MAKE THE SESSION
EARN ITS PLACE.

BRING FACTS, COMMITMENTS AND CONSTRAINTS.

Collect the work that needs attention, the commitments already made and the dependencies that affect it. Invite the people who hold the relevant information and the authority to make the decisions.

Another round of prepared status presentations is rarely the most useful input. The session needs a shared view of the work.

MAKE THE TRADEOFFS VISIBLE.

Clarify what each request requires, identify conflicts and distinguish decisions the group can make from decisions that need another owner. Record deferred work with a reason so it does not quietly return as a new urgent request.

A planning session cannot create capacity that does not exist. It can make the consequences of a choice explicit.

LEAVE WITH OWNERS AND NEXT ACTIONS.

Each item that moves forward needs an owner and an agreed next action. The record should also explain what information would change the plan and when the group will review it.