Rolling Action Item List Template

by Aslam · February 8, 2023

How many times have you faced a situation where you ask your subordinates about a project or an update on a project and they simply deny knowing anything about it? This is way more common than you might think or assume. Many people complain that although they use a to-do list in their offices and workplaces, this doesn’t help them a lot. This is because a simple to-do list has its limitations and when there you are rolling dozens of balls in the air at once, you need a better and more advanced tool for arranging and keeping track of your tasks and projects.

This is where a rolling action item list comes in handy. This list is as simple as a common to-do list but it has better features and it can effectively take a lot of pressure off of you while planning and pursuing tasks in order to complete a project.

Useful tips for creating the Rolling Action Item List:

Create a blank document sheet on your computer:
The first thing to understand is that, unlike a common to-do list, you can’t make a rolling action item list on paper but you need to create this list on your computer where rearranging and copy-pasting the items is easier and more convenient. You can use MS Word on your computer to create a document and put the details on it.
Enlist all of the projects that you need to complete:
The first thing after creating the document is to enlist all of your projects on the list. This way you can see all the projects at once glance and see what kind of tasks you will be doing in the next week.
Break each project into separate steps or sections:
The next step is to break each project into simple and small tasks i.e. parts that will complete a project. This way you can not only assign each task to a different employee but it also makes it easier for you to keep track of the progress of the overall project.
Put a deadline or completion date in front of each step of the project:
After that, you need to mention a specific deadline in front of each task of each project. This way you can see which task will take more time and if you will be able to complete the tasks in order to deliver the project on time or if you need to speed up the work.
Give priority to the steps or tasks that are most important:
After that, you should evaluate each task and see which one of them is more important to complete on time than the others. This way you can put the important and crucial tasks on top of the list and give priority to them.
Complete the tasks as per their order on the list:
When you enlist the task on the list in a particular order, there is no skipping. It won’t work if you don’t feel like doing a specific task and skip to the next one. The whole point of making this list is to make sure that you complete the most important tasks in time.
Rearrange and evaluate the tasks when a new project comes in:
When you complete or finish a task, rearrange the remaining tasks as per their importance. Also when there is a new project in your hands that has higher priority, you need to rearrange the tasks once again.