Visual Project Management - War Rooms

There are many kinds of war rooms - they can be analog, digital, virtual or hybrid. This article will focus on analog war rooms and its practical use in workshops or as a stationary gathering place for teams and clients.

Overview

Figure 1. An example of a war room.

A war room is a 3 dimensional information and storytelling framework, where a project team can visually show, share and connect their ideas and knowledge across areas of expertise. The room is sort of a shared think box, in which the project team can develop projects and strategies, organize complex programs and layout expected time schedules. Thoughts, information and data can be visualized, which forms the foundation of finding linkages with interdisciplinary impacts and multidimensional information . The concept is very useful in larger projects, where many people must work together and understand each others needs and timeframes in order to have a succesful cooperation and deliver on time.

The concept of a war room can be applied to almost every project. Depending on the wanted outcome, the war room can be either temporary or stationary, and the layout of the room needs to be changed accordingly. An example of an analog war room layout is shown on Figure 1.

Temporary war room: A war room can be used temporary in the beginning of a project as part of a workshop, where the war room provides the framework for discussion of the tasks to be done. When all thinkable subjects and tasks are literally written on the walls, it is easier to reach a mutual understanding and make clever decisions. The war room as a communication tool can therefore lead to faster achievements when planning, even if the room is only provisional.

Stationary war room: A war room can also provide a continuous framework throughout a project and function as a command centre or project cockpit as some companies call it. A project is changed thought-out its lifetime, and the project team must be ready to cope rapid changes. The war room is ideal to make quick and clever decisions, as all the information is visible to everyone and therefore tangible.

Whether the war room is temporary or continuous in a project, it enables a collaborative team to:

• Break down complex programs and information processes into comprehensible parts

• Promote structured dialogue and brainstorming

• Comprehend program intricacies

• Establish program concepts quickly

Big Idea

Example of Google Ventures war room in San Francisco

Analog war rooms can be beneficial in many different kinds of projects. It can be used as a temporary think tank in initial design phases, where people across disciplines must work together to make clever decisions in order to create the best take off. Whether the initial design phase is for an app design, an architectural tender or something third is subordinary, as all projects will have (or definitely should have) interdisciplinary focus. The video in figure 2, shows how Google Ventures uses a war room temporary for an initial design phase, or as they call it "a design sprint". The design sprint is a creative proces, and not two sprints are similar. Google Ventures' war room is a stationary room, but it can comply with the different needs and situations of each unique project, where it is used as a temporary framework for the project team. The furnishing is flexible, so the war room can be tailored for the present project.

During the execution of larger projects, the information that forms the outcome will also have interdisciplinary impacts. This information will not be eas

A project contains an enormous amount of information, where the most is often very complex. It is therefore of great importance to ensure the employees understand this information, in order to secure an as straight-line process as possible during the project. Time wasted on miscommunication benefits no one, and can in worst case lead to great financial loss, delays and even failures. Miscommunications should therefore be minimized.

When information on the overall process and project is not delivered or understood by the employees, they start to work in silos. This can become dangerous to any project, as employee A can work towards a completely different goal than employee B. According to Mark Woeppel , the primary problem in project execution is that the teams do not have any situational visibility. They don’t know where they are in the process, and they can’t see clearly what to do. They need a map to guide them. This is where the war room comes in handy.

Bring people together

The principle of a war room is quite simple: it is much easier to communicate with someone sitting next to you than someone in the next office, building, or even country.

Project teams do not come together often enough (....)

Traditionally, the teams would have meeting upon meeting where they try to figure out the status of the project, where they are in the process, and what they need to do in order to move on. But, with all employees working in silos, the left hand, does not know what the right hand does in the project. No one gets the whole idea of the project. Traditional meetings can often end up in fingers pointed, and questions asked in hindsight. When situations like this happen, the task of the debate has already been executed, and the discussion is taken too late. This breeds an environment of blame rather than one of cooperation.

When every decision is captured and put on the wall, the project manager do not have to worry whether the team is on the same page or not. The room is the page. The more information is shown on the walls; the more mutual understanding is built. This will lead to focusing on the future instead of dwelling in the past and revisiting already discussed issues.

A war room does not only bring people together physically, but also emotionally and psychologically. This might seem obvious and trite, but the mutual bond and respect might be difference between success and failure. If the project manager can navigate the expert knowledge of the project team, major delays etc. can be prevented. Vice versa, if the project team can navigate the rest of the team’s information, and can understand the tasks and deadlines of their co-workers, they might work towards a common goal and project.

A visual tool

Visible information is the shortest route from understanding to action , as visuals contribute to explore more complex relationships between entities, whether these are tasks, arguments, people or any other variable of interest . Humans receive approximately 90 % of all information through visual perception, and visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text .

Projects have an overload of information, and it is of the highest importance, that the project manager as well as the entire team can navigate this information. Traditionally, communication is done by writing reports, delivered to the project manager. From here, the project manager will sum up the findings and share the information with the rest of the project team. This is, traditionally, done in writing, and with the overload of information, this leads to long, tedious, reports.

Written words are a mostly a linear monologue, which is a perfect setting for in depth arguments with a high degree of ambiguity and nuances. Written words give the in-depth picture of a specific situation or solution, but is also what makes texts heavy and static. Texts are literally black and white. Visual information, on the other hand, are non-linear and can provide a rich overview of several arguments and their relationships. Also, visuals as diagrams reduce the need for labelling and descriptions, because the data is organized around two or more dimensions, thus the reader/viewer can establish relationships between variables more easily and quickly. Visuals can consequently manage more complex relationships between entities.

Studies show that visuals are much easier to understand and remember than written words. Research show that presenters who use visual aids are 43 % more effective in persuading audience members to act . Visuals affect us both cognitively and emotionally:

1. Cognitively: Graphics expedite and increase our level of communication. They increase comprehension, recollection and retention. This will increase the likelihood that the audience will remember.
2. Emotionally: Pictures enhance or affect emotions and attitudes. Graphics engage our imagination and heighten our creative thinking as other areas of the brain is being stimulated at the same time .

Visuals are a very clear and direct way of approaching an audience, whether these are costumers, meetings, talks, or lectures. Seeing, and seeing patterns, is a basic human skill, which we had long before someone invented words. Even a child sees and recognizes things, long before it can speak. If words are not hooked onto an image, they will go in one ear, sail through the brain, and go out the other ear .

Words are processed by our short-term memory, where images go directly into the long-term memory, where they are permanently imprinted.

Texts are heavy and static – very black and white. Texts can hold nuances of arguments, but the reader can easily lose the overview. It is therefore difficult to keep written words up-to-date, and in large projects, long reports can be time-consuming and overlooked by more – at the moment - significant tasks. In larger projects, if many managerial tasks are described, it is easy to lose overview and work by outdated reports. Visuals are a better object for real-time communication, as they are an entity that facilitates the storage and exchange of knowledge.

To sum up this section: Spatial memory > short term memory. Humans short term memory is not ideal for projects, but the long term memory is. When the walls are plastered with notes and deadlines, the brain takes advantage of the spatial memory.

Thoughts become tangible physical elements

With many employees at play in a large project, the most important people might not be heard. Especially in engineering management, as the archetype of an engineer often is introvert and not one to shout out his or her discoveries.

When the information is up on the walls, all team member’s expert knowledge is heard/seen and it is easier to reorganize elements and make sure information is up-to-date. Sticky notes or diagrams are easier to change than to make the same decisions verbally, and making sure everyone was paying attention and contributing. When all team members can follow changes minute by minute, they have a situational visibility, and stop working in silos and start to work in a team.

Application

How to set up a war room in a minute

A war room does not need to be fancy nor expensive to work as a communication tool. It can be kept simple, and can even be done at one’s workplace. Some people call it “hacking your workplace”, and it can be quite effective. If you work in an open plan office, simply place whiteboards to block three sides of your desk. Then, you can have three large idea platforms right in sight at all times. Get several sticky notes in different colours and then you are ready to start planning! If your group work is considering shaking things up, get the following things

1) Sticky notes of different colours in bulk – Use these to illustrate different work teams, objects etc.

2) White board and markers to scribble ideas and solutions – The brain works faster when the hands are in direct connection with thoughts. Just illustrate everything, and connect the dots later. If you don’t know where to find a white board, just get large printing paper sheets or similar.

3) Find a spot where your group can work uninterrupted – Ideally everyone should switch off their phones, so you all can work in the “zone” together.

Maintaining and frequently using the war room is essential. If you have a physical room, where your project and sticky notes are safe – lucky you. If you don’t, put up large printing paper sheets, where you can stick your sticky notes. Mark the sheets, and take them with you when your meeting is over. You can then go straight back in the war room zone at your next meeting by putting the sheets back up on the walls.

As your project progresses, changes will happen. Your sticky notes should change too, to cope with the new challenges.

To plan a war room

1. Flexible or fixed – The space can be a physical, permanently designed war room, or it can be four flexible walls put up for a temporary time. The war room can even be an office desk with whiteboard around it. As long as people changes their physical or social work environment, they are more likely to improve their concentration and immersion in work tasks.

2. Consider the audience – The audience will determine how to best use the room and display in contents. For management purposes, the content will be different for the team members, often a reflection of detail and display.

3. Choose a typology that suits the audienceThere are many kinds of war rooms. These are the most common

- Analog (low tech, paper based; map logic flow and presented on paper or boards) 


- Digital (displays and decision support software and tools are embedded into facility)

- Virtual (Web-based portal system; downloadable template of process;digital content and information feeds) 


- Hybrid – combinations of prior war room types.

4. Sketch the layout – Involve the stakeholders to determine content and display. Consider displaying certain materials as charts, diagrams and displays. Think about how to display information in a specific sequence. The layout of the room is essential to a war room, as the order will tell a specific story, and it is important to obtain consensus over content, format, relevance and detail.

5. Delegate tasks such as maintenance – Data and information on the walls must be kept current if people are expected to use the room as a communication centre and work room. Out of date material can result in obviating the entire purpose of the room; essentially, it becomes nothing more than another conference room.

The ideal war room

1. Location. Know your audience and make the war room accessible for them. Keep it close to the planning group.

2. Dimensions. Make sure it is large enough to support the number of planning sessions, monitoring the status of the project and respective efforts.

3. Furnishings etc. Make the war room as flexible as possible. What might be a good idea now, might not be it for the next project or idea pitching. Have tables on wheels, whiteboards on wheels, light – yet comfortable – chairs or couches. If the war room is used for idea pitches, keep an informal atmosphere with couches etc., and for large project, where time is a key criterion, keep the furnishing to a minimal in order to maximize the space. When people are standing, they are paying more attention, which is good if the team is only in the room for information meetings.

4. Walls. White walls where attention is needed – etc. a whole wall with white board material, and darker colours where screens are fixated, so draw the attention to turned on-screens, and draw attention elsewhere when off.

Limitations

Construction workers are a good example of people comfortable with routines. .

A war room definitely has limitations, where most of the limitations are due to human behavior. If the leadership does not encourage the project teams to work differently, the project will be stuck in the usual silos. The video to the right is an example of the human behavior and construction workers resisting in changing routines. Most of the workers in the video have worked in the same field for more than two decades, and no one shall make them draw on colorful sticky notes. The workers had to deal with changing behaviors and letting people of lower hierarchically rank come to word. They believed the war room to be a joke in the beginning, but as the work progressed, the value of the war room was unanimous.

There are so many ways of setting up a war room, and all have different limitations. For example, if a war room is purely analog, it will be limited by having different locations and working out of office. But there is a great advantage in having the space analog, as ideas are formed more natural when presented physically, and the overview is easily made by looking 360 degrees in the room. Virtual war rooms have the opposite advantages and limitations. Virtually, everyone involved in the project can contribute and follow the process, but the team will be limited by having software, which must always be online, and everyone must have rather good computer skills in order to contribute. This might exclude more experienced team members.

There are much more challenges when dealing with a war room, than there are limitations, as a war room is very individual and almost personal to the people in charge.

Challenges

• Keeping the war room current

• Displaying the content of the war room consistently and logically for the purposes of access and visibility

• Enduring that the materials on the walls is useful to the people

• Keeping the war room tidy

• Ensuring that the room has working equipment and available supplies

• Controlling access

(to be continued....)

GODE SKRIV

An analog war room can physically gather an entire project team in a special designed room, where they can think big thoughts and visually communicate the activities of a project. This can be used in initial plannings of eg. larger building projects, where many different groups of professionals must cooperate, in order to have the right succession of elements arriving to the construction site. In a war room, all the different professionals can gather and communicate their needs.

For example can a paint work in a project take two weeks, and it can begin no sooner than when the walls are done. This can be shown in a Gantt chart, but it can be done more simple. When changes happen on daily basis, as on a construction site, it is important to have a scheduling tool everybody can understand and navigate. If the wall elements are delayed, both the carpenter, painter, electrician etc. must be allocated to other tasks or wait until elements arrive and are put up.

The walls in an analog war room is used for visualization of the project. This can be done low-tech with sticky notes and markers, or with a more high-tech solution with screens and projectors.

Figure 1. Now you have a clear idea of the layout of a war room. It would have taken maybe 1000 words to get the same idea of the space, with the dimensions of the room, the sticky notes with text and figures, the conference table, which actually are smaller tables that can be rolled away or split up into groups if needed. The room can be completely cleared of tables and chairs, and an initial meeting with more dynamic group movement can be facilitated. Also, this picture will now appear whenever you think of or read the term "War room". The brain is a funny thing.

When the workshop is completed, the project manager can take the knowledge from the war room and create a thorough time schedule for the project, which can be

The room can be purpose-built for project meetings as a means to handle and enhance decision-making and planning or can be created by temporary walls.

A meeting is not just a meeting. A meeting needs to be directed in order to achieve the meaning. By having a war room, the project team is dedicated to this one task, and can change their mind-sets for problem solving.

Key references

(to be continued....)