# To-Do software to manage an employee **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-do-software-to-manage-an-employee/982799 "2023-04-17T15:50:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MorrisCody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@MorrisCody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MorrisCody)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-do-software-to-manage-an-employee/982799/1 "2023-04-17T15:50:48Z")
I have a great manager—for the most part. He is terrible at checking in and giving updates, and doesn’t understand that “no news” is news. I need to know that he called so-and-so and she doesn’t have an answer yet. Is there a to-do list app that has deadlines (to the hour) and fields for daily status updates? I imagine it would work something like this: | Task | Deadline | Status | Note | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Make deposit | 9:00 AM Today | Complete | | | File TPS Report | 12/8/23 | 10/8/23 Spoke with accounting will follow up with HR | | | | | 11/8/23 HR needs to locate the Penske file | | | | | 12/8/23 The Penske file is not in the file cabinet. HR will check with the archivist tomorrow. | Let HR know they need to contact Mr. Lumbergh to let him know they can’t find the file. | | Call Mr. Beuller | 9/8/23 | 7/8/23 No answer | | | | | 8/8/23 No answer | | | | | 9/8/23 No answer | | | | | 10/8/23 Called twice. No answer | | | | | 11/8/23 Wife answered phone. Said she’d have him call. | | | | | 12/8/23 Called 3X. No answer. | We need to get another number for him. Or e-mail. | ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-do-software-to-manage-an-employee/982799/2 "2023-04-17T16:14:35Z")
I’d build it in FileMaker if it were me. Or if it were someone who reported to me. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-do-software-to-manage-an-employee/982799/3 "2023-04-17T16:29:56Z")
Those are all comments i would put in the body of the file in a comment section. Let me amend - At one point I worked for various companies doing telephone customer service [a really large insurance company and then a really large alarm company, and then a food service company doing USDA coordination] and I would pull up said file on the computer to work on it - at the alarm company calls would basically autoroll onto a screen for me to work, the insurance company I would have telephone messages and incoming computer based queries for quotes, claims and the whole shebang. With the food service company their DOS system was so ancient I made file cards to track calls on 5x7 index cards. I think the issue is that your manager may not be checking and updating the files? I would hate to have to micromanage someone to the point of emailing them a bullet list of tasks for the day and requiring an update back every 4 hours. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-do-software-to-manage-an-employee/982799/4 "2023-04-17T19:26:47Z")
Yeah, that seems overkill to me. I would also hate to be micromanaged like that, or to have to micromanage a direct report like that. Your first step should be to talk to the manager and tell them your concerns, and hope to work out something a little less formal and time consuming than a daily task list. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-do-software-to-manage-an-employee/982799/5 "2023-04-18T00:04:00Z")
If you’re trying to force your haphazard manager to keep their exact task status up to date, you will fail spectacularly, perhaps to the point of being force to need a new job. If you are hoping to somehow update yourself the status of your haphazard manager’s accomplishments and intermediate statuses of their tasks and subtasks, well you just created a new full-time job for you that a) you will suck at, and b) will prevent you from doing whatever really is your job. My bottom line, having managed a lot of people: This way lies abject failure. Rethink what you really need and more importantly why you think you need it. I bet you don’t.