One thing I’ve noticed about software engineers is that many of us don’t enjoy task management. Some see it as “real work vs. paperwork,” where heavy/bureaucratic processes seemed to crush the creative energy of productivity.

However, if tasks are left unmanaged, projects will surely go off-track. Tasks may be done in conflicting order. Important tasks may be forgotten. Multiple people may unintentionally work on the same task. The payoff far exceeds the cost to overcome any resentment and commit to diligent task management. Properly implemented task management systems bring the following concrete and critical benefits:

  • Priority Clarity. Planning and recording the order of tasks upfront ensures that everyone is always working on what matters most.
  • Alignment & Accountability. Task management enables transparency, coordination, and clear ownership to prevent work from being duplicated or neglected.
  • Adaptability. When circumstances change, it is easier to replan without losing track of commitments if tasks are clearly laid out. Visible progress also helps you spot bottlenecks early.
  • Stress Reduction. It is calming to know that important information is reliably saved. It is a morale boost to see the progress of tasks getting resolved by the day.

These four benefits can also serve as useful criteria when evaluating task management systems. In addition, there are two other criteria that I pay attention to:

  • Friction. An effective task management system should not introduce excessive friction. It should be easy to use.
  • Scalability. The system should not break down as team size, project complexity, and/or task volume grow.

With these principles in mind, I’ll share three task management systems that have served me well in different situations. Each has helped me drive projects to successful outcomes.

The Whiteboard System

When speed and focus matter most, nothing beats a whiteboard. I’ve used this system to great success on short, critical projects where every hour counted, and the team needed to stay tightly aligned. It helps to place the whiteboard front and center in the workspace, using it to anchor daily update meetings as the team identifies risks and replans tasks. The visibility of the whiteboard keeps everyone focused through the day.

The whiteboard is the most expressive of all task management systems, giving you complete freedom to use colors, symbols, and diagrams to convey what matters: what the goals are, who is responsible for what, where the dependencies lie, and when critical commitments are. Updating it takes seconds. As soon as you erase what’s changed and write down the new plan, the whole team is instantly on the same page. Its constant visibility in the workspace keeps attention locked on what matters most.

As with any system, the whiteboard has its strengths and its limits. Against the six criteria we outlined earlier, it excels in adaptability, alignment, accountability, and clarity of priorities. It introduces virtually no friction (just grab a marker and update), but falls short on scalability. In my experience, the whiteboard becomes untenable for projects that stretch beyond a few weeks.

To summarize, the whiteboard system is ideal for critical short-term projects but will not scale beyond that.

The following tips help to make the most of the whiteboard:

  • Highlight priorities. Show what’s most important, who owns what, and where dependencies lie.
  • Structure the board. Use tape to mark sections for quick orientation.
  • Keep it clear. Avoid excessive detail, confusing symbols, or abbreviations.
  • Keep it visible. The whole team should be able to see the board at a glance.
  • Update frequently. Refresh the board daily to keep information current.
  • Update collaboratively. Encourage engagement so everyone is aligned and accountable.
  • Use sticky notes. Post-its make it easy to move tasks without constant erasing and rewriting.

The File-Based System

For projects that stretch beyond a few weeks, I stay away from the whiteboard system. Instead, I prefer the file-based system for its low maintenance. This advantage is especially magnified when the team is very small, and every minute spent fiddling with a task management system is a minute not spent on execution. A simple file minimizes overhead while still providing clarity and alignment.

As a software engineer I often use software engineering tools that I am already familiar with to set up my file-based task management system: A Git repository storing text files in the todo.txt format, edited with the todotxt-mode Visual Studio Code extension. For non-technical teams, I recommend using a spreadsheet file (Excel and Google Sheets come to mind), and using cloud storage (such as OneDrive or Google Drive) for sharing and revision tracking. There are many online guides on using spreadsheets for task management. Here is one example.

The file-based system may not be the ideal choice for large teams and/or complex projects, where the amount of information is too much to organize clearly in a file. Otherwise, the file-based system is a nice option to consider, offering low friction and high adaptability.

The following tips help to make the most of the file-based system:

  • Make it a habit. Form a habit as a team to review and update the file continuously. Otherwise, as information becomes outdated, the system will lose its value.
  • Track version history. Git, OneDrive, or Google Drive preserves revisions and prevents accidental loss.
  • Use familiar tools. Don’t trouble the team to learn new tools and file formats.
  • Keep it simple. Include only necessary information (e.g., tasks, ownership, dependencies, dates).

The Project Management System

Often in my career, I worked within organizations that already had established habits and infrastructure. Whether it was Asana, JIRA, Microsoft Project, or something else, the choice of tool was rarely mine to make. In these situations, success came not from chasing the “perfect” tool, but from making the existing one work for the team.

My approach is to explore the tool’s features, experiment on a small project, and then establish a consistent pattern of use. In practice, I usually set aside many of the bells and whistles and focus only on the features that provide real value.

For me, “value” means that the system provides a clear and consistent representation of the following:

  • Ownership. Task owners are unambiguous.
  • Critical dates. Due dates and milestones are clearly visible.
  • Dependencies. It’s easy to see what work blocks other work.
  • Task Hierarchy. Most project management systems provide hierarchical structures. Take advantage of this feature to divide large strategic goals into manageable layers of sub-problems, down to individual actions. This helps to keep complex thoughts clear and execution on track.

When the team can handle the extra overhead, I also like to track task sizes and actual effort spent. This data sharpens future estimates and helps teams plan with greater confidence.

I never passively go through the motion when told to use some project management tool. I use it as a solid foundation to deliver complex projects on-time and with quality.