Forms for the War Room

Forms that go up on the walls in the War Room: these forms are updated continually as information comes to me through whatever route (usually e-mail), and in response to the requests that I send out to team members or updates provided in the War Room or in meetings. These are refreshed and posted in the War Room on approximately the 1st (or 31st) and 15th of each month. Yes, this entails a lot of work and effort, but it is well worth it when the project can be effectively tracked.

Key Tasks

These are the Key Tasks (listed for each function and owner) that need to be either begun or accomplished within a given period (usually 15 days). I e-mail these schedules out to each owner in the beginning of every week, and they respond with updates, changes, etc. This keeps our master schedule on-task and current!

If there are no key tasks for a certain department, we label the schedule as such so that when the schedules are reviewed, it doesn't look as it we just never got around to filling it out, or forgot about it.

Accomplishments

When a department completes a task, it is listed here for two cycles (one month). This gives some measure of recognition, while also allowing other team members to briefly see what has been done in other areas of the company.

Similar to when there are no Key Tasks, we write N/A on the form when it is blank.

Milestones and Task Completions

This is a tracking device for each function's overall completion. This is the most confusing document of all, as each company has a different way of categorizing their tasks and phases; so this document changes with every company.

Risk Assessment

Each function thinks of risks related to their departmental move and then fills out a risk information chart, and a risk matrix.

The risks for that department are then input onto this comprehensive matrix, so that, at a glance, we can tell which departments need the most mitigation/have the highest risk factors involved.

Top 10 Issues to Progress

This is a spotlight on problems. We want attention to be driven towards risks, possible failures, or issues that will hold the project up or delay task completion. Sometimes, it is difficult to get function owners to cough up these issues; you have to be constantly on the alert, listening even in casual conversation, for possible issues to bring attention to.