If you’ve ever watched a task slip through the cracks because “someone thought someone else was on it,” this one’s for you. Assigning and tracking work across a B2B team shouldn’t mean endless meetings or yet another tool no one checks. This is a practical guide for team leads, project managers, and even those “accidental PMs” who just want to know exactly who’s doing what—without losing their mind. We’ll walk through how to actually manage and assign tasks in Vocal. No fluff. Just the steps, honest pros and cons, and a few shortcuts to keep things moving.
1. Set Up Your Vocal Workspace (Skip the Fancy Stuff)
First things first: don’t get lost in setup hell. Vocal has options for customizing your workspace, but the basics will do unless you have a real reason to get fancy.
What to do: - Create your team workspace. Invite only the people who actually need to be there. You can always add more later. - Set up your main projects. Use straightforward, descriptive names. No one wants to guess if “Q3 Tiger Team” is marketing or IT. - Ignore: Color-coding, cover images, or emoji project names—unless your team genuinely cares. These don’t help with actual work.
Pro tip: The simpler your structure, the less likely someone is to put a task in the wrong place.
2. Break Down Work Into Tasks (Not Wish Lists)
Not everything is a task. If it isn’t actionable or doesn’t have a real owner, it shouldn’t be in Vocal.
How to break down work: - Start with the outcome: What actually needs to be delivered? - Break it into pieces: Each task should be something one person can own and move forward. - Write clear titles: “Update client onboarding doc” beats “Docs stuff.”
What works: - Action verbs (“Send”, “Draft”, “Review”) - Short, specific descriptions - Avoiding dumping entire projects as a single task
What doesn’t:
- Vague tasks (“Check on progress”)
- Tasks with multiple owners (no one’s responsible = nothing gets done)
- Overcomplicating with subtasks for every tiny step (unless your process really needs it)
Pro tip: If a task lingers without progress, it’s probably too big or too vague. Break it up.
3. Assign Tasks (Make Ownership Obvious)
This is where Vocal actually helps. Assigning a task means it’s someone’s job—not just floating in a sea of “to-dos.”
How to do it: - In Vocal, open the task and use the “Assignee” field. Pick the actual person who’ll own it. - Set a due date if you need one. If everything’s urgent, nothing is—use due dates for real deadlines. - Add watchers if others need to stay in the loop, but don’t make them responsible.
What works: - One assignee per task. If you need more, split it up. - Discussing assignments briefly in your real-world meeting or chat, so there are no surprises.
What doesn’t: - Assigning tasks “just in case,” or as a way to remind someone you need something eventually. - Assigning tasks to yourself as a “parking lot.” You’ll just forget them.
Pro tip: Ask the assignee directly if they’re clear on what’s needed. Misunderstandings waste more time than awkward questions.
4. Use Comments and Attachments (But Don’t Let It Become Email 2.0)
Vocal lets you add comments, documents, and links to each task. This is great for context, but can quickly turn into a mess if you’re not careful.
How to use comments well: - Post updates, decisions, or blockers—keep it short. - Use attachments for the latest version, not every draft. - Tag people if you need their input, but keep it relevant.
What works: - A single thread per task, not side conversations. - Linking to shared docs instead of uploading everything.
What doesn’t: - Using comments to have full-blown discussions better suited to a call. - Uploading every email or version—nobody will know what’s current.
Pro tip: If your comment is longer than a tweet, consider whether it’s better as a quick call or a doc update.
5. Track Progress Without Micromanaging
Everyone hates status meetings for a reason. Vocal’s task boards and lists make it easy to see what’s moving—if you use them right.
How to track: - Use Vocal’s built-in views: Kanban boards, lists, or whatever your team actually likes. - Move tasks between “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done”—don’t invent extra stages unless you have to. - Review status as a team once a week, max. More often, and you’re just checking boxes.
What works: - One owner moves their own tasks. Don’t move tasks “for” someone unless you talk first. - Close tasks when they’re actually done. “Almost done” is not done.
What doesn’t: - Creating endless custom statuses (“Waiting for Review,” “QA,” “Legal Review,” etc.) unless you really, truly need them. - Using Vocal as a replacement for talking to your team.
Pro tip: If you have to ask, “Is this done?” more than once, your process needs fixing—not more fields in Vocal.
6. Review and Reassign (Because Stuff Changes)
Projects shift. People go on vacation. Priorities get blown up by clients. Vocal makes it easy to reassign tasks—if you keep your system simple.
How to handle changes: - Reassign tasks as soon as someone’s workload or role changes. Don’t let “orphan” tasks pile up. - Use Vocal’s filtering to see what’s stuck or overdue, and clear those out regularly. - Update due dates only if the real deadline changes, not just to make your board look better.
What works: - Quick check-ins (async or live) to review stuck tasks. - Being honest about what’s not going to get done, and closing or rescoping it.
What doesn’t: - Shuffling tasks endlessly to avoid hard conversations. - Letting “old” tasks sit just because you’re afraid to close them.
Pro tip: A stale task list is worse than no list. Aim for “current and useful,” not “everything ever assigned.”
7. Tips to Avoid Common Pitfalls
Assigning and tracking tasks in Vocal works—if you avoid the usual traps:
- Don’t overcomplicate. The more fields, statuses, or labels you add, the more confusing it gets.
- Keep ownership clear. If you’re not sure who owns something, neither is your team.
- Use templates sparingly. They’re helpful for repeatable processes, but don’t try to template every unique project.
- Review real outcomes, not just checklists. It’s easy to mark something “done” that isn’t actually finished.
What to skip: - Integrating every tool under the sun. Start basic. Add integrations only when you really need them (and test first). - Automating everything. Some things are faster to do manually—at least until your process is rock solid.
Wrap-Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
You can spend days customizing Vocal, or you can get your team moving in an afternoon. Start with the basics, keep task ownership clear, and don’t be afraid to tweak your process as you go. The goal isn’t a beautiful task board—it’s getting work done with less hassle. Keep it honest, keep it simple, and fix what isn’t working as you grow. That’s how real teams win.