Let’s talk about the rolling action item list (RAIL). It’s an essential tool for many organizations and project leaders. Unfortunately, it is a highly dysfunctional tool for many.

Let’s look at some mistakes that undermine the RAIL’s utility and some good practices that make it more useful. Get your RAIL back on track as a useful tool to make your work life more efficient and effective.

First, let’s agree on the purpose for the RAIL. If we know what it’s supposed to do for us, we can better judge if it’s working or if we’re using it improperly. We should define what it is and what it is not, and we should distinguish its purpose within those bounds.

The RAIL is a list of tasks we’ve determined should be done. It’s not a project schedule. It’s not our personal goals and objectives. It’s not a project pipeline. A RAIL’s purpose is two-fold. It aids us in keeping track of actions we believe should be done by helping to communicate those assignments and maintaining their status. It also aids us in prioritizing our tasks and assignments, and matching our limited resources to those priorities.

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