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Boston Red Sox First Baseman Triston Casas On Verge of Starting Rehab Assignment

Sam connon | jul 25, 2024.

• Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas could start a minor league rehab assignment by the end of this week, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Thursday morning on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show."

Casas, per Breslow, just started taking full batting practice for the first time since tearing cartilage in his left ribcage on April 20.

In Casas' absence, Boston has leaned on 29-year-old Dominic Smith to take on the bulk of the reps at first base. Smith is batting .232 with a .697 OPS and -0.2 WAR since joining the Red Sox in May.

Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas is taking full batting practice and could begin a rehab assignment by the end of the week, according to CBO Craig Breslow on @TheGregHillShow . pic.twitter.com/Y3uZDsR6q2 — Chris Henrique (@ChrisHenrique) July 25, 2024

Casas was initially expected to return in late June, then on July 1. Back on July 4, MLB.com's Ian Browne reported that Casas was two weeks away from starting a rehab assignment.

The 24-year-old continued to miss benchmark after benchmark in his recovery process, however, as he has now missed Boston's last 80 games.

Through it all, Casas managed to get in swings when he could – if you can call them swings. The first baseman went viral in June for earnestly saying he has taken "thousands of at-bats" in his head since getting hurt.

Casas was batting .244 with six home runs, 10 RBI, an .857 OPS and 0.2 WAR through 22 games before he went down.

After making his MLB debut in 2022, Casas took the next step in 2023. He hit .263 with 24 home runs, 65 RBI, an .856 OPS in 132 games, finishing third in AL Rookie of the Year voting in the process.

The former first round pick is a candidate to earn a contract extension from the Red Sox in the near future, even though he isn't slated to hit free agency until 2029. Boston locked up two of its other top homegrown players, Brayan Bello and Ceddanne Rafaela, through the end of the decade this past spring.

Casas' top priority in the short-term is getting back in the lineup, though, and it seems like he's finally making significant progress towards that goal.

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Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.

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‘There’s a good chance’ Red Sox’ Triston Casas begins rehab assignment next week

Casas has not played since late april as he recovers from a ribcage injury..

By Kaley Brown

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Triston Casas could return to the Red Sox in the coming weeks, according to manager Alex Cora.

The recently extended skipper told reporters on Saturday that the first baseman is trending toward playing with one of the organization’s minor league teams, perhaps next week. Casas hasn’t played since suffering torn cartilage in his ribcage on April 21 against the Pirates.

“He hit off the machine. Progressing well,” Cora said before Boston’s game against the Yankees. “Probably Trajekt (a pitchin g robot) tomorrow. There’s a good chance that he could go on a rehab assignment next week. So I think that’s where we’re at right now. Let’s see how the weekend goes, but he’s feeling a lot better.”

Cora added that he’s unsure of how many games Casas will need to play during his rehab assignment. However, if the 24-year-old starts playing games within the next week, he would presumably be able to join the big league club some time in August.

The positive news comes two days after chief baseball officer Craig Breslow announced that Casas is taking full batting practice. Then on Friday, Breslow explained that Casas might be able to start his rehab assignment in the next week. Cora all but confirmed the news on Saturday.

Just last week, Cora said “it will be a while” before Casas can play with one of the minor league teams. It seems that the player’s recovery has turned a corner since then and he’s feeling ready to compete in a game.

Casas originally wanted to return to the Red Sox in late June or early July, circling the team’s series against the Marlins from July 2-4. Given the significant delay in his return to action, some feared he wouldn’t be back with the Boston club until September.

When Casas does rejoin the team this season, the Red Sox will need to make a roster move to make room for him. Dom Smith has largely filled in for him since signing with Boston on May 1. When Smith isn’t in the lineup, Romy Gonzalez typically plays first base for Boston.

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Boston Red Sox | Red Sox injury updates: Casas could begin rehab assignment next week

The Red Sox first baseman is “progressing well” in his longer-than-expected journey back from what he’s described as a ‘freak’ injury. He originally went on the injured list on April 21 with a left-rib strain and torn cartilage, a unique injury for a baseball player.

Casas originally told the Herald he was on track to start swinging and hitting at the end of May, but it was over a month before he finally took that step. He’s currently hitting off the machine, but has yet to face live pitching.

“So far, so good” for Grissom in rehab assignment

Vaughn Grissom’s rehab assignment is progressing well.

“So far, so good,” Cora said of the second baseman, who’s been rehabbing with Triple-A for a week. “Actually he stole a base the other day.”

Grissom has been limited to 23 games in his first year with the club. He missed the entire spring training slate and the first 32 games of the regular season with a left-hamstring strain. After being activated on May 3, he suffered a right-hamstring strain on June 1.

Cora describes Grissom’s rehab as a combination of getting back to game-readiness, but also an opportunity to continue honing his skills.

“(He’s) just working on the things that we want him to work (on), as far as like, bat path, defensively, getting stronger,” the manager explained. “So I think with him, it’s more, it’s not about results. It’s about the process, and trying to get him in a position that he’s comfortable physically and with his swing, and then go from there.”

Hendriks will see doctor before taking next step

Liam Hendriks will see Dr. Keith Meister when the Red Sox travel to Texas next week for their first of two August series with the Rangers. Meister, the Rangers team physician and a renowned orthopedic surgeon, performed Hendriks’ Tommy John surgery last August, and Trevor Story’s internal brace elbow surgery in January 2023.

“He feels great,” Cora said of Hendriks, who has progressed to throwing bullpens, but told the Herald he’s itching to ramp up his timetable. “The bullpen has been, they’ve been good, so hopefully he can contribute this year.”

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Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton could be ready for games late next week

New York Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton runs to second base for a double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, June 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton, top right, hits a double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, June 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton likely will be ready for game action late next week, though the team hasn’t determined whether he will go on a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment.

Stanton strained his left hamstring while running the bases on June 22 and went on the injured list for the eighth time in six years.

“I just got to stack here a few more days, good days together,” Stanton said Saturday before a 9-1 loss to Tampa Bay . “If I get a few good days this week, make a decision by the end of next week.”

He missed his 21st game of the season after being out for 266 of 708 games in the previous five seasons (38%).

“It’s about the stamina, building it over and over each day,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I think he feels really good, but getting that volume under his belt to where he comes back, it’s ready to roll. So, yeah, now it’s about just stacking days of putting it together.”

Boone wasn’t sure a rehab assignment will be needed.

“The level of things you’re able to replicate now really do speed that clock up,” he said. “And because you’re not building stamina being out there for nine innings in the field necessarily, it’s a little gray.”

Stanton played in 69 of the Yankees’ first 79 games — none in the field — and is hitting .246 with 18 homers and 45 RBIs. New York is 7-14 in his absence.

“Just being out in general sucks and then not being able to help the team at all during any type of stretch let alone a bad one,” Stanton said.

Right-hander Clarke Schmidt threw a bullpen session Saturday for the first time since straining his right lat on May 26 . Schmidt is expected back in late August or early September.

“Another good step for him,” Boone said.

Right-hander JT Brubaker won’t throw for three or four more weeks after straining an oblique muscle on July 11 at Triple-A Scranton while on a rehab assignment following Tommy John surgery in April 2023.

Scott Effross also is at Scranton working his way back from Tommy John surgery in October 2022. He has made 10 minor league appearances, including eight at Triple-A.

“Still want to see him get to that level where he was before the injury,” Boone said. “I don’t feel like he’s that far off from it.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Weekly Assignments Template

Determine the week's objectives, list out specific assignments needed to achieve each objective, organize assignments by priority.

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Allocate time slots for each assignment in the week's schedule, adjust schedule based on conflicts, deadlines and external factors, mark assignments that require additional resources (e.g. tools, help from coworkers), determine assignments that need to be delegated, assign tasks to team members, providing necessary resources and instructions, approval: team member assignments.

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Record all assignments and their details in the tracking system, create a visual representation of the week's schedule, approval: weekly schedule.

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Adjust tasks or the schedule as necessary based on weekly approvals, monitor and track completion of assignments and update tracking system regularly, address any obstacles or issues as they arise, review performance at the end of the week and adjust plans for the next week accordingly, take control of your workflows today., more templates like this.

Assignment due next week: what do I do now?

I’m not going to do well in this assignment, I don’t have enough time.

What if: you have an upcoming assignment deadline due soon, say in a week.

Now that you’ve started unpacking the question, and looking at the reading material, you realise it might take longer than a week to plan, research and write out the assignment.

What are you going to about it?

If this sounds familiar, you might want to take a step back to evaluate how you have come to this position. It might feel as though you have left things too late, but the situation might not be as bad as you think. 

Rationalising your thoughts will help you to take the next step.

Are you spending time worrying about your deadline instead of doing the work? 

It’s okay to worry a little bit about your work. But you have to start doing something towards your goals otherwise you risk overthinking and delivering nothing. Do the smallest possible task related to your assignment, start with just half an hour of focused work. As you see yourself achieving this mini goal, you will feel more encouraged to continue. 

• Do you have other commitments that are taking up potential studying time? 

Where can you delegate or let go of some commitments this week, just until your deadline is over?

That can help free up some time during your week.  

• Do you find some elements of this assignment much more challenging than others?
• Are you put-off doing any parts of your assignment? 
• Can you be more accountable to yourself in making sure your assignment is progressing? 

You don’t want to let the lack of discipline compromise the quality of your overall work. Not everyone will enjoy all parts of the assignments they are given, but that doesn’t mean you should give less attention to parts that you don't enjoy doing.

Try giving yourself something to look forward to at the end of the session, or the day, to keep you motivated. Break up your work into achievable, mini-tasks, or ask a friend to work with you where you can.

Look for the little things that will keep you motivated and focused towards completing these smaller tasks.

• Do you feel that it is unrealistic to complete this task within the time you have been given? 
• Or, have you left it late, and now have to work with the time you’ve got left? 

If you are unclear, speaking to your tutor might help you come to terms with the expectations of this assignment. This might also help you understand whether you need to refine the way you set goals leading up to your deadlines.

What can you do next time to avoid being in this situation again? 

If you really want to do well, you can with commitment.

Doubts and negative thoughts may arise, but how you choose to respond to them will determine how they impact your work.  

It’s up to you to decide what you do with the time you have left.  

Further resources

Refer to the  Time management  module and practice some of the tips in the resource:  

Applying time management techniques 

More support

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When you create an assignment, you can post it immediately, save a draft, or schedule it to post at a later date. After students complete and turn in their work, you can grade and return it to the students.

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Create & post assignments

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Select individual students

Add a grade category, add a grading period, change the point value, add a due date or time, add a topic, add attachments, add a rubric.

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Go to classroom.google.com  and click Sign In.

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Select additional classes

Assignments to multiple classes go to all students in those classes.

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Use grade categories to organize assignments. With grade categories, you and your students can see the category an assignment belongs to, such as Homework or Essays . Teachers also see the categories on the Grades page.

For more information on grade categories, go to Add a grade category to posts or Set up grading .

To organize assignments and grades into your school or district’s grading structure, create grading periods, such as quarters or semesters.

• From the menu, select a grading period.

Tip: Before adding a grading period to an assignment, create a grading period for the class first. Learn how to create or edit grading periods .

You can change the point value of an assignment or make the assignment ungraded. By default, assignments are set at 100 points.

• Under Points , click the value.
• Enter a new point value or select Ungraded .

By default, an assignment has no due date. To set a due date:

• Click a date on the calendar.
• To create a topic, click Create topic and enter a topic name.
• Click a topic in the list to select it.

Note : You can only add one topic to an assignment.

Learn more about how to add topics to the Classwork page .

• Create an assignment.

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• You can add interactive questions to YouTube video attachments. Learn how to add interactive questions to YouTube video attachments .

• Tip: When you attach a practice set to an assignment, you can't edit it.

• If you see a message that you don’t have permission to attach a file, click Copy . Classroom makes a copy of the file to attach to the assignment and saves it to the class Drive folder.
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Related articles

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Weekly Meetings: How to Make the Most of Them

Weekly meetings are great for keeping everyone updated, fostering collaboration, and making informed decisions. However, they can also be a source of frustration, time-wasting, and disengagement when not carried out effectively.

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a seemingly endless meeting, wondering why you’re there and what, if anything, is being accomplished, you’re not alone. Many have been there. But don’t despair – there’s a better way to approach weekly meetings that can make them actually more productive.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything related to weekly meetings, making you a pro. We’ll be sharing tips, tools and templates you need to get the best out of your next team weekly meeting.

Purpose of Weekly Team Meetings

How to start a weekly meeting, weekly team meeting ideas and templates, benefits of weekly meetings, what to cover in weekly team meetings, weekly meeting rules, weekly meeting barriers, what are weekly meetings.

Weekly meetings are regular gatherings held within teams, typically on a weekly basis, to facilitate communication, collaboration, and coordination among members. These meetings serve as a structured platform for team members to come together, discuss various topics, share updates, and address important issues. Weekly meetings can take place in various formats, such as in-person meetings, video conferences, or conference calls, depending on the needs and preferences of the team.

Sharing updates : Team members can share updates on their project progress, tasks completed, and any challenges they’ve faced during the week.

Coordinating efforts : Weekly meetings help make sure that everyone is working together towards common goals and that tasks are aligned with the team’s objectives.

Setting priorities : Team members can prioritize tasks for the upcoming week, making sure that everyone knows what needs to be done and what’s most important.

Sharing client or stakeholder updates : When working with clients or stakeholders, weekly meetings give a structured forum to share project status, address concerns, and ensure client satisfaction.

Conducting team building and training activities : Weekly meetings can also serve as opportunities for team building activities, training sessions, and skill development workshops.

Connecting with remote work teams : Remote teams often find weekly meetings essential for maintaining communication, cohesion, and project progress when team members are geographically dispersed.

Starting a weekly meeting effectively is important to set the right tone and make sure that participants are engaged and focused.

Preparation

Prepare an agenda before the meeting that outlines the topics to be discussed and the objectives. Share the agenda with participants well ahead of the meeting, giving them time to prepare.

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Arrival and setup

Arrive a few minutes early to set up any necessary equipment (if it’s a virtual meeting, make sure your video and audio are working correctly). Greet participants as they enter the meeting room or join the virtual meeting.

Review the agenda

Go over the agenda briefly to ensure everyone is on the same page regarding the meeting’s structure and topics.

Icebreaker (Optional)

Consider starting with a brief icebreaker or warm-up activity to create a positive and engaging atmosphere, especially if it’s a team-building meeting.

Set ground rules

Remind participants of any meeting rules or guidelines, such as respecting speaking turns, staying on topic, or muting microphones when not speaking (if it’s a virtual meeting).

Main discussion

Begin discussing the agenda items one by one. Assign a facilitator or presenter for each topic if needed. Encourage active participation from all attendees. Use techniques like open-ended questions to stimulate discussion.

Action items and next steps

Conclude each agenda item by summarizing key points and, if necessary, identifying action items with an action plan . Assign responsibilities for action items and set clear deadlines.

Summarize key takeaways

At the end of each agenda item, summarize the key points discussed, decisions made, and any action items identified. This step helps make sure that everyone leaves the meeting with a clear understanding of what was accomplished.

Agile Scrum Meeting Template

This template follows the Scrum framework and includes sections for discussing daily progress, blockers, and plans for the day.

Project Kickoff Meeting Template

Used at the beginning of a project, this template focuses on setting project goals, roles, and expectations.

Marketing Campaign Meeting Template

Tailored for marketing teams, this template covers campaign updates, performance metrics, and future plans.

Creative Brainstorming Meeting Template

With this template encourages team members to generate ideas and collaborate on projects.

Remote Team Meeting Template

Specifically designed for remote teams, this template helps recording, organizing and sharing information discussed during the weekly meeting.

Review Meeting Template

Used for retrospectives or reviews, this template helps teams assess past performance and plan for improvements.

Weekly Employee One-on-One Meeting Template

Discuss various aspects of the employee’s work, provide feedback, set goals, and address concerns.

Meeting Minuites Template

Record meeting minutes, including essential details such as agenda items, discussions, decisions, and action items.

Better communication : Weekly meetings improve communication by giving team members a regular opportunity to talk and share important updates.

Stronger team collaboration : They improve teamwork, helping team members work together, brainstorm ideas, and solve problems collectively.

Faster problem-solving : Weekly meetings are a great way to quickly discuss and solve issues that might slow down your projects.

Clear accountability : By reviewing tasks and setting new ones each week, you can make sure everyone knows what they should be doing, which keeps everyone accountable.

Improved direction : Weekly meetings help everyone understand priorities and where the team is heading, reducing confusion and keeping everyone on the same page.

Increased productivity : With better communication and problem-solving, these meetings can lead to increased productivity and more efficient projects.

Teams can use weekly meetings to go over several things to ensure better communication, coordination, and collaboration.

Task updates : Updates on tasks or projects including progress, challenges, and accomplishments from the previous week.

New assignments : New tasks or projects for the upcoming week and assignment of responsibilities.

Goal tracking : Team’s overall goals and objectives and whether you’re on track to meet them.

Action item review : Going over action items from previous meetings to ensure they’ve been completed or are in progress.

Upcoming deadlines : Any impending deadlines, deliverables, or milestones that the team needs to prepare for.

Client or stakeholder feedback : Relevant information or feedback from clients, stakeholders, or upper management.

Upcoming events or initiatives : Announcements on any upcoming events, conferences, or new projects.

Establishing clear rules for weekly meetings is important to make sure they are productive, focused, and respectful of everyone’s time. Here are some common weekly meeting rules you should be aware of:

• Create an agenda in advance and distribute it to participants. Stick to the agenda to keep the meeting on track.
• Begin and end the meeting punctually, respecting everyone’s time commitments.
• Keep the meeting reasonably short, typically 30 minutes to an hour, to maintain participants' engagement.
• Avoid interruptions by allowing one person to speak at a time. Use a “raise hand” or similar system for orderly discussion.
• Focus discussions on agenda items and avoid veering into unrelated subjects.
• Request participants to silence or turn off their cell phones to minimize distractions.
• Maintain a respectful and professional tone throughout the meeting, avoiding personal attacks or derogatory language.
• When discussing challenges, focus on finding solutions rather than dwelling on problems.

It’s hard to hold effective weekly meetings when there are a lot of barriers. Identifying these barriers is the first step toward overcoming them.

Lack of clear purpose : Meetings without a clear agenda or defined objectives can be unproductive and leave participants feeling like their time was wasted. Use a detailed agenda to outline meeting topics and objectives.

Unengaged participants : If team members are disengaged or unprepared, discussions can become unproductive and fail to achieve their intended goals. Encourage participation and assign roles to involve everyone.

Unproductive discussions : Tangential or off-topic discussions can waste time and detract from the meeting’s purpose. Set meeting ground rules and appoint a facilitator.

Technology challenges : Technical issues with virtual meeting platforms, such as poor audio or video quality, can disrupt communication and cause frustration. Prior to the meeting, verify that all technical tools and platforms are functioning correctly and have a backup plan in case of issues.

Negative meeting culture : If meetings are consistently unproductive or seen as a waste of time, participants may develop a negative perception of meetings in general. Address negative perceptions by openly discussing concerns and seeking input from participants.

Remote work challenges : Virtual teams may face additional barriers related to remote work, such as time zone differences. Set meeting times that accommodate various time zones and provide flexibility when necessary and make efficient use of collaboration and communication tools to bridge geographical gaps.

Weekly meetings are a regular part of any organization. They serve as a platform for teams to come together, share updates, and collaborate on projects. These gatherings play an essential role in keeping everyone on the same page and making sure that work progresses smoothly. However, to make the most of these weekly meetings, it’s important to structure them effectively, encourage active participation, and focus on achieving clear objectives. By doing so, we can turn what might seem like routine gatherings into powerful tools for achieving our project goals and driving success in our work.

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Amanda Athuraliya is the communication specialist/content writer at Creately, online diagramming and collaboration tool. She is an avid reader, a budding writer and a passionate researcher who loves to write about all kinds of topics.

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Once you have completed the forms above, click the "GENERATE-ASSIGNMENTS" button below to create your weekly assignment sheet.

How Weekly Assignment Sheets Help Students

For students, staying on track with assignments can be a difficult feat. That's where weekly assignment sheets come in to help! By having all of their assignments and due dates laid out in one place, students can better track what is due and when. It allows them to see at a glance which subjects or classes they may need to spend more time on that week.

What Is a Weekly Assignment Sheet?

They a tool that can be used to view a day-wise breakdown of assignments and assessments due in the following week. Teachers distribute these sheets to students and ask them to get them signed by their parents. It helps reduce the communication gap between parents and teachers as parents become aware of what their child is expected to do or submit in the classroom.

The Benefits of These for Students

These sheets have numerous benefits for students. You can design them from scratch or use a weekly assignments template.

They Can Keep Track of Assignments

Numerous studies have shown that students find it challenging to keep track of assignments. A weekly assignment sheet can help alleviate some of this difficulty. Having a central place to see all upcoming assignments can help students plan their week and stay on top of their work. Furthermore, weekly assignment sheets can help reduce the stress of trying to remember everything due.

They Have All Assignments and Due Dates in One Place

Weekly assignment sheets help by having all assignments and due dates in one place. By keeping track of everything in one place, students can easily see what is due when and plan their time accordingly. It eliminates the need for last-minute scrambling to find missing assignments or trying to remember when something is due. Weekly assignment sheets also help teachers provide a quick reference for what needs to be graded and returned.

They Can Easily Identify Their Areas of Improvement

A weekly assignment sheet is a great way for students to keep track of their assignments and ensure that they are getting everything done. This type of sheet allows students to see which subjects or classes need more attention that week, and it also provides a space for them to write down any questions or comments about the material. Additionally, having a weekly assignment sheet can help students stay organized and on top of their work.

They Can Stay Organized

A weekly assignment sheet allows students to stay organized. They have a clear plan of which assignment is urgent and important, which assignments will require pre-planning, which assignments will be time-consuming, and when they are due. They can then organize their day accordingly and allot time to each assignment.

Weekly assignment sheets come in handy in students' busy schedules. Even if they're distracted while you're making announcements, they still know what they need to submit throughout the week and on which days. Students can plan forehand for their assignments and assessments and block out time for their studies. These tools can ultimately assist in improving students' grades and making them organized and responsible.

To design these sheets, you can refer to any weekly assignments template on the internet. Find what works best for your class or tweak them as per your need. Happy teaching!

Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that they will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove their point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, they still have to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and they already know everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality they expect.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Real Life at Home

Printable Weekly Assignment Sheet for Students (in Color and Black and White)

August 15, 2020 By Angie Kauffman · PRINTABLES TIP: Always go toward the end of a post to find the printable. · Disclosure: This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. {I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.}

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Printable Weekly Assignment Sheet for Students Post Preview: Use this free printable weekly assignment planner to help students in the classroom or in homeschool to track daily assignments or homework. Sheets are available in both color and black and white.

I have always loved planners and checklists. For me, and so many other people, they’re a great way to stay organized and get things done.

When we homeschooled, the years that I felt that we all had things together the best was when we started using daily and weekly checklists for assignments. Checklists helped me when I was planning and it helped the kids stay organized and know what to expect.

To help you and your children or students stay more organized this school year, I have a new set of printable weekly assignment sheets available in both color and black and white.

Note: The printable assignment sheet set is available farther down in the post.

Related Content:

• How to Use a Checklist to Guide Schoolwork 
• Homeschool Planning Printables (13 Pages): Perfect for Your Homeschool Planner
• Main Idea Graphic Organizer Printable

Printable Weekly Assignment Sheet for Students

This weekly assignment sheet set contains two options and both come in the set.

There is an option that is in black and white, which can save on printer ink. If you use this option, your children or students could even use some light-colored markers or highlighters to color in the boxes with the subject name in them. Of course, they could also just leave them as is.

The other option is in color (just in the headings of each section) and uses colors inspired by the very popular Zebra Mildliner Highlighters . This is a very visually appealing option, especially if you have access to a color printer. (Here is a newer version of the color printer I have and love .)

Side note on these highlighters: Both my husband and daughter have been using these and are raving about them!

Which Subjects are Included on the Printable Weekly Assignment Sheet?

The weekly assignment planner has sections for the following subjects:

• Reading Log
• Social Studies
• Other (you could fill in religion, foreign language, or any other subject or task; if you write small enough, you might be able to put multiple things on the same line)

More about the Reading Log

The reading log section is different than the other sections of the weekly assignment sheet. It has a spot to write down the title of the book that the student is reading, the day, the amount of time to spend reading, and either how many pages to read or specifically which pages to read.

If you’d like an additional reading log, you might like these:

• Color Your Own Space Bookmarks and Reading Log Free Printable
• Bug Bookmarks to Color and Printable Reading Log
• Summer-themed Reading Log and Color Your Own Bookmarks

Ways to Use the Weekly Assignment Sheet Set

While I’m sure you creative people out there can probably figure out more ways to use the weekly assignment planner sheets, I have two suggestions for ways to use them.

1. Use it for Writing All Assignments

In a homeschool setting, you could write out the week’s plans for your child and give them the sheet all filled in at the beginning of the week. They can then check off items as they finish them all week. This was the method I used in our homeschool, especially as my children got older.

If you want to do this same idea in a classroom setting, you might give your students the blank form and then tell them what to write in for each day or have it on a whiteboard for them to copy down.

2. Use it Exclusively for Homework

Students could use the weekly assignment sheet to write down all of their homework throughout the week. In this method, students would only write down their homework in each section, not every assignment.

Printable Assignment Planner Terms of Use

This download is free for personal or classroom use for Real Life at Home email subscribers. ( There is an option to get this without subscribing as well .)

When you make copies of the printable assignment sheets, please make sure that you keep the copyright information on all copies.

You may not sell, publish, or host this printable on any other website. This includes, but is not limited to, that you may not  upload it to your blog, school, or church’s website for people to download.

You may not use this for any commercial use. It is for personal and classroom use only.

If you want to pass along the printable though, please feel free to share a link to this post with others. Thanks!  ( Printables terms of use )

Download the Printable Weekly Assignment Sheet Set

As I mentioned above, the weekly assignment sheet printable set is free for current and new email subscribers.

If you are already an email subscriber , you can use the email address that you are already subscribed with. This will tell the system to send the download link to your email inbox. (You won’t be subscribed again.)

If you are not an email subscriber and want to subscribe , fill in your name (optional) and email address. You will receive an email with the download information. You can unsubscribe at any time. (But check out all of the  page full of great printables that are free for email subscribers .)

If you are not an email subscriber and do not wish to be but still want the printable weekly assignment planner set,  you can purchase this packet very inexpensively (just $1.25) in my shop.  Click here to purchase it.

Fill out this form  if you are a current or new subscriber and want the packet for free:

Other Printables You May Like

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. They don’t change the price you pay. However, when you shop through them, we may receive a small compensation.

About Angie Kauffman

Angie, mom to three very fun kids, is the founder of Real Life at Home.  With degrees in elementary education (B.A.) and special education (M.S.Ed.), as well as being a former homeschooler, she is passionate about supporting both parents and teachers by providing printables, crafts, and activities to help children learn and grow.

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How to Give Assignments to Team Members

Table of Contents

The project has been divided into milestones, goals and objectives broken into tasks, and now it’s time to assign them. But as you open the project management platform, you’re faced with the unflattering process of wording the tasks, and choosing whom to assign them to.

Well, in this article, we offer advice on how to make that jumbled first moment a little clearer. There are actionable tips, learning the difference between allocating and delegating tasks, and suggested criteria on how to choose the best person for the job.

For a more precise overview, here’s a table of contents:

How do you assign employees tasks?

We normally think that assigning tasks is a time-consuming process that focuses on clearing out task lists to keep the project going. However, task assignment should actually be a more employee-oriented process that requires additional dedication and effort, which yields incredible results. But what do we mean by that?

Properly assigned tasks push your employees, projects, and the overall company forward. Here’s how.

• They strengthen accountability and trust between managers and employees;
• They help teach new skills and perfect old ones;
• They allow employees to get familiar with other teams and avenues of work;
• It becomes easier to make project estimates;
• Makes for great bases for performance reviews, etc.

The list could go on, but we’ll stop there for now.

Of course, such long-term benefits don’t come without some proverbial blood and sweat in the planning stage. Let’s take a look at the general ideas on assigning employee tasks, and specific steps you can take.

Motivation comes from knowing the bigger picture

When we talk about the bigger picture in project management, we talk about each team member’s task affecting their peer’s down the line. Since all tasks are usually small pieces of the puzzle, it helps to remind employees how their work contributes. For example:

• A high-quality draft can make a great foundation for the final version, and it can be completed more quickly.
• A well-prepared presentation can shave time off unnecessary questions and additional email inquiries.

It comes as no surprise that people work better and are more productive, when they know that their work has an impact on the company level.

And so, when you assign tasks, try to emphasize how they fit in the bigger picture. Simply saying: “ You doing X will help with Y and Z ” and how it reflects on the project as a whole will let an employee know that the task they were assigned is important.

Get your employees excited to commit

Telling people about the bigger picture and showing them what’s possible can only get them so far. It’s enough to ignite the initial spark, but for them to fully commit to the task, you need to define what that task entails.

They should be able to picture how to go about the work, what skills to use, and how to reach the desired result. The clearer the instructions, the more motivated they will be to work.

Simply put, give directions on how the task should be done, and make sure they understand. You can’t read each other’s minds, so it’s important everyone is on the same page.

Ask for task transparency

One of the best practices a company can employ is transparency among coworkers.

This is achieved by having everyone input their tasks for the day in a timesheet. The purpose of timesheets is to get an accurate idea of what everyone is working on at any given time.

When people know who works on what tasks, it’s easier for them to know if a person is available or busy, how far along they are with a task, etc.

So, when you give assignments to employees, label them with deadlines. Alternatively, you can ask for employees’ assessments on how long the work would take them, and use those timeframes.

Source: Clockify team timesheet

Timesheets are a great way to keep an eye on tasks and the people doing them. You get to:

• see who struggles with what (helps assess people’s skill sets);
• who burns through their workload and is available for additional tasks;
• whether your time estimates need correction;
• identify any wasted time.

💡 If your employees are insecure about keeping public records of their tasks, here are a few resources that can help:

• How to create order in your daily work tasks
• How to be more efficient with your tasks

Keep a crystal clear timeframe

While we’re discussing timesheets and deadline transparency, it’s important to mention that the times you set for task completions need to be clear-cut.

As we’ve mentioned, the safest way to assign deadlines is to consult the employees. They are better at assessing how long it will take them due to the tasks’ difficulty, overall deadlines, the standards that need to be met, and the skill required to complete it.

When they get a say in how long they should be doing an assignment, people tend to feel more accountable for the whole process. They will do their best to finish in time, since they actively participated in setting the deadline.

Set very clear expectations

Assigning a task should always include your (the supervisor’s) expectations pointed out. For example:

• Does a logo pitch need as many drafts as possible, or just a few finished pieces?

If you ask a designer to make some drafts for a logo pitch, you must specify the kind of quality you’re looking for. Explain whether you are looking for some sketches and drafts for a brainstorming meeting, or if you want clean, presentable pieces to show.

Additionally:

• How many pieces should the designer do?
• Is there a specific color palette they need to follow?
• How important is the task? Is this the day they finally decide on a logo, or is it still in the brainstorming stage? (decides on the quality of the work itself)

Assigning the task using the above questions, you help the designer understand how much effort precisely they need to invest. They become more motivated with clear instructions, as they know what is expected of them. There’s no fear of having their work criticized for something that wasn’t communicated in the beginning. And on your end, it prevents breached deadlines or subpar results.

Avoid creating dependency by being less involved

It’s not unusual for employees to ask their supervisors for their opinion on a certain task, or their performance.

The problem arises when a supervisor makes themselves too involved with the process. When they feel like the project might fall apart if they don’t have their eyes on every moving part all of the time. And when you have, say, 20 people waiting for that person’s approval, advice, or consultation, the workflow runs into a gridlock.

And wait time is wasted time.

Plus, people lose motivation, patience, and grow frustrated, as they could be doing other things.

So, learn not to jump in every time people call for your aid. Assign reliable people who can address smaller issues, while you handle the big picture. Learn how to expend your own energy where it is needed more.

For example – making a pitch presentation for potential investors keeps getting put off because one person needs you to check a client email they want to send, another wants your signature on a form, and the third wants to ask something about employee feedback that’s coming up.

In order to not be stretched thin, and have your time wasted on menial tasks, here’s where you can start:

How to mitigate the risk of being over-involved when assigning

• Remember that you match tasks to people

Which means that, by matching the right people with the right tasks, your involvement will be minimal. Take time to carefully choose who gets to do what. What is the point of assigning tasks if they can’t be done without you?

• Have a 10-point scale to judge the importance of items

How important are certain aspects of your leadership role? Are you absolutely necessary in every meeting, or during every call? Which tasks need your approval, and which ones can be approved by someone under you?

Rank these items on a scale of 0 to 10, based on their importance to you and the project. Top priority tasks should get your undivided attention. And what can be delegated, should be.

• Analyze your schedule

Your energy and time are needed on a much broader scale. The best way to spot if you’re wasting time being too involved is to look at your schedule. Identify how much time you’ve spent on low-priority items, and assess which issues could’ve been solved without you.

• Take into account priorities and deadlines

Step in only when absolutely necessary. You are in charge of things getting done on time, by people most qualified for assigned tasks. Determine what your priorities are for each project, and concern yourself only with those issues, unless there is a risk of breaching a deadline.

• Formulate a list of dependable people

If you know your employees (or team members) well enough, then you should be able to single out those who are more dependable and ready to take on a little more responsibilities. Write out the reasons how they could help by getting involved on low-priority items instead of you. When the time comes, rally them and present them with the idea, keeping in mind that this solution helps push the project forward. When authority is delegated to several people, there’s fewer chances of a hold-up in the workflow.

This also falls into the realm of task delegation , which we’ll get into later.

How do you decide what tasks to assign to which employees?

1. assign based on priority.

Naturally, some tasks will be more important than others. When you break down a project into tasks , spend some time assessing their priority level.

High-priority tasks should be the first on your list to allocate. Whether it’s because they’re time-sensitive, or require more effort and dedication.

Low priority tasks can be allocated as fillers to the first available person.

2. Assign based on employee availability

Another factor to consider when assigning tasks is who is available at the moment.

As the project moves along, new tasks will be added. You will have to allocate new work, but odds are you won’t always be able to pick who you want. Especially if a deadline is approaching, the person with the smallest workload should be your first choice.

Overloading an already busy individual just because they’re more skilled or you have faith in them the most puts an unnecessary strain on them. It’s cause for frustration, poorer results, and decreased productivity.

And as we’ve mentioned, if you have a timesheet with an overview of all the tasks and employees working on them, it’ll be much easier to spot who is free and who isn’t.

3. Assign based on employee skill level

High-priority tasks should go to employees with more experience in a given field or skill. However, you should occasionally give such tasks to other employees as well, to help them grow and become just as dependable. Giving people challenging tasks that can boost their experience is essential to productivity and morale.

Not to mention you get to have multiple high-skilled employees.

Low-priority tasks can be assigned to anyone, despite their experience level. They’re a good opportunity to practice, pick up new skills, or get smaller tasks out of the way to make room for more important ones.

4. Assign based on preference

Last, but not the least, preference can also play a big part in how you assign tasks.

It’s a given that some employees will prefer certain tasks over others. So it could be good to assign tasks at a meeting with the team. As you discuss priorities, deadlines, and availability, ask them which tasks they would like to work on.

If someone shows interest in a specific type of work, they should (with some consideration), be allowed to take it. After all, people are more productive when they’re assigned to something they find new or exciting.

Note: Apply this rule with caution. Letting people do only the tasks they want can stunt their career growth. Getting out of our comfort zones and occasionally doing tasks that we don’t like is how we develop and learn. So, don’t forget to document assignments as you hand them out, to spot these potential issues early on.

Allocating vs delegating tasks

While semantically similar words, delegation and allocation in terms of tasks are two different things.

When you allocate tasks , you are assigning tasks without giving the employees much authority, challenge, or room to grow. It includes you keeping all of the responsibility – writing out the tasks, making deadlines, providing resources, tools, etc. These are usually recurring tasks that can become repetitive.

When you delegate tasks , you allow for some of that responsibility to fizzle out from your fingers. All you think about are the objectives, while letting the employees figure out the details and means to get there.

However, that doesn’t mean delegation is right and the allocation is wrong.

Task allocation has its own place. It is just as important, as a lot of tasks come down to repeated processes that are still vital to the project progress. Task delegation is just a good opportunity for employees to learn, challenge themselves, and assess their skills and performance.

When should you allocate tasks?

Management and BizDev consultant Artem Albul shared his concept on task assignment, which he dubbed an “algorithm”. He emphasized how these criteria are useful only and only when you wish that employees perform the tasks based on your guidelines and instructions (aka allocation).

Here is how Albul broke down the algorithm:

Source: Artem Albul, TWA Consulting

As we can see, task allocation, while the more “controlling” of the two, also gives in-depth instructions and asks for confirmation on task clarity. A lot of it comes down to everyone being on the same page, leaving little to no room for misinterpretation (but also creative freedom).

How should you allocate tasks?

With all that we’ve mentioned in the previous section, here’s how your task allotment could look like, step by step.

• Break down your project

Detail out the goals, objectives, and some individual tasks (not all, be careful not to start micromanaging). Place the most important deadlines.

• Prioritize tasks and sort them

It’s important to know what tasks need to be done faster/better, to properly allocate your resources and manpower from the start.

• Make a list of teams and team members

Assign team leaders (if you don’t have them), and alternatively, ask for their input on individual employees skills, for a more informed decision on who gets what.

• Schedule a meeting

Make a meeting with the team leads and go through the points above. Assign tasks according to each team’s availability, interest, and skill required to successfully push the project forward.

• As team leads – assign tasks further down the pipeline
• Track task completion and make necessary changes along the way

Whether it’s pushing deadlines, reassigning tasks, or shifting around resources. This is perfectly fine and expected, so long as it doesn’t happen on every task you’ve assigned. Then, it is an indicator of poor pre-planning.

• Offer feedback and write performances

Don’t forget to track the progress and make notes of important details that might help the next task allocation/delegation process. It’s also a useful piece of information for the employees on what they need to improve on.

Allocating tasks is somewhat more complicated than we want it to be. But, this kind of thorough research and preparation will make projects run more smoothly. Employees will also be more satisfied with their work, and there will be less hurdles as deadlines approach.

When should you delegate tasks?

Delegation is a great practice in trust for both the employer/supervisor and the employee. The employer learns how to give away some of their control over the process, while the employee learns how to take more accountability for their work.

This lets you focus on big-picture aspects of your job, since you deal less with assignments that are low-priority for you. You save time and energy, while helping others move up in their careers.

How do you effectively delegate tasks as a leader?

As we’ve mentioned, delegating includes more employee independence. There are some additional components which make this type of task assignment more appealing than allocation, with great opportunities for growth.

Focus on delegating objectives instead of actual tasks

When you delegate, you focus on the objective that needs to be done. You shouldn’t give employees a “color by numbers” instruction on how to complete a task.

Communicate clearly what the end result should be and what expectations you (or the higher-ups) have. Leave the means for reaching that end goal to the employees themselves. Because how you solve a task may be completely different to how they will. And that is perfectly fine, so long as the result is the one you are looking for.

Keep the objectives challenging

When the objectives you’re delegating are too easy, chances are the person will either procrastinate, or feel like you don’t trust them enough. And if they’re too difficult, they get frustrated, anxious, and begin to panic.

It’s a good idea to be aware of an employee’s skill level, so you can gauge how much challenge and responsibility they can take on. For them to be the most productive and achieve great results, they need to enter “the state of Flow”.

Source: Optimal Experience , M. Csikszentmihalyi

💡 We’ve discussed the state of Flow in more detail in an article on time organization.

Encourage discussion and feedback

Let employees voice their opinions on the topic.

They should ask anything about the task, the goals, or the overall impact their work will have on the later stages or others’ workflow. It means they are interested in the task, and getting involved.

And if they aren’t asking questions themselves, you can always nudge them into proactivity.

• Is there something you’d like me to clarify?
• Do you already have any ideas on how to go about the task?
• Is the time we agreed upon enough for you?
• Will you need other resources, tools, or support?
• Do you see any problems or risks?

Questions like these help them feel valued, their efforts acknowledged, and let them know you care about the task and how well they perform. Just be careful not to overdo it, or you’ll start to look like a micromanager.

Give employees free rein, but offer support

Speaking of micromanaging, delegation means you let people problem-solve their way out on their own. There should be no reason for a manager to step in and control or supervise any step of the process, unless absolutely necessary.

However, what you should do is let them know you’re available for any advice should they feel stuck. Just because employees get authority on a certain task, and are left to their own devices, doesn’t mean the project has to suffer until they pull themselves up.

From time to time, ask them if they need anything from you, and make sure they know you’re there for any kind of support, consultation, or mediation. ANother good practice is to also give them additional learning opportunities – such as training, conferences, courses, etc.

Delegate objectives that move people forward

Choose assignments that boost the skills and employ all of their experiences, instead of something that simply needs to be done. For example:

• Tasks that require they brush up on their team communication skills;
• Learning how to allocate smaller tasks;
• Supervising others’ work and doing quality control;
• Learning to work with a new tool;
• Holding a meeting (or more), etc.

Find out which skills your employees may want or need to develop, and then plan your delegations accordingly. You want them to complete the task while having learned something new at the same time.

How to choose who to delegate to

Paul Beesley, senior director and consultant at Beyond Theory proposed a nifty checklist for when you’re choosing an employee to delegate to. It’s meant to simplify and speed up the process.

To successfully complete the delegated task, your chosen employee needs:

S – the skill to perform and complete a task

T – the time to complete the task, and if needed, learn the required skill

A – the authority to handle everything concerning the task

R – the necessary level of responsibility

R – the recognition for successfully completing the task

This list is a set of important criteria that should be covered when you consider who to assign to a specific task. However, depending on your niche, type of service, company size and the project at hand, the criteria are likely to change. And it should accommodate your needs, not the other way around.

Common task delegation mistakes to avoid

With all being said, there are some common mistakes managers and employers make, sometimes without even realizing it.

• Being too vague concerning deadlines (using: as soon as possible, when you get to it, I need it by yesterday). It creates unnecessary pressure.
• Being unavailable for questions and concerns. While you shouldn’t micromanage, you should still be present for support if an employee feels stuck. Ignoring them or handing them over to someone else could cause distrust. However, if you are usually swamped with work, set consultation hours each day or week.
• Having unclear directions. Specifying the allotted time for task completion and expectations should be the bare minimum when delegating tasks.
• Not providing feedback. No feedback is worse than bad feedback. Employees need to be aware when they’re doing good work, as well. In one company I worked for, the mantra was: “If no one is complaining about your work, that means you’re doing good”. And while it sounds like sound logic, it actually caused a lot of frustration. We were left directionless, and simply “floating” from task to task, never knowing if any of them had a positive impact on our performance.
• Not listening to employees. Take into account how they feel about a task or the objective. Let them give you feedback and if there are potential problems from the get-go.
• Assigning other people to the same task. If you notice a person struggling, the first instinct should be to ask them how they’re faring, and if they need any help. Some managers tend to assign other employees to help them without consultation, which leaves a sore taste. The employee will feel even more incompetent and will be less likely to take on a similar task in the future.
• Assuming people will know what you mean. This is one of the biggest problems. When you’re formulating a task, be as clear as possible about the goals and expectations. Oftentimes managers think that these things are implied, but the truth is – no one is a mind reader. To avoid having information misconstrued or misunderstood, communicate clearly and directly.

There could be more mistakes, especially for every different field and industry. If at all possible, identify the most common ones, made either by you or your peers. Note down all the instances where certain tasks weren’t up to par, and see what you could have changed in your assignment process to fix it. Maybe there wasn’t enough time or resources, you were unclear, or the employee wasn’t ready for such responsibility. Use the same procedure in all future task delegations. It’s the only way to learn and make the process quicker.

Use Clockify to assign tasks with ease

Now you’re a master of task delegation — congrats!

But there’s more to it than meets the eye.

In fact, what if you used a digital tool like Clockify to increase the likelihood that each job would be completed on time and on point?

In Clockify, you can easily create highly descriptive assignments that contain information like:

• Start time,
• Billability status,
• Name of the employee,
• Period for getting the assignment done,
• Hours per day to spend on the assignment, and more.

That way, you can plan who works on what, how long, and when.

Similarly, Clockify allows you to create project milestones to achieve results faster.

With the Milestones option, you can select dates for deadlines, allowing you to pin down important events in your projects.

For example, if your client expects you to keep them in the loop about developments, you can inform them promptly on whether your team has reached the agreed-upon milestones.

Refocus on your company’s big picture with a project and time tracking tool.

Marijana Stojanovic is a writer and researcher who specializes in the topics of productivity and time management.

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Ready for Kamala? First pro-Harris 2024 effort begins recruiting volunteers

President Joe Biden insists he’s staying in the race, and Vice President Kamala Harris is standing by his side. But that hasn’t stopped the first hints of a pro-Harris shadow campaign from taking shape — with or without her blessing — as Democrats debate the future of their presidential ticket.

A handful of alumni of Hillary Clinton’s and Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaigns have come together to form United for Harris , so far the first public-facing effort to promote a potential 2024 presidential campaign for Harris, news of which was shared first with NBC News.

Organizers compare the effort to Ready for Hillary , the group that formed months before the former secretary of state officially entered the 2016 contest, which recruited volunteers who pledged their support as they waited for the formal campaign to begin.

“We just want to put it out there that there are folks who are wanting to rally around the vice president, should Joe Biden step aside,” said Matt Ortega , a Democratic digital strategist who served as digital director for communications on Clinton’s campaign. “The idea is to give some people out there who want Harris to be at the top of the ticket a focal point.”

Ortega said the goals of the group are relatively modest: Give Harris supporters “an actionable thing to do” as they wait for the succession crisis to unfold. And to promote Harris’ potential candidacy with what they hope will be a strong show of support for the vice president.

Ortega said the group does not plan to retain the data it collects or live on in any form beyond this unique moment.

The effort is not authorized by Harris or her team, which has assiduously avoided doing anything that could interpreted as disloyal to Biden.

Harris’ spokesperson declined to comment.

It comes as Democrats are beginning to split into the three camps: Those who want to stick with Biden, those who want to replace him with Harris, and a third group that wants an open nominating process where multiple candidates could compete at next month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The pro-Harris camp argues that she represents enough change to re-energize Democratic voters and reset the presidential race, while retaining enough continuity from Biden to avoid the potential divisiveness of presidential primary do-over.

“Having worked on the 2016 primary and seeing the 2020 primary, I think reducing that process to a few days creates room for chaos,” Ortega said. “And effectively, Harris was already voted on by the primary voters, so she has democratic legitimacy.”

Harris supporters say Democrats could still get some of the excitement of an open convention through the jockeying for the vice presidential slot, which would need to be filled if Biden steps aside and Harris replaces him atop the ticket.

With polls showing Biden currently trailing former President Donald Trump, Harris supporters say it’s better to take a chance on her rather than stick with a candidate they view as doomed.

“It’s a risk, it’s unprecedented,” United for Harris argues on its website . “But we’re down with just seconds to go in the third quarter, and we know Kamala Harris will make us proud.”

Harris struggled during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, which she entered with momentum and money before fizzling out disappointingly early.

She had particular issues with progressives that year, and now, some of Biden’s most vocal defenders are coming from the left, including figures like Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y.

But other progressives have re-evaluated Harris, and the nascent pseudocampaign on her behalf got a big boost Saturday from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a progressive who ran against both Biden and Harris in the 2020 Democratic primary.

“What gives me a lot of hope right now is that if President Biden decides to step back, we have Vice President Kamala Harris, who is ready to step up to unite the party, to take on Donald Trump and to win,” she said in an interview on MSNBC’s “The Weekend.”

“I’ve known Kamala for nearly 15 years now, back when I was setting up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Kamala was attorney general of California,” Warren added. “We worked side by side to try to fight back against giant banks that were cheating people. Kamala has led the charge in order to fight back against the Republicans that want a nationwide abortion ban.”

Democratic Party rules make it virtually impossible to replace Biden unless he steps aside. And the party is still on track to formally nominate him in a virtual roll call vote during the first week of August. His campaign says he will be back on the stump starting next week after he recovers from Covid.

Alex Seitz-Wald is a senior political reporter for NBC News.

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Radhakrishnan thanks Prez Murmu PM Modi for his appointment as Maharashtra Guv

    Ranchi, Jul 28 (PTI) Outgoing Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan on Sunday thanked President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his appointment as governor of Maharashtra.     Radhakrishnan, who was also holding additional charge of Telangana, has been appointed as the new governor of Maharashtra, succeeding incumbent Ramesh Bais, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said on Saturday night.     Former Union Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar will be the new Jharkhand governor in place of Radhakrishnan.     “I am also deeply proud and honoured to have had the wonderful opportunity to serve the three great States of Jharkhand, Telangana and Puducherry. Will forever cherish it and will always remain close to my heart. I wish the three great states the very best," Radhakrishnan said on X.     He also expressed gratitude to Home Minister Amit Shah for his new assignment as Maharashtra governor.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

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The Kamala Harris coconut tree meme, explained as best we can

Lexie Schapitl

Rachel Treisman

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on July 10 in Dallas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption

For more on Biden's decision and the now open 2024 race, head to the NPR Network's live updates page .

In the weeks before President Biden announced he would not be seeking reelection , some Democrats online rallied behind Vice President Kamala Harris to become the party’s new nominee. And their symbol became the coconut tree.

Not long after Biden announced on Sunday he was dropping out of the race, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis tweeted out just three emojis : a coconut, a palm tree and an American flag. EMILYs LIST, the PAC focused on electing Democratic women, explicitly endorsed Harris in a tweet and, in a more subtle show of support, also added the tree and the coconut to its username. And Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii posted a picture of himself climbing up a coconut tree , adding, "Madam Vice President, we are ready to help."

🥥 🌴 🇺🇸 — Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) July 21, 2024

So how did the coconut tree emerge as the emblem of Harris' most devoted, or at least most-online followers? It's a story more than a year in the making.

Why are we even talking about coconut trees?

The “coconut tree” meme originates from a May 2023 speech Harris gave at a White House event for advancing opportunities for Hispanic Americans.

At one point near the end of her remarks, Harris talked about how the initiative's work would be focused on young people, but it should also take into account the needs of their families, teachers and communities, "because none of us just live in a silo."

We’re proud to endorse @kamalaharris as the next president of the United States because we know she is a qualified accomplished leader. She is the only candidate positioned to win against Trump in November, and the best voice to define the stakes in this election! #allinforkamala pic.twitter.com/CmdgImMaDz — EMILYs List 🥥🌴 (@emilyslist) July 21, 2024

"Everything is in context," Harris said, before launching into the now-famous anecdote.

"My mother ... would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, 'I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?' " Harris said with a laugh. "You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you."

The moment was first meme’d in earnest in February of this year, when for a period of time, one could not open X, formerly known as Twitter, without seeing clips of or oblique references to those remarks.

this video is literally like medicine to me. i watch it once every week or two and every time i do i get an enduring hit of light euphoria for the next 45 minutes pic.twitter.com/eIF6Rwiir0 — charlie squire (@evil_female) February 9, 2024

But the meme took on new life this summer , after President Biden’s disastrous debate performance fueled speculation that he might step aside as the Democratic nominee. Harris’ supporters, also known as the KHive, were waiting in the wings.

Since then, the moment has been remixed into Charli XCX’s “ Von Dutch ” and Britney Spears’ " Gimme More ." Democratic operatives have spoken of being “ coconut-pilled .” The meme flourished into 2028 debate fan fiction . Google searches for "coconut tree" started climbing in the U.S. in early July.

Like all of us, the coconut tree moment exists in the context of all in which it lives and what came before it. Which is to say, it’s part of a larger set of memes surrounding Kamala Harris’ political persona. Harris has been spawning memes longer than she’s been vice president. We Did It, Joe , is likely the most well-known. But her laugh , her bus , her dance moves and her love of Venn diagrams have all become social media fodder.

We did it, @JoeBiden . pic.twitter.com/oCgeylsjB4 — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 7, 2020

So why did the coconut tree break through?

It's impossible to say why any particular meme — political or otherwise — catches fire over another. But part of Harris’ persona as portrayed on the internet is just that she   brings an energy that’s in stark contrast to President Biden and former President Donald Trump.

“We want something to laugh at and laugh with. And that's what Kamala does. And I think the coconut tree clip is a perfect example of that,” said Rebecca Jennings, a senior correspondent at Vox covering internet culture. 

Put another way, Harris — even being 59 and the incumbent vice president —represented something new in a campaign defined by old. And that stoked some enthusiasm among voters who were very unenthused.

“There's a sense of, like, nihilism that's like – OK, we have to do this again , and we have to do Trump and Biden again ,” Jennings said. “And so when you see clips of Kamala, it's like, well, at least that's fun to watch. At least it's, you know, not the same thing we've been seeing on screens for 10 years. It's a break in the just the drudgery of what what everyone thought this election was going to be.”

Young Democrats — among the most dissatisfied with Biden as a candidate, and the most online — also helped fuel the movement. As Washington Post internet culture reporter Taylor Lorenz wrote : "Harris’s new online prominence could help give the Democratic Party new prominence with young people — including major content creators — who are hesitant to vote for Biden again due to his climate policies, support of Israel’s war in Gaza, mishandling of the ongoing pandemic, and signing a bill that could ban TikTok."

One man's gaffe is another man's meme

From the coconut trees to the Venn diagrams, the Harris memes embrace what detractors might consider a gaffe. Trump, for instance, has dubbed Harris " laughing Kamala ," saying the laugh makes her seem "crazy."

Take another example, which grew out of one of Harris' go-to lines dating back to her 2020 presidential run: “I can imagine what can be, unburdened by what has been.”

The RNC compiled a supercut of Harris being "unburdened" and shared it on social media, arguing that it shows she is “unoriginal, annoying, and highly incompetent.” But the attacks aren’t sticking, as her supporters have taken ownership of the line and the laughter.

Jennings said it’s reminiscent of the critiques hurled at Trump throughout his political career, only to be welcomed by his base.

“People like the fact that he was saying offensive things,” Jennings said. "And I think it's strange for Republicans to kind of now be on the other end of that – which is making all these, you know, memes and videos of Kamala being goofy and quirky and the left being like, “Hell, yeah, brother.”

• election 2024
• Kamala Harris
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The Most Stylish Olympic Opening Ceremony Ever

Paris raised the fashion stakes for the XXXIII Olympiad, and even with the rain, the result transformed the Seine into a watery runway.

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By Vanessa Friedman

Even before the XXXIII Olympiad officially began, the litany of firsts was enormous. The first Olympics in Paris in a century. The first with equal gender participation. The first opening ceremony, ever, en pleine air. The first sponsored by a global luxury behemoth.

The first Olympics in which fashion was so central to the identity of the host country itself.

The opening ceremony featured not only a red carpet at the entrance but offered a full-blown runway show in the middle of vignettes devoted to the history and spirit of the country, including the French Revolution and the reconstruction of Notre Dame. As the monuments of Paris — the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais, the Place de la Concorde — provided the backdrop to the event, style was at its heart.

The bar was set as soon as it was announced that LVMH would be a premium partner. The goal, according to Thomas Jolly , the Games’ artistic director, was to “shed light on French savoir-faire,” broadly defined. They did it with cabaret and heavy metal, dance, acrobats and 1,800 outfits from brands both new and old. From the start, it was clear the fashion competition stakes would be raised for every other national team.

It’s tempting, during an Olympics, for teams to resort to the usual uniform of blazer and chino in national colors (yes, we’re looking at you, USA and Ralph Lauren), to default to the basic athleisure warm-up suit (hello, Italy in Emporio Armani and Canada in Lululemon) or to fall into a trap of national stereotype (Bermudans in Bermuda shorts).

But by the time the Olympic cauldron had risen aloft beneath a hot-air balloon, and Celine Dion had begun to belt beneath the Eiffel Tower, and despite the rain that had pelted down requiring mass distribution of ponchos, it was clear the most memorable looks belonged to the teams who played their own fashion game. Not to mention the attendees who dressed for the occasion, and the brand that turned out to have been the secret couturière to the celebrity performers.

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