Define Horizon One
Name the immediate result, deadline, required evidence, and nonnegotiable constraints.
CHAPTER 7 - PROTOCOL 2
Dual-Horizon Alignment Planning
TIME75-90 minutes
OWNERPrincipal and leadership team
ARTIFACTDual-horizon plan + thirty-day alignment test
- The near-term result and long-term capability are both explicit.
- The team identifies actions that serve both horizons rather than creating parallel work.
- Tradeoffs, assumptions, and capacity requirements are visible.
- The thirty-day test includes an owner, evidence, and a decision date.
Define Horizon Two
Describe the capability, culture, system, or leadership capacity that should be stronger after the immediate work.
Find the alignment moves
Select actions, ownership, and evidence that advance the immediate commitment while developing long-term capacity.
Launch and return
Commit to one thirty-day test, monitor both horizons, and schedule the next alignment decision.
WORKING ORGANIZER
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REFLECTION PROMPTS
- What near-term action could strengthen rather than consume future capacity?
- Which long-term claim is too vague to guide a decision?
- What would we stop doing if both horizons truly mattered?
EQUITY GUARDRAILS
- Do not postpone urgent support or repair for a promised future benefit.
- Include those who will carry the implementation burden in the planning.
- Monitor whether long-term capacity is being built broadly or concentrated in a few people.