Field Notes
How to prepare for an operational planning engagement
Operational planning works best when partners arrive with facts, not only frustrations. You do not need a perfect archive. You need enough truth to plan the next quarter.
Gather a list of live projects with start dates, promised delivery windows, and named leads. Add known leave, training, and major client events. If you track fees by project, bring last quarter’s figures; if you do not, a simple list of invoices issued is enough to begin.
Decide who will speak for the firm. One partner as the primary contact keeps discovery focused. Invite two or three staff who see daily handoffs — a studio manager, a senior associate, or the person who manages client scheduling.
Settle the question you most want answered. Capacity for the rainy-season rush? Cleaner intake? Fewer late partner reviews? A single primary question keeps the engagement from becoming a general complaint session.
Finally, protect the discovery days in diaries. Interrupted interviews produce polite but shallow maps. Firms that clear those days finish with plans their teams actually recognise.