How do you assign multiple actions to a single task with Netcentrics GTD addin

[Alchemist]

I often have to communicate or check back with multiple individuals about project tasks. So, I have actions for each of my subordinates such as:

@jack
@jill
@alex
@bob

I really want to be able to bring up a list that is specific to each individual. However, If I use the Netcentrics add in, it only allows me one action for each task -- ie, I can only assign a task to @jack, not @jack and @jill.

Does somebody have a work around for this issue?

Thanks for the help.

Mark

 

[Toby Jarvis]

Apologies if I've got this wrong, but I'm guessing that the tasks you're delegating to each individual are actually different, i.e. you wouldn't want two people doing exactly the same thing?

If this is true, you would assign one task to @jack and another (very similar but actually different) task to @jill.

So what I'm suggesting is that maybe your task isn't specific enough, and actually encompasses two tasks if it involves two people.

These tasks can both be associated with the same project to keep them together.

 

[Alchemist]

Apologies if I've got this wrong, but I'm guessing that the tasks you're delegating to each individual are actually different, i.e. you wouldn't want two people doing exactly the same thing?

If this is true, you would assign one task to @jack and another (very similar but actually different) task to @jill.

So what I'm suggesting is that maybe your task isn't specific enough, and actually encompasses two tasks if it involves two people.

These tasks can both be associated with the same project to keep them together.

Actually, I am asking several people to do the same thing. For example, I need 5 people to review a proposal and make comments. I send one email asking each of them to review the proposal, but I need 5 different actions for each of the 5 people to track what I need to follow up with each individual. I would love to hear how other people track this issue with the Netcentrics add in.

 

[Toby Jarvis]

Ah yes, I can see the issue now. I have exactly the same situation with a few proposals I've asked the team to review.

The way I currently deal with those is to make a single @Waiting For task using the "Send and Delegate" option. You might label the task subject something like "Team - review proposal", and in the Notes page of the task list the folks you'd like to hear from; when they respond, you could open the task and tick them off the list.

As a rule of thumb for me, I'm trying to minimise the number of action categories. I found this with electronic reference-material filing too; the more you try to categorise, the more places something can be and the more decisions you have to make about where to put things and where to look for them. (Not that I've solved the electronic filing issue yet - anyone got any ideas on that..?! New post perhaps...)

 

[Alchemist]

A list inside a task won't work for me...

The way I currently deal with those is to make a single @Waiting For task using the "Send and Delegate" option. You might label the task subject something like "Team - review proposal", and in the Notes page of the task list the folks you'd like to hear from; when they respond, you could open the task and tick them off the list.

Since I primarily get things done through others in my work, I am constantly interupted, and I rarely have a computer open when I am talking to someone. So, it's very helpful for me to have a list of open loops by individual so that I can scan that list when I next see that person. Having a check list inside a task doesn't work for me since I have about 200 - 300 active tasks at any one time. The only option I see, so far, it to create a task for each person -- a time consuming activitity that I would like to avoid.