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This is a flexible, rolling short-cycle process integrated into a team’s regular workflow. It replaces rigid long-term planning (e.g., quarterly cycles) with iterative sessions focused on synchronizing team plans, surfacing risks and dependencies, and fostering alignment across the organization. Key components include:

• Pre-planning: Aligning teams with strategic roadmaps, OKRs, and known constraints.
• Planning: Developing team-specific roadmaps and backlogs based on organizational priorities.
• Synchronization: Collaboratively refining plans across teams to address complications and dependencies.
• Post-planning: Updating tools, resolving actions, and preparing for the next cycle.

• Adapt to Change: Traditional long-cycle plans often become invalid due to shifting priorities, market changes, or capacity issues. Group Planning ensures continuous alignment.
• Improve Transparency: Reduces surprises by surfacing risks and dependencies early, rather than during escalation meetings.
• Enforce Accountability: Creates a shared commitment to delivery through synchronized team plans and documented actions.
• Optimize Capacity: Identifies capability gaps and competing priorities to balance demand with realistic delivery capacity.
• Foster Collaboration: Breaks silos by requiring cross-team coordination to resolve complications (e.g., overlapping work, dependencies).

Pre-Planning Phase

1. Socialize Strategic Inputs: Share updated roadmaps, OKRs, and prioritized backlogs with all teams.
2. Collect Constraints: Document known Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies, and Constraints (RAIDs), capacity limits, and unfinished work.
3. Async Preparation: Use asynchronous channels to clarify questions and ensure readiness.

Planning Phase

1. Develop Team Plans:

   • Build team roadmaps aligned with group OKRs.
   • Prioritize backlogs (initiatives, compliance work, business-as-usual tasks).
   • Map capacity impacts (e.g., holidays, skill gaps, budgets).

2. Share Plans: Socialize drafts with cross-portfolio and cross-organizational stakeholders for feedback.

Synchronization Phase

1. Collate Team Plans: Aggregate plans into a Group Plan Canvas (Now, Next, Later sections).

2. Playback & Refine:

   • Teams present plans, complications, and proposed actions (15 minutes per team).
   • Stakeholders identify gaps, dependencies, and mitigation strategies (20 minutes per team).

3. Document Actions: Assign owners and timelines for resolving complications.

Post-Planning Phase

1. Update Systems: Refresh backlogs, workflow tools, and RAIDs logs.
2. Track Actions: Ensure assigned actions are completed promptly.
3. Reflect & Improve: Conduct a retrospective to refine the process for future cycles.

Key Tips

• Timebox Sessions: Limit synchronization meetings to 15–20 minutes per team.
• Balance Async & Sync: Use async prep to reduce meeting time but ensure live collaboration for critical decisions.
• Respect Fear: Acknowledge concerns about autonomy and provide leadership reassurance upfront.