followthetask

Followthetask is a task-management approach that emphasizes carrying work items through a defined sequence of steps until completion. It treats each task as a unit with explicit ownership, measurable criteria, and a printed or digital trail documenting progress and verification at checkpoints.

Core principles include breaking work into atomic tasks with assignable owners, defining dependencies, setting clear completion criteria, and maintaining an auditable progress record. Teams use status fields, due dates, and checkpoint reviews to ensure that work cannot advance without explicit approval.

Implementation ranges from formal processes to software features. Common elements are sub-tasks, step-by-step checklists, dependency links, and status transitions such as todo, in progress, review, and done. Tools may provide reminders, time tracking, and reviewer approvals to validate completed steps before moving a task forward.

Origins and use: The concept appears in productivity and software-management discussions from the 2010s onward and is described in workflow templates and guidelines rather than as a single branded product.

Reception: Proponents cite improved accountability, traceability, and reduced context switching. Critics argue that the approach can add overhead and reduce adaptability in highly dynamic environments.

See also: Task management, project management methodologies, checklists.