Friday, March 13, 2020
Running a Query Log With Answer Deadlines
Updated September 2026: in March 2020, pulled back into an old request after vacation, I spent the first day drafting a plan: the offshore lead would list every open query for the onsite team, with deadlines, after which we would proceed on assumptions. Before I could send it, the onsite team proposed daily morning status calls. I have rewritten it into a guide to running a query log with deadlines.
The work was back on my desk with people I had struggled with. I spent the day planning: milestones for each day, sign-off from each owner, and a request to the offshore lead to list every question needing onsite input, each with a deadline. If answers did not come by then, we would go ahead on stated assumptions. As I drafted the email, the onsite team wrote suggesting daily morning status calls.
What is a query log?
A single list of open questions, each with an owner, a date raised, a deadline for the answer, and the assumption the team will use if no answer arrives. It turns scattered emails into one place everyone can check.
Why set deadlines on questions?
Because unanswered questions are the most common cause of late proposals. A deadline plus a default assumption means work never stops waiting. It also makes clear who is responsible when an assumption turns out wrong: the person who did not answer in time, not the team that proceeded.
What should each entry contain?
- The question, written so it can be answered in one or two lines.
- Who it is for, and who raised it.
- The answer deadline.
- The assumption if unanswered.
- The status: open, answered or assumed.
Do daily status calls help or hurt?
Short daily calls can work well alongside a query log: fifteen minutes to walk the open questions and confirm the day's milestones. They hurt when they become long reviews of slides. Suggest using the log as the call's agenda, which keeps it short.
How do you get sign-off from each owner?
Name one approver per section and give each a date. Send the section with a clear request: "Please approve by Thursday 5 pm, or send changes." Record approvals in the log, so the final document has a clear trail.