Draft an Email When You Need to Assign a Task to a Colleague

Assigning someone a task at your workplace is an inevitable part of the modern office experience. That said, there is definitely a right and a wrong way to do this. 

In this blog post, we will look at the right way to draft an email assigning a task to someone at work. We will also explore some tips and best practices along with a sample email to ensure that you learn how to do this perfectly, every time. 

Tips to Remember

• Instead of beating around the bush, after the pleasantries just get to the point and inform the person that you have assigned a task for him/her. 
• It is critical to share clear instructions on how to do the task and complete it satisfactorily. Lack of clear instructions will likely result in confusion and a sub-par output. 
• Share all the details about the task, the deadline, the task number, etc, and also keep the communication lines open so that the person can reach out for clarifications.

Best Practices

• By assigning a task you are adding to someone’s workload, so the least you can do is be polite and kind when informing them.
• Indicate the importance of the task, what is the consequence of finishing it and where it falls under the scope of the company or department, so the other person is informed.
• Share adequate documentation but not so much that you overwhelm the other person and keep communication lines open in case you are needed for consultation.

Sample Email

Subject: Assigned: [Task Name]

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

Hope this email finds you well. I am writing this email to inform you about a task that has been assigned to you by me. The task number is [Task Number] and the deadline is [Deadline Date]. 

Here are the instructions to complete this task:

• [Brief about Step 1]
• [Brief about Step 2]
• [Brief about Step 3]

If you need more information about the task, please refer to the documentation here [Linked to Documentation] and do not hesitate to contact me on [Your Email ID] if you have any other questions or clarifications.

Thank you for your assistance, it has been a great help. Your contributions have been critical to the functioning of the [Name of the Team or Company] and it is greatly appreciated. 

Regards,

[Your Name]

Conclusion

Now that you have learned how to assign a task to someone at work through best practices, and tips, it is time to actually send out that email. All the best!

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