LEADERSHIP

76 • LEADERSHIP
tone and the expectations for everyone involved. Avoid excessive
detail, and right-size the list.
Because the purpose of our Action List is to communicate
who, does what, when, you'll need at least three columns on your
Action List: the task, the resource doing the work, and date information.
Hence the name Task Analysis Chart—each task
can be analyzed in terms of required resources, durations,
workflow, costs, and other elements. Columns are added to
the basic Task Chart as needed.
Task Analysis Charts begin as a simple to-do list. As a better understanding
of the project is required, add columns to analyze and communicate workflow
relationships, durations, costs, and control information such as actual
starts/finishes, actual costs, percent complete, etc.
Under the column marked “Task” we’ll list all required
work activities, any grouping terms used in the WBS (such as
phase of work, department, or major work category), and all
milestones (anything used to track and communicate key
points of accomplishment, decisions, or events). The second
column header is traditionally entitled “Resources.” By definition,
resources include people (name, skill set, department, or
vendor), materials, equipment, and anything else needed to
accomplish the task. In our simplified approach, what we need
to know is, "Who is responsible to accomplish this task?" So
for most smaller projects, I recommend using the “Resource”
column to document who is responsible for accomplishing the