At Productive, each task has a single assignee to ensure clear ownership and accountability.
While multiple people may collaborate on a task, having one directly responsible individual (DRI) prevents confusion over who is ultimately responsible for completing the work.
The Philosophy: Ownership Leads to Execution
When multiple people are assigned to the same task, it can create uncertainty about who is actually responsible for its completion. If two or more people share responsibility, each might assume that someone else will take the lead—leading to delays, dropped tasks, or miscommunication.
This is why we follow the single assignee model, inspired by Apple's DRI (Directly Responsible Individual) approach. By designating one person as the task owner, you ensure:
Accountability – One person takes responsibility for driving the task forward.
Clarity – There’s no ambiguity about who needs to complete the task.
Efficiency – Decisions happen faster, and work moves forward without hesitation.
How to Involve Multiple People in a Task
Even though only one person can be assigned to a task, you can still collaborate effectively by using:
1. Subtasks for Shared Work
Within a task, create subtasks and assign them to different team members.
The main task remains with the primary owner, ensuring progress oversight.
2. To-Do Items for Smaller Contributions
Inside a task, add To-Do items and assign the team members responsible for each.
This works well for lightweight collaboration where full subtasks aren’t necessary.
3. Subscribers for Visibility
If a task affects multiple people, add them as task subscribers.
Subscribers receive updates and can contribute without being directly responsible for completion.
📌 For more details, check out the General Notification Settings and the Notification Inbox articles.
4. Leave Main Task Unassigned
If the main task doesn't need a specific assignee, you can leave it unassigned. The only required fields are the task’s title and task list.
By structuring tasks this way, you maintain clear ownership while allowing multiple people to contribute, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.