How to Make PI Planning Incredible, by Dwayne Stroman
PI Planning is the heartbeat of the Scaled Agile Framework and the single most important event for aligning multiple Agile teams around a shared mission. In this in-depth session, we sit down with experienced SAFe Program Consultants and Release Train Engineers who have facilitated PI Planning events across organizations ranging from 50-person startups to 10,000-person enterprises. They share exactly what separates a forgettable two-day meeting from a truly incredible planning event that energizes teams and unlocks real business agility.
Whether you are an RTE preparing to facilitate your first PI Planning event, a Product Manager looking to sharpen your vision presentation, or a Scrum Master helping your team navigate cross-team dependencies, this video gives you proven techniques to elevate every aspect of the ceremony. We cover pre-planning preparation, Day 1 and Day 2 agendas, management review and problem-solving, confidence voting, and the critical post-PI activities that sustain momentum across the Program Increment.
Key Takeaways
Capture and visualize cross-team dependencies on a program board to prevent integration failures downstream
Invest heavily in pre-PI Planning preparation — a well-crafted vision briefing and refined backlog set the tone for success
Ensure Business Owners, Product Management, and System Architects are aligned and present for the full two days
Use breakout sessions effectively to let teams draft plans, identify risks, and negotiate dependencies face-to-face
Facilitate a meaningful management review and problem-solving session to unblock teams before Day 2 planning
Drive toward an honest confidence vote — anything below 3 out of 5 must be addressed before committing to PI Objectives
- Win or lose the event before it starts: a sharp vision briefing and a refined, prioritized backlog are the highest-leverage prep an RTE can do.
- Make Business Owners, Product Management, and System Architects commit to both full days in the room. Absent decision-makers stall planning and erode team trust.
- Treat the program board as the integration safety net. Surface and visualize every cross-team dependency to prevent the failures that surface downstream.
- Protect the breakouts. Hands-on time for teams to draft plans, expose risks, and negotiate dependencies face-to-face is where real planning happens.
- Use the management review and problem-solving session to clear blockers before Day 2 instead of letting them leak into PI Objectives.
- Insist on an honest confidence vote. Any team scoring below 3 of 5 is a signal to rework the plan, not a number to rationalize away.
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Why PI Planning Is the Heartbeat of SAFe
Frames PI Planning as the single most important event for aligning multiple Agile teams around a shared mission, drawing on SAFe Program Consultants and RTEs who have facilitated events at organizations from 50-person startups to 10,000-person enterprises. Establishes what separates a forgettable two-day meeting from a planning event that energizes teams and unlocks real business agility.
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Who This Session Is For and What It Covers
Identifies the audience — RTEs facilitating their first event, Product Managers refining vision presentations, and Scrum Masters navigating cross-team dependencies. Previews the full scope: pre-planning preparation, Day 1 and Day 2 agendas, management review and problem-solving, confidence voting, and post-PI activities that sustain momentum.
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Key Takeaways
Distills six proven practices: visualize cross-team dependencies on a program board, invest in pre-PI preparation with a strong vision briefing and refined backlog, ensure Business Owners, Product Management, and System Architects are present for both days, run effective breakout sessions, facilitate a meaningful management review and problem-solving session, and drive an honest confidence vote where any score below 3 of 5 must be addressed before committing to PI Objectives.
