Task differentiation

Task differentiation is the adjustment of the task management process according to strategic goals of a company and considering competencies and skills of its employees. Task differentiation allows making more optimized task assignments and allocating employees to tasks that they are able to perform. Task differentiation can be aimed at adjusting roles and duties between:

• Members of the whole group
• Separate groups within the group
• Individuals within a separate group

Task differentiation helps establish a work environment in which tasks are smoothly performed by employees without sudden changes in performance and unexpected results. It is a method of managing collaborative efforts and giving employees a clear understanding of what tasks actually mean and how to define a task. Employees will better understand what their duties are and what the extent of their roles is. Task differentiation allows making a difference between task and job, or a difference between task and process.

The act of differentiating tasks is a process of adjusting the task management process to strategic goals and business needs in order to ensure that right employees are assigned to right tasks. This process involves implementation of work optimization tools that basically help make changes for better, allowing employees to learn their personal duties and team-related responsibilities. Work optimization tools will let differentiate tasks by the following items:

• Purpose. Work optimization tools help clarify that the purpose is the basic element of any task, but it usually differentiates from the purpose of other work entity (e.g. project). By means of such tools, employees can better learn a difference between task and project, as well as a difference between tasks and to do list.
• Outcome. Work optimization tools allow creating work plans that include a detailed description of what deliverables or results are expected. Task differentiation by outcome lets employees better understand a difference between task and deliverable, as well as a difference between task and milestone.

• Assignment. Work optimization tools are used to assign employees to tasks which are met by existing employee competencies and skills. Such tools allow making assignments considering the fact that employees clearly understand a difference between task and responsibility and a difference between task and duty.
• Time. Since time is one of the most valued resources available, work optimization tools should be applied to differentiating tasks by time, allowing employees to realize their work schedules and complete tasks on time. Such tools will let managers ensure that employees understand a difference between task and event, as well as a difference between task and calendar.

VIP Task Manager is a task management program that includes a set of work optimization tools to allow managers to plan and assign tasks considering skills and competencies of employees. The software program lets use the task differentiation method to ensure that employees are assigned to right tasks and that they clearly realize how their tasks are differentiated (by purpose, outcome, assignment or time). It will help employees understand a difference between task and activity and a difference between task and todo. VIP Task Manager can be used in collaborative work environments allowing users to easily communicate with each other and quickly share information.

VIP Task Manager is available as a shareware solution that you can download for free from this website. You can use a trial copy of the software for free during 1 month. The VIP Task Manager Trial edition is full-featured so you can manage the task differentiation process in your company just during the evaluation period and let your employees understand a difference between task and objective, as well as a difference between task and function.