Operating rhythm
GIVE EVERY
MEETING A JOB.
Planning, handover and review serve different purposes. A useful rhythm makes those purposes clear.
Planning
DECIDE WHAT CAN HAPPEN NEXT.
Planning brings requests, existing commitments, capacity and dependencies into one view. The discussion makes tradeoffs and records what is being taken on, what is deferred and why.
A meeting that only repeats individual updates may leave those decisions untouched. The format should follow the work the group needs to do together.
Handover
PASS ON WHAT THE NEXT PERSON NEEDS.
A handover names the state of the work, the remaining questions and the next action. It distinguishes an item ready to move from one waiting for information or a decision.
The right amount of detail depends on the work. The receiving person should help define what a useful handoff contains.
Review
LOOK AT THE WAY THE WORK MOVED.
Review considers the work completed, the exceptions and what should change in the routine. It is different from planning the next set of tasks. Keeping those purposes separate makes it easier to see whether the routine is helping.
Try a change to the rhythm