Short, focused and built around one question: what is the smallest thing we should change?
WRITTEN BY
Lena Vermeer
PUBLISHED
READING TIME
3 min read
IN SHORT
01
A review only needs to answer one question.
02
Look at the forecast, the biggest gap and the smallest fix.
03
Close with one owner and one date.
Most planning reviews run long because they try to re-plan everything. Yours only has to answer one question: what is the smallest thing we should change this week?
Before you start
Send nothing and prepare no slides. Open the forecast, share one screen, and keep the invite to the people who can act on what you find. That is rarely more than five.
The ten minutes
Spend two minutes on the forecast. Has the date moved since last time, and in which direction? Do not discuss why yet.
Spend three minutes on the single biggest gap. Find where the delay is heading and who it will land on. Ignore the rest, even if it is tempting.
Spend four minutes on the smallest fix that closes it. Say two options out loud, then pick one. The last minute is for naming one owner and one date.
What to leave out
Leave out updates, since the forecast has them. Leave out long debates about estimates, since those belong to the people doing the work. Leave out anything that needs a second meeting to settle.
Ten minutes is enough when the numbers are already on the screen. If you finish early, end early. That is usually when people start to look forward to it.
Ten minutes is enough when the numbers are already on the screen.
