Task List

Tasks

Tasks are for actions that need to happen later. They should answer three questions: what needs doing, who owns it, and when should it be done?

Create a task when

• a customer asks for a call back;
• a vendor needs chasing after a valuation;
• a solicitor needs chasing;
• a landlord/tenant action cannot be completed immediately;
• an Opportunity Finder lead needs following up;
• another member of staff must do something by a date.

Do not use a task as a substitute for recording the result of something that has already happened.

Creating a useful task

A good task has:

• a clear action-oriented subject;
• the correct staff owner;
• a realistic due date/time;
• the related contact/property where possible;
• enough notes to understand why the task exists.

For example:

Call Mrs Jones for valuation decision. Valued 24/08 at £325k. She wanted to speak to partner over weekend.

is better than:

Call Mrs Jones.

Tasks from a Contact or Property

Where the task relates to a specific record, create it from that Contact/Property so the relationship is retained.

Completing a task

When the action has been done:

1. record any outcome that belongs on the Contact/Property;
2. create another task if a new future action is agreed;
3. mark the original task complete.

Do not repeatedly change the same task date to hide unfinished work if the underlying situation has changed. Update the note/next action so the history remains understandable.

Daily task discipline

At the start of the day, deal with overdue tasks before future tasks. At the end of the day, complete finished tasks and move genuinely unfinished work to a realistic date.