Break outcomes into work
List the deliverables needed to achieve the outcome, then divide each into tasks small enough to estimate and assign. Include review and handover work. Dependencies matter: a task cannot start until its prerequisite is ready.
Keep ownership visible
Give each task one accountable owner, a clear result, and a completion check. Several people can contribute, but one owner helps prevent assumptions that someone else will act.
Try it
Choose one deliverable and break it into five ordered tasks. Mark which tasks can happen in parallel and which depend on another task.
Key takeaways
- Plan deliverables before individual tasks.
- Make dependencies and review work visible.
- Give each task one accountable owner.