I often get asked about whether to use a task or subtask in Asana. In general, tasks are used to plan the steps within a project, and subtasks are used to break down these steps into smaller tasks and involve other people in the work.
However, it's important to understand some of the limitations of using subtasks: 1) Subasks do NOT show up on the timeline. 2) And subtasks do NOT contribute to an assignee's workload.
- Tasks – Good to show a body of work that has a date range. e.g. Prepare a report. Tasks help to keep the main project more minimal and less cluttered.
- Subtasks – What are the smaller steps that need to happen to complete the main task? e.g. Draft report, get report approved. Subtasks are great for going into detail. These can also be assigned and dated.
If you have any questions, please leave me a comment below.
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