Dependencies, Action Items and Tasks… Wait, there’s a difference?
Let’s talk about a common mix-up that quietly wrecks projects behind the scenes: the difference between dependencies and action items. Because nothing says “project chaos” like assigning someone a task they can’t even start yet.
If you’ve ever caught yourself in a status meeting wondering, “Why hasn’t this been done yet?” and the response is a shrug and a “we’re waiting on so-and-so”… congrats. You just confused a dependency with an action item.
First up, What’s an Action Item?
An action item is a task someone can get started on right now. It’s assigned, it’s clear, and it doesn’t need anything else to get moving. Think: “Send intro email to vendor,”
No one’s holding this up. It’s not waiting for a green light from Legal, and it doesn’t need an act of Congress to begin. It’s literally the next step someone can take.
Now, What’s a Dependency?
A dependency is what needs to happen before an action item can start. It’s the thing upstream that your shiny new task is waiting on.
Example: You want to send a client proposal, but you’re waiting on pricing approval from Finance. That approval? That’s a dependency. Until it’s handled, your action item is stuck in limbo.
Dependencies are like that one friend who always shows up late to brunch. You can’t really begin without them, and yet you know they’re going to mess with the timeline anyway.
Why Mixing These Up Is a Problem
When you assign a dependency like it’s an action item, you’re setting someone up to fail. It goes on a to-do list, it gets brought up in meetings, and then nothing happens. Why? Because the task wasn’t ready to be started in the first place.
Suddenly it’s “Why isn’t this done yet?” and your team’s stressed out trying to explain that they can’t build a house until someone pours the foundation.
On the flip side, treating action items like they’re blocked when they’re actually not? That’s how projects fall behind while people are waiting for a magical sign that never comes. You don’t need a two-week delay to send an email.
How to Stop the Madness
Label your dependencies clearly
Whether it’s in your project plan, Asana board, or post-it note empire — flag the things that can’t be worked on yet. Use tags, color codes, flaming emojis, whatever.Assign dependencies to someone
Just because it’s a blocker doesn’t mean it’s no one’s job. Someone owns that dependency. Make it clear who’s responsible for getting it unblocked.Don’t assign blocked tasks as action items
Sounds obvious, but here we are. If it can’t be worked on today, don’t treat it like it can. Queue it up, sure, but don’t assign it with a due date like it’s ready to roll.Track dependencies like they matter
Because they do. They're often the reason your timeline slips, and yet somehow they get the least attention. Make them part of your daily check-ins, not just your week-late postmortem.
If you’re ever unsure where something fits, ask:
“Can someone do something about this right now?”
If yes → Action Item
If no because they’re waiting → Dependency
If no because a choice hasn’t been made → Decision Needed
Look, project management is already hard enough without tripping over your own task list. If you want to keep your project moving (and your team slightly less annoyed with you), stop acting like dependencies and action items are the same thing. They’re not. One gets things done. The other keeps things from getting done.
Figure out which is which, and thank me later when your timeline actually holds up.
