose whether you want to see the precise amount of memory in MB or the percentage of your system's memory applications are using.
• Create dump file : This is a debugging tool for programmers. It captures a snapshot of the program's memory and saves it to disk.
• Go to details : Go to the process on the Details tab so you can see more detailed technical information.
• Open file location : Open File Explorer with the process's .exe file selected.
• Search online : Search for the name of the process on Bing.
• Properties : View the Properties window of the .exe file associated with the process.

You should not end tasks unless you know what the task does. Many of these tasks are background processes important to Windows itself. They often have confusing names, and you may need to perform a web search to find out what they do. We have a whole series explaining what various processes do , from conhost.exe to wsappx .

This tab also shows you detailed information about each process and their combined resource usage. You can right-click the headings at the top of the list and choose the columns you want to see. The values in each column are color-coded, and a darker orange (or red) color indicates greater resource usage.

You can click a column to sort by it — for example, click the CPU column to see running processes sorted by CPU usage with the biggest CPU hogs at the top. The top of the column also shows the total resource usage of all the processes on your system. Drag and drop columns to reorder them. The available columns are:

• Type : The category of the process, which is App, Background process, or Windows process.
• Status : If a program appears to be frozen, "Not Responding" will appear here. Programs sometimes begin responding after a bit of time and sometimes stay frozen. If Windows has suspended a program to save power, a green leaf will appear in this column. Modern UWP apps can suspend to save power, and Windows can also suspend traditional desktop apps.
• Publisher : The name of the program's publisher. For example, Chrome displays "Google Inc." and Microsoft Word displays "Microsoft Corporation."
• PID : The process identifier number Windows has associated with the process. The process ID may be used by certain functions or system utilities. Windows assigns a unique process ID each time it starts a program, and the process ID is a way of distinguishing between several running processes if multiple instances of the same program are running.
• Process Name : The file name of the process. For example, File Explorer is explorer.exe, Microsoft Word is WINWORD.EXE, and the Task Manager itself is Taskmgr.exe.
• Command Line : The full command line used to launch the process. This shows you the full path to the process's .exe file (for example, "C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE") as well as any command-line options used to launch the program.
• CPU : The CPU usage of the process, displayed as a percentage of your total available CPU resources.
• Memory : The amount of your system's physical working memory the process is currently using, displayed in MB or GB.
• Disk : The disk activity a process is generating, displayed as MB/s. If a process isn't reading from or writing to disk at the moment, it will display 0 MB/s.
• Network : The network usage of a process on the current primary network, displayed in Mbps.
• GPU : The GPU (graphics processing unit) resources used by a process, displayed as a percentage of the GPU's available resources.
• GPU Engine : The GPU device and engine used by a process. If you have multiple GPUs in your system, this will show you which GPU a process is using. See the Performance tab to see which number ("GPU 0" or "GPU 1" is associated with which physical GPU.
• Power Usage : The estimated power usage of a process, taking into account its current CPU, disk, and GPU activity. For example, it might say "Very low" if a process isn't using many resources or "Very high" if a process is using a lot of resources. If it's high, that means it's using more electricity and shortening your battery life if you have a laptop.
• Power Usage Trend : The estimated impact on power usage over time. The Power Usage column just shows the current power usage, but this column tracks power usage over time. For example, if a program occasionally uses a lot of power but isn't using much right now, it may say "Very low" in the power usage column and "High" or "Moderate" in the Power Usage Trend column.

When you right-click the headings, you'll also see a "Resource Values" menu. This is the same option that appears when you right-click an individual process. Whether or not you access this option through right-clicking an individual process, it will always change how all processes in the list appear.

There are also a few useful options in the Task Manager's menu bar:

• File > Run New Task : Launch a program, folder, document, or network resource by providing its address. You can also check "Create this task with administrative privileges" to launch the program as Administrator.
• Options > Always on Top : The Task Manager window will always be on top of other windows while this option is enabled.
• Options > Minimize on Use : The Task Manager will be minimized whenever you right-click a process and select "Switch To." Despite the odd name, that's all this option does.
• Options > Hide When Minimized : The Task Manager will stay running in the notification area (system tray) when you click the minimize button if you enable this option.
• View > Refresh Now : Immediately refresh the data displayed in the Task Manager.
• View > Update Speed : Choose how frequently the data displayed in the Task Manager is updated: High, Medium, Low, or Paused. With Paused selected, the data isn't updated until you select a higher frequency or click "Refresh Now."
• View > Group By Type : With this option enabled, processes on the Processes tab are grouped into three categories: Apps, Background Processes, and Windows Processes. With this option disabled, they're shown mixed in the list.
• View > Expand All : Expand all the process groups in the list. For example, Google Chrome uses multiple processes, and they're shown combined into a "Google Chrome" group. You can expand individual process groups by clicking the arrow to the left of their name, too.
• View > Collapse All : Collapse all the process groups in the list. For example, all Google Chrome processes will just be shown under the Google Chrome category.

The Performance tab shows real-time graphs displaying the usage of system resources like CPU, memory, disk, network, and GPU. If you have multiple disks, network devices, or GPUs, you can see them all separately.

You'll see small graphs in the left pane, and you can click an option to see a larger graph in the right pane. The graph shows resource usage over the last 60 seconds.

In addition to resource information, the Performance page shows information about your system's hardware. Here are just some things the different panes show in addition to resource usage:

• CPU : The name and model number of your CPU, its speed, the number of cores it has, and whether hardware virtualization features are enabled and available. It also shows your system's " uptime ," which is how long your system has been running since it last booted up.
• Memory : How much RAM you have, its speed, and how many of the RAM slots on your motherboard are used. You can also see how much of your memory is currently filled with cached data. Windows calls this "standby." This data will be ready and waiting if your system needs it, but Windows will automatically dump the cached data and free up space if it needs more memory for another task.
• Disk : The name and model number of your disk drive, its size, and its current read and write speeds.
• Wi-Fi or Ethernet : Windows shows a network adapter's name and its IP addresses (both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses) here. For Wi-Fi connections, you can also see the Wi-Fi standard in use on the current connection — for example, 802.11ac .
• GPU : The GPU pane shows separate graphs for different types of activity — for example, 3D vs. video encoding or decoding. The GPU has its own built-in memory, so it also shows GPU memory usage. You can also see the name and model number of your GPU here and the graphics driver version it's using. You can monitor GPU usage right from the Task Manager without any third-party software.

You can also turn this into a smaller window if you'd like to see it on screen at all times. Just double-click anywhere in the empty white space in the right pane, and you'll get a floating, always-on-top window with that graph. You can also right-click the graph and select "Graph Summary View" to enable this mode.

The "Open Resource Monitor" button at the bottom of the window opens the Resource Monitor tool , which provides more detailed information about GPU, memory, disk, and network usage by individual running processes.

The App History tab only applies to Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. It doesn't show information about traditional Windows desktop apps, so most people won't find it too useful.

At the top of the window, you'll see the date Windows started collecting resource usage data. The list shows UWP applications and the amount of CPU time and network activity the application has generated since that date. You can right-click the headings here to enable a few more options for more insight about network activity:

• CPU Time : The amount of CPU time the program has used within this time frame.
• Network : The total amount of data transferred over the network by the program within this time frame.
• Metered Network : The amount of data transferred over metered networks. You can set a network as metered to save data on it. This option is intended for networks you have limited data on, like a mobile network to which you're tethering.
• Tile Updates : The amount of data the program has downloaded to display updated live tiles on Windows 10's Start menu.
• Non-metered Network : The amount of data transferred over non-metered networks.
• Downloads : The amount of data downloaded by the program on all networks.
• Uploads : The amount of data uploaded by the program on all networks.

The Startup tab is Windows 10's built-in startup programs manager. It lists all the applications that Windows automatically starts for your current user account. For example, programs in your Startup folder and programs set to start in the Windows registry both appear here.

To disable a startup program, right-click it and select "Disable" or select it and click the "Disable" button. To re-enable it, click the "Enable" option that appears here instead. You can also use the Settings > Apps > Startup interface to manage startup programs.

At the top right corner of the window, you will see a " Last BIOS time " on some systems. This shows how long your BIOS (or UEFI firmware) took to initialize your hardware when you last booted your PC. This will not appear on all systems. You won't see it if your PC's BIOS doesn't report this time to Windows.

As usual, you can right-click the headings and enable additional columns. The columns are:

• Name : The name of the program.
• Publisher : The name of the program's publisher.
• Status : "Enabled" appears here if the program automatically starts when you sign in. "Disabled" appears here if you've disabled the startup task.
• Startup Impact : An estimate of how much CPU and disk resources the program uses when it starts. Windows measures and tracks this in the background. A lightweight program will show "Low," and a heavy program will show "High." Disabled programs show "None." You can speed up your boot process more by disabling programs with a "High" startup impact than by disabling ones with a "Low" impact.
• Startup Type : This shows whether the program is starting because of a registry entry ("Registry") or because it's in your startup folder ("Folder.")
• Disk I/O at Startup : The disk activity the program performs at startup, in MB. Windows measures and records this each boot.
• CPU at Startup : The amount of CPU time a program uses at startup, in ms. Windows measures and records this at boot.
• Running Now : The word "Running" appears here if a startup program is currently running. If this column appears entry for a program, the program has shut itself down, or you've closed it yourself.
• Disabled Time : For startup programs you've disabled, the date and time you disabled a program appears here
• Command Line : This shows the full command line the startup program launches with, including any command line options.

The Users tab displays a list of signed in users and their running processes. If you're the only person signed into your Windows PC, you'll see only your user account here. If other people have signed in and then locked their sessions without signing out, you'll also see those — locked sessions appear as "Disconnected." This also shows you the CPU, memory, disk, network, and other system resources used by processes running under each Windows user account.

You can disconnect a user account by right-clicking it and selecting "Disconnect" or force it to sign off by right-clicking it and selecting "Sign Off." The Disconnect option terminates the desktop connection, but the programs continue to run, and the user can sign back in — like locking a desktop session. The Sign Off option terminates all processes — like signing out of Windows.

You can also manage another user account's processes from here if you'd like to end a task that belongs to another running user account.

If you right-click the headings, the available columns are:

• ID : Each signed in user account has its own session ID number. Session "0" is reserved for system services, while other applications may create their own user accounts. You usually won't need to know this number, so it's hidden by default.
• Session : The type of session this is. For example, it will say "Console" if it's being accessed on your local system. This is primarily useful for server systems running remote desktops.
• Client Name : The name of the remote client system accessing the session, if it's being accessed remotely.
• Status : The status of the session — for example, if a user's session is locked, the Status will say "Disconnected."
• CPU : Total CPU used by the user's processes.
• Memory : Total memory used by the user's processes.
• Disk : Total disk activity associated with the user's processes.
• Network : Total network activity from the user's processes.

This is the most detailed Task Manager pane. It's like the Processes tab, but it provides more information and shows processes from all user accounts on your system. If you've used the Windows 7 Task Manager, this will look familiar to you; it's the same information the Processes tab in Windows 7 displays.

You can right-click processes here to access additional options:

• End task : End the process. This is the same option found on the normal Processes tab.
• End process tree : End the process, and all the processes created by the process.
• Set priority : Set a priority for the process: Low, Below normal, Normal, Above normal, High, and Realtime. Processes start at normal priority. Lower priority is ideal for background processes, and higher priority is ideal for desktop processes. However, Microsoft recommends against messing with Realtime priority.
• Set affinity : Set the processor affinity of a process — in other words, on which processer a process runs. By default, processes run on all processors in your system. You can use this to limit a process to a particular processor. For example, this is sometimes helpful for old games and other programs that assume you only have a single CPU. Even if you have a single CPU in your computer, each core appears as a separate processor .
• Analyze wait chain : View what threads in the processes are waiting for. This shows you which processes and threads are waiting to use a resource used by another process, and is a useful debugging tool for programmers to diagnose hangs.
• UAC virtualization : Enable or disable User Account Control virtualization for a process. This feature fixes applications that require administrator access by virtualizing their access to system files, redirecting their file and registry access to other folders. It's primarily used by older programs — for example, Windows XP-era programs — that weren't written for modern versions of Windows. This is a debugging option for developers, and you shouldn't need to change it.
• Create dump file : Capture a snapshot of the program's memory and save it to disk . This is a useful debugging tool for programmers.
• Open file location : Open a File Explorer window showing the process's executable file.
• Search online : Perform a Bing search for the name of the process.
• Properties : View the properties window of the process's .exe file.
• Go to service(s) : Show the services associated with the process on the Services tab. This is particularly useful for svchost.exe processes. The services will be highlighted.

If you right-click the headings and select "Show Columns," you'll see a much longer list of information you can show here, including many options that aren't available on the Processes tab.

Here's what every possible column means:

• Package Name : For Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps, this displays the name of the app package the process is from. For other apps, this column is empty. UWP apps are generally distributed via the Microsoft Store.
• PID : The unique process ID number associated with that process. This is associated with the process and not the program — for example, if you close and reopen a program, the new program process will have a new process ID number.
• Status : This shows whether the process is running or suspended to save power. Windows 10 always "suspends" UWP apps you aren't using to save system resources. You can also control whether Windows 10 suspends traditional desktop processes.
• User name : The name of the user account running the process. You will often see system user account names here, like SYSTEM and LOCAL SERVICE.
• Session ID : The unique number associated with the user session running the process. This is the same number shown for a user on the Users tab.
• Job object ID : The "job object in which the process is running." Job objects are a way to group processes so they can be managed as a group.
• CPU : The percentage of CPU resources the process is currently using across all CPUs. If nothing else is using CPU time, Windows will show the System Idle Process using it here. In other words, if the System Idle Process is using 90% of your CPU resources, that means other processes on your system are using a combined 10%, and it was idle 90% of the time.
• CPU time : The total processor time (in seconds) used by a process since it began running. If a process closes and restarts, this will be reset. It's a good way to spot CPU-hungry processes that may be idling at the moment.
• Cycle : The percentage of the CPU cycles the process is currently using across all CPUs. It's unclear exactly how this is different from the CPU column, as Microsoft's documentation doesn't explain this. However, the numbers in this column are generally pretty similar to the CPU column, so it's likely a similar piece of information measured differently.
• Working set (memory) : The amount of physical memory the process is currently using.
• Peak working set (memory) : The maximum amount of physical memory the process has used.
• Working set delta (memory) : The change in working set memory from the last refresh of the data here.
• Memory (active private working set) : The amount of physical memory used by the process that can't be used by other processes. Processes frequently cache some data to make better use of your RAM , but can quickly give up that memory space if another process needs it. This column excludes data from suspended UWP processes.
• Memory (private working set) : The amount of physical memory used by the process that can't be used by other processes. This column does not exclude data from suspended UWP processes.
• Memory (shared working set) : The amount of physical memory used by the process that can be used by other processes when necessary.
• Commit size : The amount of virtual memory Windows is reserving for the process.
• Paged pool : The amount of pageable kernel memory the Windows kernel or drivers are allocating for this process. The operating system can move this data to the paging file when necessary.
• NP pool : The amount of non-pageable kernel memory the Windows kernel or drivers are allocating for this process. The operating system can't move this data to the paging file.
• Page faults : The number of page faults generated by the process since it began running. These occur when a program tries to access memory it doesn't currently have allocated to it, and are normal.
• PF Delta : The change in the number of page faults since the last refresh.
• Base priority : The priority of the process — for example, this might be Low, Normal, or High. Windows prioritizes scheduling processes with higher priorities. System background tasks that aren't urgent may have low priority compared to desktop program processes, for example.
• Handles : The current number of handles in the process's object table. Handles represent system resources like files, registry keys, and threads.
• Threads : The number of active threads in a process. Each process runs one or more threads, and Windows allocates processor time to them. Threads in a process share memory.
• User objects : The number of "window manager objects " used by the process. This includes windows, menus, and cursors.
• GDI objects : The number of Graphics Device Interface objects used by the process. These are used for drawing the user interface.
• I/O reads : The number of read operations performed by the process since it started. I/O stands for Input/Output. This includes file, network, and device input/output.
• I/O writes : The number of write operations performed by the process since it started.
• I/O other : The number of non-read and non-write operations performed by the process since it started. For example, this includes control functions.
• I/O read bytes : The total number of bytes read by the process since it started.
• I/O write bytes : The total number of bytes written by the process since it started.
• I/O other bytes : The total number of bytes used in non-read and non-write I/O operations since the process started.
• Image path name : The full path to the process's executable file.
• Command line : The exact command line the process was launched with, including the executable file and any command-line arguments.
• Operating system context : The minimum operating system the program is compatible with if any information is included in the application's manifest file . For example, some applications might say "Windows Vista," some "Windows 7," and others "Windows 8.1". Most won't display anything in this column at all.
• Platform : Whether this is a 32-bit or 64-bit process.
• Elevated : Whether the process is running in elevated mode — in other words, with Administrator — permissions or not. You will see either "No" or "Yes" for each process.
• UAC virtualization : Whether User Account Control virtualization is enabled for the process. This virtualizes the program's access to the registry and file system, letting programs designed for older versions of Windows run without Administrator access. Options include Enabled, Disabled, and Not Allowed — for processes that require system access.
• Description : A human-readable description of the process from its .exe file. For example, chrome.exe has the description "Google Chrome," and explorer.exe has the description "Windows Explorer." This is the same name displayed on the Name column in the normal Processes tab.
• Data execution prevention : Whether Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is enabled or not for the process. This is a security feature that helps protect applications from attacks .
• Enterprise context : On domains, this shows what enterprise context an app is running in. It could be in an enterprise domain context with access to enterprise resources, a "Personal" context without access to work resources, or "Exempt" for Windows system processes.
• Power throttling : Whether power throttling is enabled or disabled for a process. Windows automatically throttles certain applications when you're not using them to save battery power. You can control which applications are throttled from the Settings app .
• GPU : The percentage of GPU resources used by the process — or, more specifically, the highest utilization across all GPU engines.
• GPU engine : The GPU engine the process is using — or, more specifically, the GPU engine the process is using the most. See the GPU information on the Performance tab for a list of GPUs and their engines. For example, even if you only have one GPU, it likely has different engines for 3D rendering, encoding video, and decoding video.
• Dedicated GPU memory : The total amount of GPU memory the process is using across all GPUs. GPUs have their own dedicated video memory that's built-in on discrete GPUs and a reserved portion of normal system memory on onboard GPUs.
• Shared GPU memory : The total amount of system memory shared with the GPU the process is using. This refers to data stored in your system's normal RAM that's shared with the GPU, not data stored in your GPU's dedicated, built-in memory.

The Services tab shows a list of the system services on your Windows system. These are background tasks that Windows runs, even when no user account is signed in. They're controlled by the Windows operating system. Depending on the service, it may be automatically started at boot or only when necessary.

Many services are part of Windows 10 itself. For example, the Windows Update service downloads updates and the Windows Audio service is responsible for sound. Other services are installed by third-party programs. For example, NVIDIA installs several services as part of its graphics drivers.

You shouldn't mess with these services unless you know what you're doing. But, if you right-click them, you'll see options to Start, Stop, or Restart the service. You can also select Search Online to perform a Bing search for information about the service online or "Go to Details" to show the process associated with a running service on the Details tab. Many services will have a " svchost.exe " process associated with them.

The Service pane's columns are:

• Name : A short name associated with the service
• PID : The process identifier number of the process associated with the service.
• Description : A longer name that provides more information about what the service does.
• Status : Whether the service is "Stopped" or "Running."
• Group : The group the service is in, if applicable. Windows loads one service group at a time at startup. A service group is a collection of similar services that are loaded as a group.

For more information about these services, click the "Open Services" link at the bottom of the window. This Task Manager pane is just a less powerful services administration tool, anyway.

If the built-in Windows Task Manager isn't powerful enough for you, we recommend Process Explorer . This is a free program from Microsoft; it's part of the SysInternals suite of useful system tools.

Process Explorer is packed with features and information not included in the Task Manager. You can view which program has a particular file open and unlock the file , for example. The default view also makes it easy to see which processes have opened which other processes. Check out our guide to pausing and resuming with Process Explorer to learn more.

100 Amazing Dog Names That Start With R

N aming your dog can be a difficult task, as you generally want to choose a name that suits them but is also unique and fairly easy to pronounce. If you need a little extra inspiration for this task, read on for a list of 100 amazing dog names starting with R, as well as some of their deeper meanings!

Name meaning: Ardent or fiery. It’s an anglicized version of the Welsh name Rhys.

Name meaning: This name comes from the Latin word “rufus” meaning red or red-haired.

Name meaning: Wise protector. It’s the feminine version of the Spanish name Ramon.

Name meaning: Advice. This name is the anglicized form of the Dutch surname de Raedt.

Name meaning: Red king. 

Name meaning: Sovereign or king. It’s the anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riagáin.

Name meaning: Red-haired or rusty. Though traditionally this Irish name was once considered masculine, in more recent years it’s become more gender-neutral.

Name meaning: Wild garlic.

Name meaning: Strip of clearing in the woods.

Name meaning: Advice, decision, or ruler. This masculine name comes from the Old Norse name Rögnvaldr.

Name meaning: Handsome. It’s of Japanese origin.

Name meaning: Ridge farm. This name is of English origin.

Name meaning: Diminutive form of Margarita.

Name meaning: Good character and piousness. It has multiple origins, including Persian, Irish, Indian , and Japanese.

Name meaning: King or kingly.

Name meaning: A Roman citizen or a pilgrim to Rome. 

Name meaning: Wolf counsel. This name comes from the Old English name Rædwulf and the Old High German name Radulf.

Name meaning: Wood clearing. It’s of Old English origin.

Name meaning: Descendant of Ruanaidh. This name is of Irish origin and was originally used as a surname, but it’s also become popular as a given name.

20. Remington

Name meaning: Settlement by the boundary stream. It comes from the Old English word rima, meaning edge or border.

Name meaning: Feminine form of Rais, meaning chief or leader.

22. Raphael

Name meaning: God has healed. It’s derived from the Hebrew word rāp̄ā’ēl.

Name meaning: Short for Rudolph, meaning fame, glory, honor, and renown. It’s of ancient Germanic origin.

Name meaning: Short for Richard, which means strong in rule.

Name meaning: A seal, pledge, or promising oath. This Irish name is originally derived from the Gaelic name Ó Rónáin.

Name meaning: Red. This name is of Scottish origin.

Name meaning: The god of thunder and lightning in Japanese mythology.

Name meaning: Short for Richard, which we covered above: it means strong in rule or ruler.

29. Russell

Name meaning: Red or red-haired. This name can optionally be shortened to Russ or even Rusty.

Name meaning: River. It is of Spanish, Portuguese , and Maltese origin.

Name meaning: A red precious stone. It comes from the Latin word rubinus, meaning red.

Name meaning: Behold, a son. This name comes from the Hebrew name Re’uven.

Name meaning: Rest or repose. This name is of Italian origin.

Name meaning: Derived from the name Rhea, a titan in Greek mythology.

Name meaning: Derived from the English word “rock.”

Name meaning: Derived from the English word rocket.

Name meaning: The diminutive form of Roxanne, which means bright star in Persian.

Name meaning: Oarsman. It’s of French origin.

Name meaning: Derived from the flower, the rose. It’s originally derived from the Latin word rosa.

Name meaning: Rule, sovereign, or leadership.

Name meaning: Lotus or lily. Of Japanese origin.

Name meaning: Friend. It’s of Hebrew origin.

Name meaning: This name was originally a surname derived from a place near England’s Somerset and Wiltshire 

Name meaning: Fame, renown, spear, or lance. Of Old French origin.

Name meaning: Fame, bright, shining.

Name meaning: Latinization of the Gothic given name Ranamir.

47. Raleigh

Name meaning: Deer’s meadow. This name is of Old English and Irish origin.

Name meaning: This Japanese name can have many different meanings depending on the kanji characters that are used to spell it. Some meanings include current/flow, water, and beauty.

Name meaning: Promontory or headland. Of Gaelic origin.

Name meaning: Red or red-headed. This Irish name is originally of Gaelic origin.

Name meaning: To lift or raise something high. It’s also one of the names of Allah in Islam.

Name meaning: A clearing in the woods. It was originally used as a surname in Old English, but it’s also become popular as a given name.

Name meaning: Diminutive form of Ricardo or Federico. Has been popular as a given name, nickname, and surname.

Name meaning: Egyptian pharaoh. Can also mean “Ra is the one who gave birth to him.”

Name meaning: Ripe in Middle English.

Name meaning: Diminutive form of Reginald. Derived from the Latin Reginaldus, which was in turn influenced by the name Regina, meaning “queen.”

Name meaning: Ewe or one with purity. It’s of Hebrew origin.

58. Radcliffe

Name meaning: Red cliff. It’s a surname of British origin.

Name meaning: Happy or joyful. Of Slavic origin.

60. Radovan

Name meaning: The joyful one. This Slavic given name comes from the word radovati, meaning rejoice.

Name meaning: The shortened form of Rachel, meaning ewe or one with purity.

Name meaning: Little bunny. Of Japanese origin.

Name meaning: Ruler or leader. It’s derived from the Old Norse name Hróðvaldr.

Name meaning: Dew. This name is of Spanish origin, but it’s originally derived from the Latin word Roscidus .

Name meaning: Six or sixth in Japanese. It can also symbolize harmony or completeness.

Name meaning: From Rome. It likely evolved from the name Romulus, Rome’s original co-founder.

Name meaning: Originally comes from the English verb rue , meaning to feel remorse, sorrow, or regret.

Name meaning: Red or king. It has varying origins, but it most likely came from western Europe.

Name meaning: Famous ruler or mighty champion. 

70. Rudolph

Name meaning: Fame, glory, honor, renown, wolf. It’s an ancient Germanic name.

Name meaning: Fame and bright. It’s derived from the Old High German name Hruodoperht .

Name meaning: A forest guardian.

Name meaning: King. Derived from the Latin word rex.

Name meaning: Of royalty.

Name meaning: Shortened form of the phrase “radio detecting and ranging.”

Name meaning: Can be a shortened form of Raymond or Lorraine.

77. Rihanna

Name meaning: Great queen, fragrance, basil. Derived from the Welsh name Rhiannon.

Name meaning: Lion . Of Turkic origin.

Name meaning: Rye field or land where rye is grown.

Name meaning: Of Japanese origin. This name can have many meanings depending on the kanji characters that are used to write it, including cold, completion, to illuminate, and forgiveness.

Name meaning: Also of Japanese origin. Like many Japanese names, it can have many meanings depending on the kanji used to write it, such as beautiful, graceful, or beautiful village.

Name meaning: Sun. Derived from the Egyptian god of the sun.

Name meaning: Apple. Of Japanese origin.

Name meaning: Spring. Of Arabic origin.

Name meaning: Rich, prosperous, or mighty. Of Old Germanic origin.

Name meaning: Born again. Derived from the Latin word renatus.

87. Rhun/Rune

Name meaning: Great or mighty. This name is of Welsh origin.

Name meaning: Wheel and king. Of Welsh origin.

Name meaning: “Sun” in Sanskrit .

Name meaning: Czech for “butcher.”

91. Roseanne

Name meaning: Graceful rose or favored rose. 

Name meaning: Doe wood. This name is of Cornish and Old Norse origins.

Name meaning: Spiders. Originally an Italian surname.

94. Radmila

Name meaning: Happiness and sweet. Of Slavic origin and quite popular in Serbia.

Name meaning: Glory of Hera. Derived from the ancient Greek name Hērákleia .

Name meaning: Conqueror of all miseries. Popular in India.

Name meaning: Army or counsel. Of Germanic origin.

Name meaning: Fulfillment, gratitude, or triumph. Of Iranian Persian origin.

Name meaning: Queen. Of Latin, Italian, and Romanian origins.

Name meaning: Beautiful, graceful, or lovely. Of Japanese origin.

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