Bonus idea for the week - Agile planning horizon

How far should you plan?

Your idea for the week - the Agile Planning Horizon.

A planning horizon is the amount of time an organization will plan into the future. If you hear someone talk about a 5-year plan, that means a 5-year horizon. But in an agile environment, how far can you plan when the information available changes, the environment changes, and even the way we work changes on a regular basis?

Let’s start with a truism “You never reach the horizon”. That is as true in real life as it is in corporate planning.

But let’s be practical, any business needs to have a goal. So here’s my suggestion, create a 5-year goal, but don’t detail it beyond the point of reasonableness. It’s OK to leave parts of your strategy blank (and let’s face it, it will be invalid with 6 months anyway).

So, set yourself goals and review them monthly. And remember the context of the Agile Planning Horizon - your plan shouldn’t be a constraint on your business, rather an enabler to change.

What do you think? Let me know below.