Writing “Presentation on Friday” keeps the deadline visible. A backward plan, also called reverse planning, spells out when to prepare a draft, ask for feedback and work through the changes. It connects the final date to the actions in the days before it.
1. Pin down exactly what has to be delivered
Before choosing intermediate dates, describe the expected result. “A presentation” could mean a rough outline, a final document sent out, or a talk ready to rehearse.
For example: “Send an eight-slide deck on Friday morning, reviewed and approved by Camille.” That wording sets a format, a delivery time and an approval to obtain.
When the project is shared, clarify expectations with the people involved. The plan will be more useful if everyone understands the same thing behind the final date.
2. Work back through the steps in reverse order
Ask yourself what has to be finished right before sending: checking the final file. Before that check: making the changes. Before the changes: getting feedback. Before the feedback: producing a first draft.
Keep going until you reach an action you can start now. You end up with a chain of dependencies to examine, then put back in chronological order for your schedule.
If a step is still too broad, use the method for breaking a project down into tasks. “Prepare the deck” might mean gathering information, writing an outline and fleshing out each section.
3. Separate the work from the waiting
Sending a review request can take a few minutes. Getting an answer can take several days. Those two durations don’t take up your schedule in the same way, but both affect your start date.
Identify the steps that depend on someone else’s feedback, and check their availability. If Camille can only review on Wednesday, the first draft has to be ready in time for that slot.
While you wait, some independent tasks can move forward. You might check images or prepare the email, as long as that doesn’t depend on an approval you don’t have yet.
4. Build a sample backward plan
Here’s a fictional example for a presentation deck due on Friday of the following week. The days are reference points to adapt with the people involved.
| When | Step | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday of the previous week | Confirm the message, the format and the information needed. | Delivery expectations are clear. |
| Friday of the previous week | Gather the material and write the outline. | The essential information is available. |
| Monday | Prepare a first draft. | The content is far enough along to be reviewed. |
| Tuesday | Send the draft to Camille. | Camille has agreed to the review slot. |
| Wednesday | Receive and go through her feedback. | The points to fix are identified. |
| Thursday | Make the changes and check the export. | Some slack remains for a last adjustment. |
| Friday morning | Send the final file. | The file and the recipients have been checked. |
Planning one day for changes assumes they fit within that time. If the review uncovers a major change, the plan needs to be reconsidered.
5. Check that the plan fits into your real days
A sequence of dates can look coherent and still exceed your availability. Compare each step with your existing commitments and with the time you think it will take.
If preparing the first draft takes two days and you only have a morning, you need to change the plan: start earlier, reduce the scope, find someone available to help, or renegotiate the date.
Slack also needs real room. Writing “buffer” into a day that’s already full doesn’t create any free time. Your weekly planning is the place to run this check.
Setting up the milestones in Keepio
Create a project with its deadline, add the tasks and give dates to the ones that need them. You’ll then find your dated tasks and deadlines in Keepio’s calendar.
Keep approval criteria, pending replies and decisions in the project’s notes. The method described here relies on dates you choose yourself and adjust as new information comes in.
Questions to check before you start
- What exactly has to be delivered?
- Who needs to give feedback or approval?
- Have response times been discussed?
- Do the steps fit into the time available?
- When will a first draft be ready?
- What can I adjust if a step falls behind?
Frequently asked questions
What is backward planning?
Backward planning, or reverse planning, means building a schedule in reverse: you start from the delivery date and work back through the necessary steps to the moment you need to begin. It connects the final deadline to the actions in the days before it, accounting for the work, the waiting time and some slack.
How do you make a simple backward plan?
Describe precisely what has to be delivered, then ask what must be finished just before it, and so on until you reach an action you can start. Then put those steps back in chronological order and check that they fit into your real days.
How do you build slack into a backward plan?
Slack has to take up real room in your schedule: writing “buffer” into a day that’s already full doesn’t add any availability. For example, keep a free slot before delivery for a last adjustment, and revisit the plan if a review uncovers a major change.
What if the backward plan doesn’t fit into the time you have?
Change the plan: start earlier, reduce the scope, find someone available to help, or renegotiate the date. Also make sure you’ve separated working time from waiting time, such as a review that can take several days.
Try this today: pick a deadline, write down the three steps that come before it, and check right now for any outside replies you’ll need.
Explore task and project planning in Keepio.
