Map what is coming and prepare for it.
A future-focused session that asks: what are the biggest priorities and events over the coming months? What is likely to happen and what can be done about it? Which relationships are strong and which need work?
Participants identify predictable events, situations and potential issues they can factor into their plans for the next six to twelve months.
This is where the morning becomes strategic, so keep the conversation anchored in specifics: known milestones, named relationships, and real opportunities. Agree the timeframe up front and push past vague answers to what is actually coming.
Agree a timeframe with the group at the start, typically six to twelve months, and write it up visibly: over the next few months. Post four questions on the wall: what are our biggest priorities; what is likely to happen, and what can we do about it; which relationships are strong, and which need work; and what opportunities are we most excited about?
Give people two or three minutes to write their responses individually, then work through the questions as a group. The first establishes shared priorities and surfaces where alignment is missing. The second introduces the pre-mortem mindset: what do we already know is coming, and are we prepared for it? The third often surfaces interpersonal and stakeholder dynamics. The fourth ends on energy and intent.
After the second question, add a pre-mortem prompt: if it is the end of the timeframe and things have not gone to plan, what happened? This gets past optimism bias and tends to surface risks the group already senses but has not yet named.
To close, ask the group what two or three things they most need to pay attention to, given everything surfaced, and write these up clearly so they can feed the planning later in the day.
Use Looking Ahead when a team wants to map what is coming over the next six to twelve months. Surfacing known milestones, relationships and likely issues, with a pre-mortem mindset, helps the group prepare for inflection points before they arrive.
Using this tool with a skilled facilitator means that discussions are focused, time is used efficiently, and the group moves toward consensus, making the session productive and impactful.
