Graphic Gameplan

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Produce a visible, shared sequence of tasks and milestone periods for one or more active projects.

Use it when: Use when an initiative has broad goals but lacks a clear sequence of operational steps across time.

Skip it when: Skip when the project already has an active, detailed schedule or when the team has not yet decided which projects to pursue.

Group arrangement: Whole group for 4 to 8 people, or breakout tables of 3 to 6 people mapping separate project rows.

Timing: Gamestorming lists 30 to 120 minutes. 45 minutes is the UWT recommended baseline for mapping 1 to 3 related projects.

Materials and tools

• Large roll of butcher paper or wall space (at least 4x8 feet)
• Painter tape for hanging wall paper
• Thick chisel-tip dry erase or flip chart markers (4 to 6 markers)
• Sticky notes, 3x3 inch (3 to 4 pads in distinct colors)
• Fine-tip markers for writing on notes (1 per participant)
• One flip chart pad and easel for parking lot and resource notes

Before participants arrive

1. Mount a wide sheet of paper (3 to 4 feet high by 6 to 8 feet wide) on a flat wall.
2. Draw a large matrix grid: reserve the leftmost column for project names and divide the remaining width into 4 to 6 wide milestone columns.
3. Set up an auxiliary flip chart labeled 'Resources and Blockers' next to the main grid.
4. Distribute sticky notes and markers to tables.

Say this to open

Welcome. Our goal today is to turn our broad project ideas into a clear, visual sequence of steps. We will name our projects in the left column, define our time periods across the top, and map the concrete tasks required to finish each project using sticky notes. Everyone will have a chance to suggest steps, challenge the order, and clarify who does what.

How to run it

1. Define projects and timeline 8 minutes

   Explain the grid layout. Write the 1 to 3 focus projects in the leftmost column. Then ask the room to define the column time units across the top header row, such as weeks, months, or sprint phases. Write the agreed milestone intervals across the top row.

2. Draft sequential steps 15 minutes

   Select the first project row. Ask participants: 'What is the very first concrete step required?' Write the step on a sticky note or have a volunteer write it, and place it in the first milestone column. Continue asking for successive steps. For groups larger than 8, assign breakout tables to draft notes for designated project rows simultaneously.

3. Test dependencies and merge 12 minutes

   Review the full sequence as a room. Ask: 'Does step B genuinely depend on step A, or can they run in parallel?' and 'Does any step in Project 1 block progress in Project 2?' Move, split, or combine sticky notes based on team answers. Record needed resources, tools, or external approvals on the side flip chart.

4. Assign initial ownership 5 minutes

   Invite the team to review each task note. Add the initials of a single responsible person or primary working pair onto each note. If a task has no clear owner, mark it with a question mark and record it on the auxiliary flip chart.

5. Debrief and document 5 minutes

   Review the entire wall. Ask the debrief questions to verify commitment and spot unresolved gaps. Photograph the matrix for transcription into the team's project tracking system.

Debrief questions

• Looking across the rows, where do we have the highest concentration of simultaneous tasks?
• Which step carries the most uncertainty or requires outside support before we can proceed?
• What is one immediate action that must happen by the end of this week?

Finished output: A fully populated grid showing sequenced tasks across defined time intervals, annotated with task owners and resource dependencies.

Remote

Replicate the matrix in an online whiteboard tool. Create rows for projects and columns for time periods. Participants use digital sticky notes. Use breakout rooms if dividing into multiple project tracks, then convene in the main room to review cross-project dependencies. Allow participants to add notes directly or paste suggestions into the text chat for the facilitator to place.

Hybrid

Maintain one shared digital whiteboard displayed on the physical room screen. Assign an in-person scribe to duplicate in-room spoken tasks onto the digital board so remote and present members see identical card positions in real time. Remote members call out or post notes directly to the board.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may speak tasks aloud, write them on sticky notes directly, or send them via chat for the facilitator to scribe.
• Individuals may opt to observe and review rather than speak publicly by taking on the role of visual scribe or resource recorder.
• Ensure text on wall notes is written in large, dark block lettering with strong contrast.

If the session gets stuck

Participants propose large, vague tasks like 'build community' or 'launch platform'.

Ask the contributor to break that item into the first physical action that takes less than one week, such as 'draft email invitation list'.

The group debates the exact calendar dates instead of focusing on task sequencing.

Switch the top row labels to relative phase markers like 'Phase 1', 'Phase 2', and 'Phase 3'. Add calendar dates only after the logical sequence is settled.

Terms used here

• Dependency: A task that cannot begin or complete until another specific task has finished.