# Plan and track a project (/use-cases/team-ops/project-planning)



Copy this prompt to start your first task:

<Prompt>
  Set up a teammate that breaks [project] into a task list with owners and dependencies, builds a timeline with the critical path, and gives me a daily rollup of what's on track, blocked, and needs attention.
</Prompt>

<LivePreview component="NewThread" scenario="{ draft: &#x22;Set up a teammate that breaks [project] into a task list with owners and dependencies, builds a timeline with the critical path, and gives me a daily rollup of what's on track, blocked, and needs attention.&#x22; }" />

## What is this workflow? [#what-is-this-workflow]

Plan and track a project is the recurring job of turning a goal and rough scope into a task breakdown with dependencies, owners, and estimated effort, then a timeline that identifies the critical path — what actually determines the finish date, not just a flat list. From there it delivers a daily rollup covering what's on track, what's blocked, and what needs attention today, delivered before you have to ask, and flags a milestone at risk before it's actually missed.

## How to use this workflow [#how-to-use-this-workflow]

<Steps>
  <Step>
    ### Hire a senior project manager [#hire-a-senior-project-manager]

    Open **AI Teammates** in the sidebar, click **Hire AI Teammate**, and pick the **Senior Project Manager** template, a good fit for engineering-heavy projects with real dependencies. The default bio is generic tech leadership. Replace it on the Profile step so it knows this job means breaking scope into a dependency-aware task list and flagging milestone risk before it's actually missed:

    <Prompt>
      You're our senior project manager. Given a goal and rough scope, break it into tasks with dependencies, owners, and estimated effort. Build a timeline from that breakdown and identify the critical path, what actually determines the finish date, not just a flat list. Every morning, check the real status on the task board and roll it up: what's on track, what's blocked, what needs attention today. If a task's delay threatens an upcoming milestone, flag it before it's actually missed.
    </Prompt>

    Confirm the name and click **Create teammate**. They land in their own channel, which is where you'll send everything below. [More on hiring →](/ai-teammates/hire-an-ai-teammate)

    <LivePreview component="CreateAssistantPage" scenario="{ focus: &#x22;profile&#x22;, initialState: { start: &#x22;template&#x22;, templateRef: &#x22;@helio/project-manager&#x22;, name: &#x22;Senior Project Manager&#x22;, bio: &#x22;You're our senior project manager. Given a goal and rough scope, break it into tasks with dependencies, owners, and estimated effort. Build a timeline from that breakdown and identify the critical path, what actually determines the finish date, not just a flat list. Every morning, check the real status on the task board and roll it up: what's on track, what's blocked, what needs attention today. If a task's delay threatens an upcoming milestone, flag it before it's actually missed.&#x22; } }" />
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Connect Notion [#connect-notion]

    The task board and milestone timeline live here as the single source of truth. [Connect Notion →](/connect/connect-tools-to-ai-teammates)

    <LivePreview component="AssistantIntegrations" />
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Give it the goal and scope [#give-it-the-goal-and-scope]

    <Prompt>
      We need to ship [project] by [deadline]. Break it into tasks with dependencies, owners, and estimated effort. Build a timeline and flag the critical path.
    </Prompt>

    <LivePreview
      component="AssistantChat"
      scenario="{ assistantName: &#x22;Senior Project Manager&#x22;, messages: [
    { author: &#x22;user&#x22;, text: &#x22;We need to ship the Q3 API launch by September 30. Break it into tasks with dependencies, owners, and estimated effort. Build a timeline and flag the critical path.&#x22; },
    { author: &#x22;assistant&#x22;, text: &#x22;September 30 deadline, got it. I'll break this into tasks with dependencies, owners, and effort estimates, build the timeline, and flag the critical path so we know exactly what can't slip.&#x22; },
  ] }"
    />
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Turn the daily rollup into an automation [#turn-the-daily-rollup-into-an-automation]

    Open **Automations** in the sidebar, click **Create via Chat**, and pick this teammate in the New Thread composer that opens:

    <Prompt>
      Every morning, check the real status on the task board, not the last thing someone said, and roll it up: what's on track, what's blocked, what needs attention. If a task's delay threatens an upcoming milestone, flag it before it's actually missed.
    </Prompt>

    <LivePreview component="NewThread" scenario="{ populated: false }" />
  </Step>
</Steps>

**Nothing here needs your approval:** breaking the goal into tasks, building the timeline, and updating the task board and daily rollup all stay inside Notion, the connected tool you set up — not irreversible or external actions, so this flow runs on its own. See [Control](/ai-teammates/control) for what does pause for sign-off.

## Tips for Better Results [#tips-for-better-results]

| Tip                                                          | Description                                                                                                                               |
| ------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Give it the real deadline and rough scope up front           | The breakdown, timeline, and critical path all key off what you give it here — vague scope produces a vague plan.                         |
| Connect Notion before asking for a breakdown                 | The task board and milestone timeline live there as the single source of truth; without it there's nothing for the daily rollup to check. |
| Turn the daily rollup into an automation, not a standing ask | Set it up once through **Automations → Create via Chat** so it checks real status every morning without you asking.                       |
| Treat a critical-path flag as your early warning             | The point of flagging a delay before a milestone is "actually missed" is to give you time to react — don't wait for the deadline day.     |

## Common Questions [#common-questions]

<Accordions type="single">
  <Accordion title="What does this workflow need to get started?">
    A goal and rough scope, plus Notion connected — the task board and milestone timeline live there as the single source of truth.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What's the difference between a task list and the critical path?">
    A flat task list doesn't tell you what actually determines the finish date. The critical path does — it's what the timeline is built to identify.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I have to ask for the daily rollup every morning?">
    No. Turn it into an automation once, through **Automations → Create via Chat**, and it checks the real status on the task board and rolls up every morning on its own.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does anything here need my approval?">
    No. Breaking down tasks, building the timeline, and posting the rollup all stay inside Notion, your connected tool. See [Control](/ai-teammates/control) for what does pause for sign-off.
  </Accordion>
</Accordions>

<Cards>
  <Card title="Team Ops" href="/use-cases/team-ops" description="Back to the Team Ops use case overview." />

  <Card title="Manage hiring and HR tasks" href="/use-cases/team-ops/admin-hr-ops" description="Document drafting, pipeline nudges, and deadline reminders." />
</Cards>