Weekly Cadence

Summary

Regular planning on Mondays and demos/retrospectives on Fridays. This creates predictable rhythm and closure for work cycles.

Context

Teams need predictable rhythms to plan work well and create closure for completed work. They also need to maintain flexibility for responsive development.

Problem

Without weekly structure, teams lose momentum and miss planning chances. They fail to reflect on and improve their work practices.

Solution

Set up weekly rhythms with planning activities early in the week and reflection/demo activities at the end. This creates natural work cycles.

Alternative Cadence Models

Standard Monday-Friday Cadence:

• Monday: Planning and goal setting (1-2 hours)
• Wednesday: Mid-week check-in and adjustment (30 minutes)
• Friday: Demo and retrospective (1-2 hours)
• Best for: Traditional business teams with stable weekday schedules

Tuesday-Thursday Cadence:

• Tuesday: Planning session (accommodates Monday holidays/issues)
• Thursday: Demo and retrospective (allows Friday for implementation)
• Best for: Teams with frequent Monday conflicts or Friday early departures

Compressed 4-Day Cadence:

• Monday: Planning and kickoff
• Thursday: Demo, retrospective, and next week preview
• Best for: Teams working compressed schedules or when Fridays are less productive

Rotating Weekly Cadence:

• Week 1: Monday planning, Wednesday demo, Friday retrospective
• Week 2: Tuesday planning, Thursday demo, Friday retrospective
• Best for: Teams with varying schedules or international time zone challenges

Bi-Weekly Sprint Cadence:

• Week 1 Monday: Sprint planning and backlog refinement
• Week 1 Friday: Mid-sprint demo and adjustment
• Week 2 Wednesday: Sprint review and retrospective
• Week 2 Friday: Sprint closure and preparation
• Best for: Teams working on longer-term features or complex projects

Global Team Cadence:

• Monday (Asia-Pacific): Planning session with APAC team
• Tuesday (Europe): Planning session with European team
• Wednesday (Americas): Planning session with Americas team
• Thursday (Global): Cross-region demo and alignment
• Friday (Regional): Regional retrospectives and local closure
• Best for: Teams spanning multiple time zones with regional autonomy

Facilitation Guidance

Effective Planning Session Facilitation:

Pre-Session Preparation:

• Review previous week’s outcomes and metrics
• Prepare agenda with time allocations
• Gather relevant data and insights
• Ensure necessary stakeholders are available
• Set up visual collaboration tools

Opening Techniques (5-10 minutes):

• Energy Check-in: “How is everyone feeling about this week?”
• Appreciation Round: “What are you grateful for from last week?”
• Focus Statement: “What’s our most important goal this week?”
• Commitment Check: “What are we committed to achieving?”

Planning Activities (30-45 minutes):

• Silent Brainstorming: Individual reflection before group discussion
• Dot Voting: Prioritize items democratically
• Timeboxing: Allocate specific time blocks for each topic
• Dependency Mapping: Visualize connections between tasks and teams
• Risk Assessment: Identify potential blockers and mitigation strategies

Closing Techniques (5-10 minutes):

• Goal Confirmation: “Are we aligned on this week’s priorities?”
• Resource Check: “Do we have what we need to succeed?”
• Next Steps: “Who is doing what by when?”
• Energy Assessment: “How confident are we about this week’s plan?”

Effective Demo/Retrospective Facilitation:

Demo Session Structure (30-45 minutes):

• Context Setting: Brief overview of week’s goals and focus
• Feature Demonstration: Live demos of completed work
• Stakeholder Feedback: Structured feedback collection
• Impact Discussion: How does this work create value?
• Next Steps: What happens next with this work?

Retrospective Techniques (30-45 minutes):

• Start/Stop/Continue: What should we start, stop, or continue doing?
• Glad/Sad/Mad: Emotional reflection on the week’s experiences
• Sailboat Retrospective: What helped us (wind) and what hindered us (anchors)?
• Timeline Review: Walk through the week chronologically
• 5 Whys Analysis: Deep dive into specific issues or successes

Facilitation Best Practices:

• Rotate Facilitation: Each team member facilitates monthly
• Use Visual Tools: Whiteboards, sticky notes, digital collaboration platforms
• Time Management: Use visible timers and stick to agenda
• Inclusive Participation: Ensure all voices are heard
• Action Orientation: Focus on decisions and next steps
• Psychological Safety: Create space for honest feedback and vulnerability

Transition Strategies

From Ad-Hoc to Structured Weekly Rhythms:

Week 1-2: Assessment and Buy-in

• Observe current team communication patterns
• Identify existing informal rhythms and successful practices
• Discuss the value of structured weekly rhythms with the team
• Address concerns and resistance to new meeting structures
• Gain commitment to experiment with weekly cadence for 30 days

Week 3-4: Pilot Implementation

• Start with simplified weekly structure (planning + retrospective only)
• Focus on building habits rather than perfecting processes
• Collect feedback after each session
• Adjust timing and format based on team input
• Celebrate small wins and improvements

Week 5-8: Process Refinement

• Add demo component once planning/retrospective rhythm is established
• Experiment with different facilitation techniques
• Include stakeholders gradually
• Document what works and what doesn’t
• Train team members in facilitation skills

Week 9-12: Full Implementation

• Implement complete weekly cadence with all components
• Establish measurement and feedback systems
• Create accountability for continuous improvement
• Share learnings with other teams
• Plan for long-term sustainability

From Other Cadences to Weekly Rhythms:

From Daily-Only Meetings:

• Maintain daily stand-ups but add weekly planning and closure
• Use weekly sessions to address higher-level planning that daily meetings can’t handle
• Position weekly meetings as strategic vs. daily tactical
• Show how weekly rhythms reduce need for ad-hoc planning meetings

From Monthly/Quarterly Only:

• Introduce weekly rhythms as “mini-versions” of existing longer cycles
• Use weekly sessions to ensure progress toward monthly/quarterly goals
• Demonstrate how weekly feedback loops prevent monthly surprises
• Maintain connection between weekly outcomes and longer-term objectives

From Sprint-Based Cadences:

• Align weekly rhythms with sprint boundaries where possible
• Use weekly sessions to supplement, not replace, sprint ceremonies
• Focus weekly sessions on team-internal coordination and improvement
• Maintain sprint planning, review, and retrospective for stakeholder engagement

Common Transition Challenges and Solutions:

Challenge: “We already have too many meetings”

• Solution: Audit existing meetings and replace/consolidate where possible
• Show how weekly rhythms reduce need for ad-hoc coordination meetings
• Start with shorter sessions and prove value before expanding

Challenge: “Our work doesn’t fit weekly cycles”

• Solution: Focus on learning and communication cycles rather than delivery cycles
• Use weekly sessions for coordination even when work spans multiple weeks
• Adapt cadence to fit team’s natural work patterns

Challenge: “We can’t get everyone together weekly”

• Solution: Hybrid/asynchronous approaches with core group meeting and others participating virtually
• Rotate meeting times to accommodate different schedules
• Use asynchronous tools for input from those who can’t attend

Challenge: “We don’t see the value”

• Solution: Start with retrospectives only to build improvement culture
• Focus on solving real team problems through weekly rhythm
• Share success stories from other teams with similar challenges

Success Metrics for Different Cadence Models

Standard Weekly Cadence:

• Planning session duration: <90 minutes
• Weekly goal achievement rate: >80%
• Team satisfaction with rhythm: >4/5
• Stakeholder demo attendance: >75%

Compressed/Alternative Cadences:

• Adaptation time: <4 weeks to establish rhythm
• Schedule conflict rate: <20% of sessions
• Team energy/engagement scores: >4/5
• Process improvement implementation: >3 improvements per month

Global Team Cadences:

• Regional participation rate: >80% in regional sessions
• Cross-regional alignment score: >4/5
• Time zone accommodation satisfaction: >4/5
• Global demo attendance: >60% of team members

Forces

• Predictable rhythm vs. responsive flexibility
• Weekly planning vs. daily adaptation
• Team coordination vs. individual schedules
• Closure vs. continuous flow

Implementation Checklist

Phase 1: Rhythm Design & Setup (Weeks 1-2)

Prerequisites:

• Team commitment to structured weekly rhythms
• Authority to establish team meeting schedules
• Understanding of team’s current work patterns

Weekly Structure Definition:

• Choose consistent weekly meeting times (same day/time each week)
• Block Monday planning sessions (1-2 hours for most teams)
• Schedule Friday demo/retrospective sessions (1-2 hours)
• Reserve mid-week check-in slots if needed (optional)
• Align with organizational calendar constraints

Planning Session Design (Mondays):

• Define planning agenda template:
  • Review previous week outcomes and learnings
  • Discuss upcoming week priorities and commitments
  • Identify dependencies and risks
  • Assign work and establish goals
  • Plan collaboration and pairing activities
• Set up planning tools (boards, backlogs, shared documents)
• Establish time boundaries (target: 60-90 minutes maximum)

Demo/Retrospective Design (Fridays):

• Create demo session structure:
  • Showcase completed work to stakeholders
  • Share learnings and insights gained
  • Demonstrate progress toward goals
• Design retrospective format:
  • What went well this week?
  • What could be improved?
  • What will we try next week?
• Plan celebration and closure activities

Phase 2: Process Implementation (Weeks 2-6)

Planning Session Execution:

• Start each Monday with energy and team alignment
• Use visual planning tools (boards, charts, shared screens)
• Ensure all team members participate actively
• Focus on outcomes and value, not just tasks
• Document decisions and commitments clearly

Mid-Week Adjustments:

• Allow for plan modifications based on new information
• Maintain flexibility while respecting weekly commitments
• Use daily stand-ups to track progress toward weekly goals
• Address blockers and dependencies as they arise

Friday Closure Activities:

• Demo work to internal stakeholders or customers
• Conduct honest retrospectives focused on learning
• Celebrate achievements and milestones
• Create clean closure before weekend break
• Document insights for next week’s planning

Phase 3: Rhythm Optimization (Weeks 4-8)

Facilitation Excellence:

• Rotate facilitation responsibilities within team
• Train team members in effective meeting facilitation
• Use timeboxing to keep sessions productive
• Employ techniques like silent brainstorming and dot voting
• Focus on decisions and actions, not just discussion

Stakeholder Integration:

• Invite customers or users to Friday demos when appropriate
• Include product owners and managers in planning as needed
• Share weekly outcomes with broader organization
• Create feedback loops from stakeholders back to team

Continuous Improvement:

• Regularly assess weekly rhythm effectiveness
• Adjust timing, format, or content based on team feedback
• Experiment with different facilitation techniques
• Integrate insights from retrospectives into process improvements

Phase 4: Advanced Practices (Month 2+)

Cross-Team Coordination:

• Align weekly rhythms with other teams when beneficial
• Share demos and learnings across team boundaries
• Coordinate planning for dependencies and shared resources
• Participate in organizational rhythm and cadence

Measurement & Metrics:

• Track team velocity and throughput weekly
• Monitor stakeholder satisfaction with demo quality
• Assess team engagement and energy levels
• Measure improvement implementation from retrospectives

Scaling & Adaptation:

• Adapt rhythm for hybrid/remote team members
• Integrate with quarterly and annual planning cycles
• Support new team members in understanding rhythm
• Document and share successful practices with other teams

Success Indicators

Immediate (Weeks 2-4):

• Consistent attendance at weekly rhythm sessions
• Clear weekly commitments and outcomes
• Visible team energy and engagement in sessions
• Stakeholders report valuable demos and updates

Short-term (Weeks 4-8):

• Team self-corrects and improves processes weekly
• Evidence of learning integration from retrospectives
• Increased predictability in team delivery
• Stakeholders actively participate in demos

Medium-term (Weeks 8-16):

• Weekly rhythm becomes natural and self-sustaining
• Team demonstrates consistent improvement over time
• External teams seek to learn from rhythm practices
• Clear evidence of increased team performance

Measurements & Validation

Process Metrics:

• Weekly planning session duration (target: <90 minutes)
• Retrospective action item completion rate (target: >80%)
• Demo attendance and engagement levels
• Team satisfaction with weekly rhythm (target: >4/5)

Outcome Metrics:

• Consistent weekly goal achievement
• Stakeholder satisfaction with transparency and demos
• Team velocity and throughput trends
• Frequency of process improvements implemented

Common Issues & Solutions

• Meeting fatigue: Shorten sessions, improve facilitation, focus on value
• Low engagement: Rotate responsibilities, vary formats, ensure psychological safety
• Schedule conflicts: Protect weekly rhythm time, negotiate organizational priorities
• Lack of improvement: Focus retrospectives on actionable items, track implementation
• Stakeholder disengagement: Improve demo quality, solicit feedback, show clear value

Related Patterns

• Daily Rituals
• Monthly/Quarterly Rituals
• Cross-Team Events

Sources

• Agile sprint planning and retrospective practices
• Research on work rhythm and productivity
• Team coordination best practices