jmsktm/Task Manager

Task Manager

The Task Manager skill helps you organize, prioritize, and track tasks efficiently using proven productivity frameworks like Eisenhower Matrix, GTD (Getting Things Done), and MoSCoW prioritization. It ensures work is properly sequenced, delegated, and tracked to completion.

This skill excels at breaking down large projects into actionable tasks, identifying dependencies, estimating effort, and helping you focus on high-impact work. It integrates with your existing project management tools and provides clear daily/weekly task views.

Task Manager emphasizes clarity (well-defined tasks), ownership (clear assignees), and progress visibility (real-time status tracking).

Core Workflows

Workflow 1: Daily Task Organization

Steps:

1. Capture - Collect all pending tasks from:

   • Project plans and backlogs
   • Email and Slack messages
   • Meeting notes and action items
   • Bug reports and support tickets
   • Personal ideas and commitments

2. Clarify - For each task:

   • Write clear, actionable description starting with a verb
   • Estimate effort (S/M/L or hours)
   • Identify any dependencies or blockers
   • Assign to person or role
   • Add due date if time-sensitive

3. Organize - Categorize by:

   • Priority: Critical, High, Medium, Low
   • Type: Feature, Bug, Chore, Spike
   • Status: Todo, In Progress, Blocked, Done
   • Project/Epic: Which larger effort does this belong to?

4. Prioritize - Use Eisenhower Matrix:

   • Urgent + Important: Do today (top 3 tasks)
   • Important + Not Urgent: Schedule this week
   • Urgent + Not Important: Delegate or automate
   • Neither: Defer or delete

5. Execute - Focus on:

   • Starting with highest-impact task
   • Completing one task before starting another
   • Updating status as you progress
   • Communicating blockers immediately

6. Review - End of day:

   • Mark completed tasks as done
   • Move unfinished work to tomorrow
   • Note any learnings or obstacles
   • Prep tomorrow's top 3 tasks

Output: Prioritized daily task list with clear next actions.

Workflow 2: Weekly Task Planning

Steps:

1. Review project milestones and sprint goals
2. Identify this week's key deliverables (3-5 max)
3. Break deliverables into daily tasks
4. Estimate total effort vs. available capacity
5. Adjust scope or timeline if over-committed
6. Schedule deep work blocks for complex tasks
7. Reserve 20% capacity for interruptions and emergencies

Output: Week-at-a-glance task board with daily breakdown.

Workflow 3: Task Delegation

Steps:

1. Identify tasks that can be delegated
2. Match task to person with right skills and capacity
3. Provide clear context and acceptance criteria
4. Set expectations on timeline and check-ins
5. Create tracking mechanism for delegated work
6. Follow up at agreed intervals

Workflow 4: Backlog Grooming

Steps:

1. Review all tasks in backlog (weekly or bi-weekly)
2. Archive or delete obsolete tasks
3. Update priorities based on current goals
4. Break down vague tasks into specific actions
5. Identify quick wins (< 1 hour tasks)
6. Flag tasks that need more information

Quick Reference

| Action | Command/Trigger | |--------|-----------------| | Create task | "add task: [description]" | | Prioritize tasks | "prioritize my tasks" | | Show today's work | "what should I work on today" | | Weekly plan | "plan this week's tasks" | | Delegate task | "delegate [task] to [person]" | | Update status | "mark [task] as [status]" | | Show blockers | "what's blocked" | | Quick wins | "show me quick wins" | | Review backlog | "groom backlog" | | Estimate effort | "estimate [task]" |

Best Practices

• Make tasks atomic: Each task should be completable in 4-8 hours max; if larger, break it down
• Use action verbs: Start every task with a verb (Build, Fix, Write, Review, Test, Deploy)
• Define "done": Every task needs clear acceptance criteria so you know when it's complete
• Limit WIP: Work on 1-3 tasks at a time; multitasking destroys productivity
• Track blockers immediately: Don't let blocked tasks sit silently; escalate and communicate
• Time-box tasks: If a task is taking 2x estimated time, stop and reassess approach
• Batch similar tasks: Group related tasks (all code reviews, all email responses) to reduce context switching
• Protect deep work: Block 2-4 hour chunks for complex tasks; no meetings or interruptions
• Review daily: Spend 10 minutes at end of day reviewing progress and planning tomorrow
• Celebrate completions: Acknowledge finished tasks; builds momentum and morale
• Use templates: Create task templates for recurring work (code review, bug triage, deployment)
• Link to context: Include links to relevant docs, PRs, issues, or designs in task description

Prioritization Frameworks

Eisenhower Matrix

                URGENT              NOT URGENT
IMPORTANT    |  DO NOW           |  SCHEDULE    |
             |  (Crises, fires)  |  (Planning)  |
             |-------------------|--------------|
NOT          |  DELEGATE         |  ELIMINATE   |
IMPORTANT    |  (Interruptions)  |  (Busywork)  |

MoSCoW Method

• Must Have: Non-negotiable for release
• Should Have: Important but not critical
• Could Have: Nice to have if time permits
• Won't Have: Out of scope for this iteration

RICE Scoring

Score = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort

• Reach: How many users affected
• Impact: How much it helps (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3)
• Confidence: How sure are you (%, as decimal)
• Effort: Person-weeks required

Value vs. Effort

         HIGH VALUE
            |
    QUICK WINS | BIG BETS
            |
  --------- + ---------- EFFORT
            |
  TIME SINKS | LOW VALUE
            |
       LOW VALUE

Priority order: Quick Wins > Big Bets > Low Value > Time Sinks

Task Sizing Guide

| Size | Duration | Complexity | Example | |------|----------|------------|---------| | XS | 15-30 min | Trivial | Fix typo, update config | | S | 1-2 hours | Simple | Write documentation, simple bug fix | | M | 4-8 hours | Moderate | Build new component, API endpoint | | L | 1-2 days | Complex | Feature integration, performance optimization | | XL | 3-5 days | Very Complex | Major refactor, new service |

If task is > 5 days: Break it down into smaller tasks.

Status Definitions

• Todo: Ready to start, all dependencies met
• In Progress: Currently being worked on
• Blocked: Waiting on dependency or decision
• In Review: Work complete, awaiting approval
• Done: Shipped to production or accepted by stakeholder
• Deferred: Postponed to future sprint/release

Integration Points

• Project Planner: Pulls tasks from project plans
• Sprint Planner: Organizes tasks into sprints
• GitHub Issues: Syncs with issue tracker
• TodoWrite tool: Uses built-in task tracking
• Calendar: Schedules time blocks for tasks
• Slack/Discord: Sends task notifications and updates