How We Make Planning and Strategy Sessions Truly Effective
One of the most common things I hear from teams after running planning or strategy sessions is surprise at how much we managed to accomplish—and how different it was from what they were used to before.
The content and length of these sessions can vary: it might be one full day of intense work, several consecutive days, or a series of 3-5 hour blocks spread out over time. But almost always, I try to structure the time in the same way:
50 minutes working, 10 minutes resting
During the 50 minutes, I expect full, 100% engagement from all participants. And during the 10-minute breaks, I ask everyone to completely disconnect from work:
✅ Feel free to scroll through TikTok, brew some tea, or eat a banana
🚫 Do not answer emails, read work chats, or call colleagues
This format helps maintain concentration (thanks to relatively short sessions and regular breaks), keeps everyone involved, and makes the process genuinely effective. But it requires significant preparation and active facilitation during the session:
1️⃣ Develop a clear agenda and prepare for as many unforeseen circumstances as possible: each block must fit within the 50-minute window. There should be options to shorten them, but they must never exceed the time limit.
2️⃣ Make sure the team is informed about the format and understands it. People shouldn’t come expecting to casually work on their laptops and only occasionally participate.
3️⃣ Strict facilitation. This format demands precise timing, time management, and firm facilitation to prevent situations where one participant dominates half of the 50-minute session by going off on tangents. How to facilitate firmly yet keep everyone happy and engaged until the end of the day is a topic for another discussion.
4️⃣ Post-session materials. Usually, something needs to be documented after these events. I typically take this on myself and compile everything we worked on into one cohesive record.
Try this approach in your work—or invite me to help you implement it. We’ll figure it out together!
