Step 0: Preparation.The planning session begins with preparation. It's essential to determine the list of participants invited to the session. I generally aim for a "reasonable" number of participants, usually between 8-16 people, although there are exceptions (as shared in
this article where I facilitated a session for 90 top managers).
If it's a company-wide planning session, the participation of the CEO, top managers, and, if possible, department heads—especially those who will be deeply involved in setting OKRs or supporting the process—is essential. For smaller companies, key specialists are also invited. The more participants involved in setting first-level goals, the easier the subsequent alignment process.
After identifying participants, we ensure everyone can dedicate at least four hours to the planning session, provided it's not their first. For newcomers to OKR, the session is combined with training, lasting from one to two days.
We then review retrospective results and transfer necessary data into the planning space (using an online board or large printouts). Notably, even in face-to-face sessions, combining traditional stickers and flip charts with an online board like Miro, especially with new AI capabilities, is beneficial.