Tasks are the primary way to track work that needs to happen on behalf of the CEO. The goal is to keep all tasks self-contained: every task should hold enough context that anyone picking it up can act on it without needing to dig through email threads or ask for background.

High-priority items must always be surfaced, even when the CEO is operating at a higher strategic level and less involved in day-to-day execution.

Task anatomy

A well-formed task includes:

  • A clear, action-oriented title
  • The relevant context — links to emails, documents, or calendar events
  • A due date or target timeline
  • An owner (the CEO, a delegate, or the executive assistant)
  • Any dependencies or blockers

When new context arrives (e.g. a reply in a related email thread), update the task immediately. The task is the source of truth — not the inbox.

Daily workflow

Each workday, review all open tasks. Run through the following checks:

  1. Match inbox items to tasks. Cross-reference the inbox with open tasks. If an email relates to an existing task, add the context to that task and note any updates.
  2. Check scheduled tasks. For each task with a due date or scheduled start: is the timeline still realistic? Does anything need to be moved earlier or later?
  3. Assess readiness. Is the task ready to be executed today — or is it blocked? If blocked, note what is needed and by whom.
  4. Identify delegation opportunities. Which tasks can be handled without the CEO? Reassign where appropriate and update the owner on the task.
  5. Flag tasks that need time blocked. If a task requires focused CEO time (e.g. writing, reviewing, a decision), create a calendar event for it and link the task in the event description.
  6. Surface urgent or high-priority items. Any task that is overdue, at risk, or requires an imminent CEO decision should be flagged in the daily touch-base.

Deal Desk review

Deals stall on the CEO more often than on anything else — a pricing approval, a redline, or a signature that nobody has chased. The daily brief therefore always covers the Deal Desk Asana project explicitly, rather than leaving those tasks to surface through the general task review.

Every workday, before compiling the briefing, open the Deal Desk project and pull every task due today or tomorrow, regardless of who it is assigned to. Walk the CEO through each one in the brief. For each task, state:

  • The counterparty and the deal it belongs to.
  • What is being asked for — pricing/discount approval, legal or redline review, an NDA, or a signature (see Deal Approval Process and Legal for what each type involves).
  • Whether the CEO is the one who has to act, or whether it is waiting on someone else — and if the latter, who and since when.
  • The decision or action needed today, phrased so the CEO can answer it in the brief itself.

Nothing due today or tomorrow is omitted because it looks routine or because it already appeared in yesterday's brief — a task that has been repeated three days running is itself the thing worth flagging. Tasks already past their due date are escalated alongside them.

Record the CEO's response on the Asana task the same day, and reschedule or close it accordingly, so the Deal Desk stays the source of truth for where each deal stands.

Scheduling and timelines

A task on the list without a realistic timeline creates noise. When reviewing tasks:

  • If a task has no due date, assign one or flag it for prioritization.
  • If a due date has passed without completion, either reschedule it with a new date and a note explaining the delay, or escalate to the CEO.
  • Avoid piling too many tasks on a single day — spread work to match the CEO's available focus time.

Delegating tasks

Not every task requires the CEO. Before keeping a task assigned to the CEO, ask: can this be handled fully or partially by someone else?

When delegating:

  • Update the task owner.
  • Include enough context in the task that the delegate can act without a handoff call.
  • Set a follow-up date to check on completion.

Blocking time on the calendar

Some tasks require uninterrupted focus time. When a task needs a dedicated block on the CEO's calendar:

  • Create a calendar event following the event anatomy guidelines.
  • Link the task directly in the event description so context is one click away.
  • Keep the block appropriately sized — avoid over- or under-allocating time.
  • If the task is completed before the block, release the time.