The leader's planning checklist

A repeatable process for planning any operation or project.

Jocko Willink and Leif Babin's framework, from Extreme Ownership, pp. 183 to 261.

Analyse the mission
Understand higher headquarters' mission and Commander's Intent, then state your own.
Identify what you have
Personnel, assets, resources and time available.
Decentralise the planning
Empower key leaders to analyse courses of action.
Pick the course of action
Lean toward the simplest and focus effort on it.
Develop the plan
Key leaders build the plan, and you stand back and be the tactical genius.
Plan contingencies and mitigate risk
Cover likely problems in each phase and control the risks that can be controlled.
Check against new information
Question the plan as the situation evolves.
Brief everyone
Emphasise Commander's Intent, invite questions and check understanding.
Debrief afterwards
Analyse lessons learned and feed them into future planning.

From chapter: III. Sustaining Victory, pp. 183–261

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