The RAID Triage Grid™:

1: Planners invariably face critical junctures in their work.

The clock is ticking, project managers are panicking, and you're bombarded with requests before you've even had your second coffee. Suddenly, you hear the familiar refrain: "Can you quickly update this deck, create that dashboard, verify this logic, correct that float, and, oh, draft a delay narrative?"

Sound familiar?

I've experienced this countless times in high-pressure projects, such as the £400m NZT gas decarbonisation initiative and a site engulfed in chaos. I noticed a recurring pattern: We're expected to plan the impossible, prove the unprovable, and maintain composure on Teams calls.

But that chaotic environment revealed a valuable lesson.

2: Most project setbacks aren't due to timelines slipping. They stem from a lack of substantiated evidence to explain the delay.

You know what kills momentum?
Planning isn't just about bars and dates, it's about clarity. Yet many planners default to survival mode:
Inbox = Priority
Loudest voice = Most urgent
Calendar = Chaos
That’s when I built something different.

3: My RAID Triage Grid™

I stopped simply reacting to demands and started strategically triaging them instead. This 5-minute ritual puts you back in the driver's seat, even when multiple stakeholders are pulling you in different directions simultaneously. Here's the key shift in perspective:

Old Way (Pain)	The RAID Flip (Your Way)
“Do everything” mindset	Triage what’s critical
Inbox decides your day	Logic decides your day
No explanation to say no	RAID-backed scripts to manage up
Reporting = reaction	Reporting = leadership

I tested this under extreme pressure.
It worked every time.

4: Want to try it right now?

Do this daily — takes under 5 minutes.Step 1: Open Excel, or grab a whiteboard.
Step 2: List today’s requests.
Step 3: Create these 4 RAID columns:

Task	Result	Alignment	Impact	Dependency

Now, evaluate each request based on the following criteria:

• Result: What specific deliverable will this produce?
• Alignment: Is this task crucial for planning, or is it merely a cosmetic adjustment?
• Impact: What are the consequences if this task is delayed?
• Dependency: Can I complete this independently, or am I reliant on others?

Then, utilize my RAID Triage Grid™ to categorize each request.

	High Impact	Low Impact
Fully Aligned	✅ DO FIRST	➡️ DEFER
Misaligned or Low	🧾 TEMPLATE	❌ REJECT

You’ve now got a live, logic-based plan. Purpose, not panic..

5: Here’s how a leading UK construction firm used it:

Voice Note at 8:52 AM: “HV cable pulled but jointing delayed. Need dry cover team by tomorrow.” Immediately, I assessed it using the RAID grid:

• Result: Update for daily dashboard.
• Aligned?: Yes – this directly impacts a critical HV milestone.
• Impact: 9/10 – High potential to delay energisation.
• Dependency: Medium – Waiting for confirmation from the cover team.

Consequently, it was designated as a top priority. By 10:30, the update was reflected on the Gantt chart, integrated into the dashboard, and prepared for the Project Manager's CE log. This proactive approach ensured that potential delays were communicated and addressed swiftly, maintaining project momentum. Some might argue that such detailed triage is time-consuming; however, the time saved by preventing delays and ensuring alignment far outweighs the initial investment. That’s the power of the RAID Grid in practice: rapid, targeted, and reliable.

Voice Note at 8:52 AM: “HV cable pulled but jointing delayed. Need dry cover team by tomorrow.” Immediately, I assessed it using the RAID grid:

• Result: Update for daily dashboard.
• Aligned?: Yes – this directly impacts a critical HV milestone.
• Impact: 9/10 – High potential to delay energisation.
• Dependency: Medium – Waiting for confirmation from the cover team.

Consequently, it was designated as a top priority. By 10:30, the update was reflected on the Gantt chart, integrated into the dashboard, and prepared for the Project Manager's CE log. This proactive approach ensured that potential delays were communicated and addressed swiftly, maintaining project momentum. Some might argue that such detailed triage is time-consuming; however, the time saved by preventing delays and ensuring alignment far outweighs the initial investment. That’s the power of the RAID Grid in practice: rapid, targeted, and reliable.

6: “The RAID Grid has not only saved me countless hours but also empowered me to confidently and calmly decline requests.”

– Jonathan, Senior PM, BBK

Here’s what planning team are saying:
“This is a game-changer. For the first time, I felt in control of planning.” – Site Planner, Tier 1 contractor
“The client even started using the terms. Asking, ‘Is this RAID-aligned?’ became commonplace.” – Lead Scheduler, infrastructure project
Some might argue that the RAID Grid adds more work to already busy schedules; however, the focused effort saves time by prioritising effectively and preventing delays.

7: Eager to implement this approach in your upcoming project?

Get the complete RAID Grid Toolkit now

Customizable Excel template

Concise, printable cheat sheet

Voice-to-RAID conversion guide

Message me on LinkedIn with "RAID GRID," or visit www.Jriya.org.uk/raid-grid

This is more than just theory; it's a proven method used on £4b projects—and it's ready for you to use.

8: In the future, I'll demonstrate how the RAID Grid can be used to construct delay narratives that are robust and defensible, even when starting with just a simple voice note.

No unnecessary details.

No vague assumptions.

Just sound reasoning that holds up under scrutiny in meetings.

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