A deceptively difficult question

Hello - in the sentence "Managing people is a decpetively difficult task" am I saying that managing people is difficult but appears easy or that managing people is easy but appears difficult?
thanks!
Emma

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by emma

"Managing people is a deceptively difficult task"
(a) managing people is difficult but appears easy.
(b) managing people is easy but appears difficult.

The adverb 'deceptively' modifies the adjective 'difficult', like this,

Managing people is a task that is deceptively difficult.

That is, the task seems difficult, but it's not.

Hey thanks for the quick response
Just one more question is there a difference between "it is deceptively simple" and "it appeared deceptively simple"?
Thankyou
Emma

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Maruader

Hey thanks for the quick response
Just one more question is there a difference between "it is deceptively simple" and "it appeared deceptively simple"?
Thankyou
Emma

You're welcome.

It is what it is: It is
It wasn't what it is: It appeared