What was said? “We need to rank and file the activities for next year.’”
Did someone really say that? Yes, when planning the 2025 client roadmap in a strategy session.
What does it mean? In the quote above, it was inaccurately referring to the process of prioritization. Rank and File really refers to the “ordinary people” of an organization. In essence, the team, not the leaders.
More on the Meaning: The term ‘rank and file’ originated in the military and refers to the ordinary soldiers in a group, as opposed to the officers:
- Rank: Refers to soldiers standing side by side, in a row
- File: Refers to soldiers standing behind one another, in a column
“Rank and file” now refers to the ordinary members of a group or organization. These members belong to entities like a political party, labor union, or company. It excludes the leaders or managers. For example, “The rank and file is unhappy with the board’s vote.”
It is more commonly used incorrectly. People suggest it means prioritizing and establishing a list of some sort. Like the original quote in which I heard the saying, it is becoming more popular as a verb vs. a noun to “rank and file” something.
Origin: The phrase was first recorded in 1598 by soldier and author Robert Barrett. The term began to be used figuratively in 1860 to refer to non-military teams.
Almost every source gives credit to the military as the origin. However, many mention an incorrect source of origin: the game of chess.
Here’s an excerpt from Google’s AI Overview response to ‘rank and file chess’:
In chess, ranks and files are the horizontal and vertical rows and columns that make up a chessboard. :
- Ranks: The eight horizontal rows on a chessboard, numbered 1–8 from bottom to top
- Files: The eight vertical columns on a chessboard, labeled a–h from left to right
The squares on a chessboard are identified by their file and rank. For example, the square in the lower right-hand corner is h1, which is short for h-file, first rank. Here are some other chess terms related to ranks and files:
- Queenside: The a–d files
- Kingside: The e–h files
- White’s side: The 1st–4th ranks
- Black’s side: The 5th–8th ranks
- Back rank: The first rank for white and the eighth rank for black
- Open file: A file with no pawns
To be effective, the queen and rooks need to control ranks and files, while the queen and bishops need to control diagonals.
Thanks, Google!
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