The War Room Concept in Project Management

The War Room Concept or the War Room Approach is an expression that appears every once in a while in the field of project management. But what exactly is the War Room Concept? Keep reading to find out!

Imagine that your team is working on a massive project. Something that requires a lot of resources and engagement, and also flawless project communication between the team members. However, the bigger the project, the more challenging it is to work on it. That is when communication becomes the major factor, the absolute must-have in the company. Only the properly conducted conversations will ensure that there are no flaws in project development.

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What Is a War Room Concept?

Okay, but what does the War room has to do with it? And what exactly is it? Have you ever watched a movie in which any sort of conflict between the countries or cataclysm takes place? If yes, you must remember where the President of The United States is sitting the whole time.

That’s right, in the military headquarters, in a room full of screens and controllers, with blinking lights and people running from one place to another. Well, that would be it – the War Room! Maybe it does not look nearly that dramatic when it comes to working on the project but the atmosphere can be as tense, as during any Earth-threatening cataclysm!

The idea of a war room is to gather all the vital information in one place (in business headquarters, of course) and brainstorm it with all the people who are working on a particular project. The President… (I mean, the Project Manager) is asking questions, and the Generals (ekhm, employees?) answer them.

The key decision-makers are given the most relevant information – everything in order to improve the process. Perhaps the technology is not as sophisticated as in the movies – whiteboards and regular computers are doing the trick, and simple rooms work as control rooms where office supplies help to fight the project obstacles.

When all the key members of our team are gathered in the room, we are sure that the flow of information will not be disturbed by any random factor. Thus, the company surely benefits from the situation – all the obstacles are quickly identified and removed, and the co-operation between the team members and project managers increases.

Thus, most companies either have a war room or rent one when the need for it appears. After all, clarifying the chaotic situation is the first thing every team has to do in order to preserve the workflow.

What Is The Purpose of a War Room?

So, whatever your company does, if it involves team co-operation, you better make sure that in your company there is one big war room with a large table and board. If not, either make one or look for possible war rooms that can be hired in the close neighborhood (up to 15 minutes ride from your company’s base.) or in your office building.

Actually, its size can vary, depending on the number of your team members. It can be a separate office space, where the project’s operations are orchestrated without the noise and other distractions coming from the main office. The strategy room should be a good place to focus and think.

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Would you like some hints? Well, our war room is like a castle hall, except it’s modern, with huge TVs and whiteboards hanging from the walls. We also have a bowling alley, fridge with a fresh supply of food and beer, spare computers and printers for anyone to use, and a garden (just in case our people spend hours debating on how to solve the issues).

Yeaaah…I’m joking. We have a comfy room with a couch, two chairs, and a projector. But our team is small, so we do great with just that. As I said, it depends. You have to find your own, good luck! =]

It’s also a good idea if there are dedicated war rooms (or strategy rooms to use the more subtle word) for every team so the people who are decision-makers can freely work on problems. That enables a smooth troops movement (or employee transition in other words) in your company – people can join whichever war room they need to be in. You can mix and experiment with your war rooms to make the best out of them.

The war room purpose in the business world in a nutshell:

Better project management
War room enhances collaboration and communication, and information flow
Better problem solving and more responsible decision making
Productive meetings
Improved planning, researching, and strategy development thanks to an in-depth analysis of the problem
Sharing ideas, experiences, thoughts lets your team achieve desired results

The War Room – Conclusion

Having a dedicated meeting room that will serve as a strategy room is important. You don’t need to invest a lot of money in it. A simple room with basic arrangements will do the job.

What do you think about the concept of a war room? Maybe you already have such a set up in your company and diligently work in the war room with your team on the proper war strategy? Try it and see how it can help you beat your competition!

To enhance working on your strategies see also: Best Free Time Tracking Software for Freelancers and Top 10 Time Tracking Software for Linux