Task Details Screen

If you tap on a Task tile, you will open the Task Details Screen. Depending on Task editing permissions, you can either edit some details or just view them.

Task Details Screen navigation

The top navigation bar in the Task Edit Screen gives you the ability to perform the following actions, described here in their order of appearance from left to right:

• **Back arrow:**go back to the previous screen you were in - if you edited the Task, you will be asked whether you want to discard your changes
• **Accept / Reject:**this button allows you to Accept or Reject a Task that was assigned to you. The button has a different aspect, depending on whether you already accepted the Task or not. For more details about this functionality, see Accepting / rejecting Tasks
• **Save:**the Save button lets you save the Task. Note that only the Task Requester and Task Owner (or an Admin) can view this button and save the Task, as detailed in the Task editing permissions section
• Delete: this button looks like a bin and lets you delete the Task. Note that only the Task Requester can view this button and delete the Task, as detailed in the Task editing permissions section
• Share / Copy link: share / copy this Task’s unique link. On desktop and mobile web, it will copy the link, which you can then paste into another Goal or Task’s fields, a document, an email, or another tool of your choice. On mobile app, it will open your phone’s workflow to share the link to another app or copy the link

Underneath this navigation bar, you will see the various attributes of the Task.

Task attributes

Satisplan is uniquely designed to help people hit their Goals, whether working on them alone or collaboratively with a team. Either way, the software helps the users stay Accountable to whom they promised certain deliverables to, while giving visibility on other people’s work progress.

Tasks are central to this. Tasks, in turn, are defined by their attributes, which are explained in detail below. Many attributes have default settings or are entirely optional, so within the explanations of each attribute, we will also suggest how / when we recommend setting or editing them.

Finally note that certain attributes of a Task can only be edited by certain users, depending on the users’ roles with regards to the Task itself. This is detailed in the section called Task editing permissions.

• Title: [mandatory] no length limit, but we recommend keeping it short and sweet, so that people can easily use it to reference the Task in conversation
• Done pill: [mandatory] you can use this to either mark the task as Done or not Done. The state of this toggle is one of the elements through which the system determines the State of a Task (see Task States explained). Do not worry if you forget to mark a task as Done: you can mark it as Done at any time later, and the software will remind you by setting your Task to a specific, appropriate State
• Done time: [optional] this will only appear if the Task is Done or Done Late (see Task States explained). The timestamp is automatically generated when the Done pill is toggled. If the Task Owner wishes to change the time shown here, for example because the Task was not marked as Done at the correct time, s/he can do so by tapping on the timestamp
• Description: [optional] more details on the Task - if the Owner is different from the Requester, the Owner cannot edit this part (and should write things in the Notes section below). In this way, the details of the original request are preserved. We recommend writing in here as much or as little as needed, so that the Owner understands how success in delivering this Task is defined. This may include a description of the expected deliverable(s), KPIs, useful background and suggestions, etc.
• Owner:[mandatory - defaults to the Task’s creator] this is the person responsible to carry out the Task. It can be you or someone else who has an account belonging to the same Space as the Space in which the Task was created. Only one person can be selected, because shared responsibility is no responsibility. Of course, this person is free to collaborate with others to complete the Task. The Owner has responsibility over the Task’s delivery, and is thus the only person who can edit certain Task attributes (see details in Task editing permissions). Another important role, the Task Requester can edit the other attributes (see Requester further down on this list of attributes). When a user creates a task for him/herself, the Requester and the Owner will coincide.
• Space:[mandatory - defaults to your main Work Space] a Task can only belong to one Space, which will either be one of your Shared Spaces or your Personal Space (see Spaces section)
• Goals: [optional] one or more Goals can be associated with a Task. All Goals must belong to the same Space as the Task
  • Associating one or more Goals to a Task means that the Task will be visible to all Collaborators of those Goals (see Goal attributes)
• Multi-save Checkbox:[optional] this checkbox is labelled, “Save many Tasks with the same Owner and Goal(s)”. When this box is ticked and you save a Task, a new Task with the same Owner and Goal(s) will be automatically created. You can seamlessly edit the new Task’s details, too. You can continue like this to create as many Tasks as you want, one after the other. When you are finished, you can simply untick this box to save the last Task and go back to the previous screen you were on
• Deadline: [optional] this is the date and time by which the Owner must deliver this Task. It is optional but is recommended when a Deadline is unchangeable, and in general when Owner and Requester are different people, in order to set clear expectations
• Start: [mandatory] the date and time when the Owner has planned to carry out the Task. This is mandatory because any Task will eventually be carried out at a specific point in time. Research shows that if a Task is not scheduled, it is less likely to happen. So while the Owner can change this as many times as s/he wants, Satisplan does not allow creating a To-Do List with no scheduling
• End: [mandatory] the date and time when the Owner believes s/he will finish carrying out the Task. While it is difficult to estimate how long Tasks will take, it is beneficial in order to predict whether we will have enough time to complete the Task or not. Research shows that if a Task is not scheduled, it is less likely to happen. So while the Owner can change this as many times as s/he wants, Satisplan does not allow creating a To-Do List with no scheduling
• Duration label:[mandatory] the expected Duration of the Task, i.e. the difference between Start and End, defined above
• Duration slider and “+” or “-” buttons: [mandatory] these tools let you modify the expected Duration of the Task. Note that the default duration of a Task is 30 minutes. It is a planning best practice to assume Tasks will last at least 30 minutes, including overhead time due to context switching, preparation, unplanned interruptions, etc. However note that there is no limit to how many Tasks you can schedule for the same time, if you want to do that. But we do not recommend it, unless they are a lot of similar, quickfire tasks (such as making many short phone calls or answering many short messages or emails within the same 30-minute slot)
• Busy / Available toggle:[mandatory - defaults to “Busy”] events marked as “Available” indicate you are not busy during that time. We recommend using “Available” to turn events into “placeholders” during which you are free to do other Tasks. For example “Flight to New York”, “Be home to wait for delivery”, etc. Tiles for Tasks set to “Available” look striped in the Calendar Screen, so you can see at a glance which blocks are simple “placeholders”
• Repeat button: [optional] tapping this button will let you create Recurring Tasks (such as daily, weekly, monthly, etc). If the Task you are viewing is a Recurring Task, you will see it clearly marked here (e.g. “Weekly on Wednesdays”), and tapping this button will let you view and modify the Recurring Task rule
• Link to External Calendar Task: [optional] if you have synced external calendars, such as a Google Calendar to Satisplan, you will be able to link your Satisplan Task to a task or event from one of those external calendars. To learn more, see the section called “Linking your Satisplan Tasks with Google Calendar Tasks”
• Notes: [optional] we recommend that the Owner writes in here any important updates that s/he wants the Requester or relevant Goal Collaborators to know, or simple reminders for the Owner him/herself
• Explanation for Delay:[sometimes mandatory] this is only mandatory when editing a Task whose Deadline has passed, or which is being rescheduled to be completed after its Deadline. For more information, see Task States explained and “Explanation for Delay” and why it is important
• Requester:[mandatory - cannot be edited] The Requester is the person who created the Task and wishes for the Task to be successfully completed. The Requester is the only person who can edit certain Task attributes (see details in Task editing permissions). Another important role, the Task Owner can edit the other attributes (see Owner further up on this list of attributes). When a user creates a task for him/herself, the Requester and the Owner will coincide.
• Comments: you can read previous Comments and add your own. Unlike other fields, which can generally only be edited by Owner or Requester (or an Admin), anybody who can view the Task can also leave Comments

Accepting / rejecting Tasks

• When a Task Requester assigns a Task to a different Owner, the Owner needs to accept the Task
• To leave no doubt as to which Tasks have or have not been accepted by their Owners, while the Task is still unaccepted, every user who can see the Task will see that:
  • The Task Tile has a white background wherever it is shown - i.e. in the Calendar Screen and in the Overview Screen
  • The top of the Task Edit Screen clearly states that the Task has not been accepted
• To Accept a Task, the Owner can simply open the Task Edit Screen and tap the “Accept” button at the top, or the grey, hollow “thumbs up” icon at the top
  • After a Task was accepted, the “thumbs up” icon at the top of the Task Edit Screen will become filled with a blue colour
• To Reject a Task, the Owner can tap the “Reject” button
  • After a Task was rejected, the “thumbs up” icon at the top of the Task Edit Screen will become a “thumbs down” icon filled with a red colour
• If the Owner wishes to un-accept a Task, s/he can do so by simply tapping the blue “thumbs up” or red “thumbs down” icon at the top of the Task Edit Screen
• Note that:
  • Only the Owner can accept a Task
  • If a Task was accepted, but then the Owner is changed, the Task will automatically change to “Not Accepted” until the new Owner accepts it

Task States explained

Every Task has a State, which is automatically determined based on the conditions described below. By marking the Task as done or not done (toggling the Done pill), you will also affect this State.

• Done: [colour: dark green] the Task was completed on time
• Done Late:[colour: light green] the Task was completed late (after its deadline)
  • When the Owner marks the Task as Done after the deadline, the Owner will also have to enter an Explanation for Delay
  • If the Owner marks the Task as Done after the deadline, but indeed s/he completed it before the Deadline, the Owner can edit the completion date & time in the Task Details Screen
• At Risk:[colour: yellow] the Task’s deadline, if any, has not passed yet, but the Owner planned to do it in the past and has not marked it as Done. Satisplan thus flags the Task so that the Owner can:
  • Mark the Task as Done, if indeed the Owner completed it but simply forgot to mark it as Done
  • Reschedule the Task to a time in the future when the Owner intends to do it
  • (This is a significant feature that is typically missing from Calendars, for example: if a user puts something in his/her Calendar and does not do it in the allotted time, the user may forget about it, because the Calendar does not remind you)
• Delayed:[colour: orange] The Owner deliberately planned to do the Task after its Deadline, because s/he realised s/he cannot carry out the Task before. The Owner is allowed to do this, but s/he must enter an Explanation for Delay
• Expired: [colour: red] the Task’s deadline has passed and so has the time that the Owner scheduled this Task for. It appears that the Owner “forgot” about this Task, thus making this the least desirable State
• To Do: [colour: grey] all good - this is a task that is scheduled for the future and still looks like it will get done before its deadline, if any

“Explanation for Delay” and why it is important

When working in teams, if a Task is expected to become delayed, it is important to notify others with as much notice as possible. Doing so has a few beneficial effects:

• It gives others the chance to mitigate the negative effects of the delay
• It cements trust that if anything goes wrong, the team communicates this swiftly

Without the ability to trust that such communications happen swiftly and without fail, some team members may become restless and ask for frequent updates, which will probably generate stress. In cases where indeed no delays are expected, this is also a waste of everybody’s time.

Satisplan automates this process by:

• Making sure nobody postpones a Task after its Deadline accidentally (it happens…);
• Making it mandatory to give an explanation when a Task is rescheduled to be done after its Deadline; or
• Flagging the Task as Expired if the Deadline passed and no action was taken

Pro tip: to be effective, “Explanations for Delay” should give sufficient detail, so that an interested party can understand and does not need to chase the Task Owner for more explanations (as chasing would result in wasting more time).

Task Hyperlinks and Attachments

The following Task fields support Rich Media formatting, which includes the ability to add hyperlinks:

• Task Description
• Task Notes
• Task Explanation for Delay
• Task Comments

In order to open a hyperlink:

• On desktop, press Cmd-click on Mac or Ctrl+click on Windows
• On mobile, press and hold the hyperlink until it opens

If you want to add attachments to your Task, such as screenshots, PDFs, or other documents, we recommend uploading your document to your desired Cloud storage platform (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc) and then pasting its hyperlink into your Task.

Task editing permissions

To promote Accountability and make teamwork smoother, only certain users can edit certain attributes of a Task, depending on the users’ roles with regards to the Task itself. This is detailed in the table below.

Only the Requester can modify certain fields like Description and Deadline - this ensures nobody forgets what was agreed in principle.

Only the Owner can modify certain fields like Notes, Explanation for Delay, the Day/Time when they intend to carry out the Task - this ensures that the Owner can carry out the Task independently, while all updates about the execution of the Task can be viewed by the Requester and relevant Goal Collaborators.

Please note that nobody other than the Task Requester or the Task Owner can modify a Task in any way. Goal Collaborators may simply be able to view the Task, but not to modify it.