Project management · Practical guide
Task Dependencies: Blockers, Sequence and Ownership
By My First Task editorial team
Updated
The short answer
How to approach the work
Not every related task is a dependency. Two activities can belong to the same project but proceed independently. Record a dependency when starting or finishing truly relies on another event. A review, access request or external approval may be the prerequisite. Keep the description and owner clear, check for circular chains, and review dependencies when scope changes. A task link does not by itself establish a complete critical-path schedule.
A practical sequence
- List the input or event needed before the task can proceed.
- Identify the prerequisite's owner and expected decision date.
- Record the dependency on the task rather than only in a chat.
- Check whether any tasks can proceed independently.
- Look for circular dependencies and clarify the actual sequence.
- Revisit blocked items during planning and escalation.
Illustrative scenario · not customer research
Worked example
The team can write account-help content while a login change is developed, but cannot validate the final login error text until the error behavior is agreed. Design approval is a prerequisite for that review, not for every task in the project. If the approval is late, the owner can see which deliverable is affected and choose a specific escalation rather than marking the entire project blocked.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Linking every task to every other task.
- Recording a blocker without an owner or next decision.
- Assuming all dependencies are development tasks.
Try the method with your own inputs
Questions answered
What is a circular dependency?
Does a dependency always prevent starting?
Does task linking calculate a critical path?
Apply it in a shared workspace
Keep the agreed owner, completion criteria and important decisions with the work. Explore the relevant My First Task feature.
Research context is available in our source library. The worked example above is an editorial illustration.
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