{"id":"e351ad68-b986-4167-8968-300433cb169c","shortId":"evpZsS","kind":"skill","title":"managing-timelines","tagline":"Turn a deadline into a Timeline Management Pack (phase plan, milestone tracker, scope control). See also: scoping-cutting (cut scope to fit).","description":"# Managing Timelines\n\n## Scope\n\n**Covers**\n- Turning a deadline or target date into a clear **commitment model** (commit vs forecast vs target)\n- Building a phase-based plan (Discovery → Solutioning → Build → Launch) with **decision gates**\n- Creating a milestone tracker with simple **RAG** (red/amber/green) status and escalation triggers\n- Protecting the team when a deadline is real (treat it like **P0**, reduce distractions, control scope)\n- Setting a governance + comms cadence so stakeholders get **early risk signals**, not surprises\n- Handling “fast demo, slow production” cadence (especially for AI/ML features) via explicit outer-loop work\n\n**When to use**\n- “We need to ship by <date>. Create a timeline/milestone plan and status cadence.”\n- “We have a launch date; convert this into phases, milestones, and a comms plan.”\n- “Stakeholders keep asking for dates; define what we can actually commit to and when.”\n- “The project feels off-track; set up RAG status + weekly exec review and escalation.”\n- “We can demo quickly, but production will take longer—help set expectations and plan the outer loop.”\n\n**When NOT to use**\n- You haven’t defined the problem/outcome yet (use `problem-definition`)\n- You need to pick which initiatives matter most (use `prioritizing-roadmap`)\n- You primarily need to cut scope to fit an appetite/timebox (use `scoping-cutting`)\n- You need a decision-ready PRD or build-ready spec/design doc (use `writing-prds` / `writing-specs-designs`)\n- You’re planning the actual launch rollout, rollback, and go/no-go (use `shipping-products`)\n- The plan is dominated by unknowns and you need hypothesis-driven experimentation before committing to dates (use `planning-under-uncertainty`)\n\n## Inputs\n\n**Minimum required**\n- The deliverable and success bar (“done means…”) + key users/stakeholders\n- The date type: **fixed deadline** (external) vs **target** (internal) vs **window** (e.g., “late March”)\n- Constraints and non-negotiables (quality, compliance, privacy/security, platform, budget)\n- Team shape + capacity assumptions (who’s building; availability; parallel work)\n- Known dependencies and risks (other teams, vendors, data availability, approvals)\n\n**Missing-info strategy**\n- Ask up to 5 questions from [references/INTAKE.md](references/INTAKE.md).\n- If answers aren’t available, proceed with explicit assumptions and list **Open questions** that could change the date or scope.\n\n## Outputs (deliverables)\n\nProduce a **Timeline Management Pack** in Markdown (in-chat; or as files if the user requests):\n\n1) **Deadline & commitment model** (what’s fixed, what’s variable; commit vs forecast vs target language)\n2) **Phase plan** (Discovery/Solutioning/Build/Launch) with outputs + decision gates + next commitment date\n3) **Milestone tracker** (owners, dependencies, dates, confidence, RAG) + RAG definitions\n4) **Governance cadence** (weekly review agenda, escalation triggers, decision log)\n5) **Scope & change-control plan** (cut list, non-goals, “trade don’t add” rule, freeze points)\n6) **Stakeholder comms pack** (weekly update template + escalation note)\n7) **Risks / Open questions / Next steps** (always included)\n\nTemplates: [references/TEMPLATES.md](references/TEMPLATES.md)  \nExpanded guidance: [references/WORKFLOW.md](references/WORKFLOW.md)\n\n## Workflow (8 steps)\n\n### 1) Intake + deadline classification\n- **Inputs:** User request; [references/INTAKE.md](references/INTAKE.md).\n- **Actions:** Identify the deadline type (fixed vs target vs window), the “why now”, and what variable can move (scope, resources, quality, or date).\n- **Outputs:** Deadline classification + constraints snapshot.\n- **Checks:** You can state: “The date is <fixed/target/window> because <reason>. The variable we will trade is <scope/resources/etc>.”\n\n### 2) Define the commitment model (“commit vs forecast vs target”)\n- **Inputs:** Deadline classification; current knowledge of scope/unknowns.\n- **Actions:** Define what you will **commit** to now (usually a phase output), what you will **forecast**, and what remains a **target**. Set confidence levels and language rules for stakeholders.\n- **Outputs:** Commitment model section + communication rules.\n- **Checks:** Stakeholders can tell which dates are promises vs estimates.\n\n### 3) Build a phase plan with decision gates\n- **Inputs:** Deliverable; known unknowns; constraints.\n- **Actions:** Break the work into Discovery → Solutioning → Build → Launch. Define the output of each phase and the decision gate (what must be true to move forward). Only commit to dates that are within control (near-term).\n- **Outputs:** Phase plan with dates, outputs, and gates; “next commitment date” (when you’ll re-forecast).\n- **Checks:** Every phase ends with a tangible artifact and a go/no-go decision.\n\n### 4) Create the milestone tracker (+ “demo vs production” outer loop when relevant)\n- **Inputs:** Phase plan; dependencies; team capacity.\n- **Actions:** Translate phases into milestones with owners, dependencies, dates, confidence, and RAG. If AI/ML is involved, separate “first demo” from “production-ready” and explicitly add evaluation, data, safety, and reliability work.\n- **Outputs:** Milestone tracker table + RAG definitions.\n- **Checks:** Milestones are outcome-based (deliverables), not just activities; critical dependencies are explicit.\n\n### 5) Set governance: RAG + weekly reviews + escalation\n- **Inputs:** Milestone tracker; stakeholder map.\n- **Actions:** Define update cadence (weekly by default), who reviews, and escalation triggers (what turns yellow/red). Use a simple RAG system and a short weekly review agenda to unblock work.\n- **Outputs:** Governance cadence + weekly review agenda + escalation triggers.\n- **Checks:** A “red” status produces a concrete ask/decision, not just a warning.\n\n### 6) Protect the deadline: scope control + distraction shield\n- **Inputs:** Deadline type; milestone risks; incoming requests.\n- **Actions:** If the deadline is real, treat it like P0: define what gets deprioritized, reduce WIP, and implement change control (“trade, don’t add”). Create a cut list and freeze points (e.g., scope freeze, QA freeze).\n- **Outputs:** Scope/change-control plan + cut list + freeze points.\n- **Checks:** New scope cannot enter without an explicit trade-off and decision owner approval.\n\n### 7) Stakeholder comms + expectation management\n- **Inputs:** Commitment model; tracker; risks.\n- **Actions:** Write a weekly update template and an escalation note. Pre-wire stakeholders about uncertainty (especially the demo→production gap). Ensure comms use correct language (commit/forecast/target) and highlight asks/decisions.\n- **Outputs:** Comms pack (templates + initial draft update).\n- **Checks:** Updates include “what changed since last week” and “what decision is needed by when”.\n\n### 8) Quality gate + finalize\n- **Inputs:** Full draft pack.\n- **Actions:** Run [references/CHECKLISTS.md](references/CHECKLISTS.md) and score with [references/RUBRIC.md](references/RUBRIC.md). Ensure **Risks / Open questions / Next steps** exist with owners and dates.\n- **Outputs:** Final Timeline Management Pack.\n- **Checks:** A stakeholder can approve the plan async and the team can execute without re-litigating dates every week.\n\n## Anti-patterns (common failure modes)\n\n1. **False precision on unknowns.** Committing to exact dates for work that hasn’t been scoped or designed. Stakeholders treat forecasts as promises, and the team loses credibility when dates slip.\n2. **RAG theater.** Maintaining a milestone tracker where everything stays “green” until it suddenly turns “red” with no time to react. Amber is never used because no one wants to escalate early.\n3. **Deadline without a variable.** Treating scope, quality, resources, and date as all fixed. When reality forces a trade-off, the team burns out instead of making an explicit trade.\n4. **Calendar-only planning.** Building a Gantt chart of activities (design, build, test) without defining what artifact each phase produces or what decision gate advances the work.\n5. **Comms blackout until crisis.** Stakeholders receive no updates until the project is off-track. By then, trust is damaged and intervention options are limited.\n\n## Quality gate (required)\n- Use [references/CHECKLISTS.md](references/CHECKLISTS.md) and [references/RUBRIC.md](references/RUBRIC.md).\n- Always include: **Risks**, **Open questions**, **Next steps**.\n\n## Examples\n\n**Example 1 (fixed external date):** “We’re launching at an industry event on May 15. Create a milestone plan, RAG cadence, and a comms template for Sales/Marketing/Execs.”\nExpected: a fixed-deadline plan that treats the date as P0, with change control and clear escalation triggers.\n\n**Example 2 (AI uneven cadence):** “We can demo an AI support agent in 2 weeks, but production will be risky. Build a plan that separates first demo vs production-ready and sets expectations.”\nExpected: milestones that include evaluation, safety/reliability, and rollout steps; explicit commit vs forecast language.\n\n**Boundary example (scope cutting):** “We have too much scope for the timeline; help us cut to fit a 4-week appetite.”\nResponse: use `scoping-cutting` to right-size the slice first; then return here to build the milestone plan and stakeholder cadence.\n\n**Boundary example (uncertainty):** “We don’t even know if this approach will work; there are too many unknowns to commit to dates.”\nResponse: use `planning-under-uncertainty` to map unknowns and run experiments first; then use this skill once you have enough clarity to commit to phases.\n\n**Boundary example (roadmap):** “Decide what we should build this quarter and set dates for everything.”\nResponse: use `prioritizing-roadmap` first; then apply this skill to the chosen initiative(s).","tags":["managing","timelines","lenny","skills","plus","liqiongyu","agent-skills","ai-agents","automation","claude","codex","prompt-engineering"],"capabilities":["skill","source-liqiongyu","skill-managing-timelines","topic-agent-skills","topic-ai-agents","topic-automation","topic-claude","topic-codex","topic-prompt-engineering","topic-refoundai","topic-skillpack"],"categories":["lenny_skills_plus"],"synonyms":[],"warnings":[],"endpointUrl":"https://skills.sh/liqiongyu/lenny_skills_plus/managing-timelines","protocol":"skill","transport":"skills-sh","auth":{"type":"none","details":{"cli":"npx skills add liqiongyu/lenny_skills_plus","source_repo":"https://github.com/liqiongyu/lenny_skills_plus","install_from":"skills.sh"}},"qualityScore":"0.474","qualityRationale":"deterministic score 0.47 from registry signals: · indexed on github topic:agent-skills · 49 github stars · SKILL.md body (9,789 chars)","verified":false,"liveness":"unknown","lastLivenessCheck":null,"agentReviews":{"count":0,"score_avg":null,"cost_usd_avg":null,"success_rate":null,"latency_p50_ms":null,"narrative_summary":null,"summary_updated_at":null},"enrichmentModel":"deterministic:skill-github:v1","enrichmentVersion":1,"enrichedAt":"2026-04-22T00:56:23.149Z","embedding":null,"createdAt":"2026-04-18T22:16:42.035Z","updatedAt":"2026-04-22T00:56:23.149Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-04-22T00:56:23.149Z","tsv":"'1':397,489,1008,1174 '15':1187 '2':413,542,1039,1220,1232 '3':424,604,1071 '4':434,683,1102,1285 '5':353,444,753,1130 '6':462,814 '7':471,887 '8':487,949 'action':498,559,617,701,765,829,897,957 'activ':748,1112 'actual':155,258 'add':458,726,852 'advanc':1127 'agenda':439,790,799 'agent':1230 'ai':1221,1228 'ai/ml':109,714 'also':19 'alway':477,1165 'amber':1060 'answer':359 'anti':1003 'anti-pattern':1002 'appetit':1287 'appetite/timebox':228 'appli':1381 'approach':1321 'approv':345,886,986 'aren':360 'artifact':678,1119 'ask':148,350 'ask/decision':809 'asks/decisions':926 'assumpt':329,366 'async':989 'avail':333,344,362 'bar':297 'base':51,744 'blackout':1132 'boundari':1267,1311,1359 'break':618 'budget':325 'build':47,55,242,332,605,624,1107,1114,1239,1304,1366 'build-readi':241 'burn':1094 'cadenc':92,106,131,436,768,796,1193,1223,1310 'calendar':1104 'calendar-on':1103 'cannot':875 'capac':328,700 'chang':373,447,847,938,1213 'change-control':446 'chart':1110 'chat':389 'check':526,594,671,739,802,872,934,982 'chosen':1386 'clariti':1354 'classif':492,523,554 'clear':39,1216 'comm':91,144,464,889,919,928,1131,1196 'commit':40,42,156,282,399,407,422,545,547,564,589,644,663,893,1013,1263,1330,1356 'commit/forecast/target':923 'common':1005 'communic':592 'complianc':322 'concret':808 'confid':430,581,710 'constraint':316,524,616 'control':17,86,448,650,819,848,1214 'convert':137 'correct':921 'could':372 'cover':30 'creat':60,125,684,853,1188 'credibl':1035 'crisi':1134 'critic':749 'current':555 'cut':22,23,223,232,450,855,868,1270,1281,1292 'damag':1150 'data':343,728 'date':36,136,150,284,303,375,423,429,520,531,599,646,658,664,709,976,999,1016,1037,1081,1177,1209,1332,1371 'deadlin':6,33,77,306,398,491,501,522,553,817,823,832,1072,1204 'decid':1362 'decis':58,237,419,442,610,634,682,884,944,1125 'decision-readi':236 'default':771 'defin':151,199,543,560,626,766,839,1117 'definit':206,433,738 'deliver':294,379,613,745 'demo':103,177,688,719,915,1226,1245 'depend':337,428,698,708,750 'depriorit':842 'design':253,1025,1113 'discoveri':53,622 'discovery/solutioning/build/launch':416 'distract':85,820 'doc':245 'domin':271 'done':298 'draft':932,955 'driven':279 'e.g':313,860 'earli':96,1070 'end':674 'enough':1353 'ensur':918,966 'enter':876 'escal':70,174,440,469,759,775,800,905,1069,1217 'especi':107,913 'estim':603 'evalu':727,1257 'even':1317 'event':1184 'everi':672,1000 'everyth':1047,1373 'exact':1015 'exampl':1172,1173,1219,1268,1312,1360 'exec':171 'execut':994 'exist':972 'expand':482 'expect':186,890,1200,1252,1253 'experi':1344 'experiment':280 'explicit':112,365,725,752,879,1100,1262 'extern':307,1176 'failur':1006 'fals':1009 'fast':102 'featur':110 'feel':162 'file':392 'final':952,978 'first':718,1244,1299,1345,1379 'fit':26,226,1283 'fix':305,403,503,1084,1175,1203 'fixed-deadlin':1202 'fixed/target/window':533 'forc':1087 'forecast':44,409,549,574,670,1028,1265 'forward':642 'freez':460,858,862,864,870 'full':954 'gantt':1109 'gap':917 'gate':59,420,611,635,661,951,1126,1157 'get':95,841 'go/no-go':263,681 'goal':454 'govern':90,435,755,795 'green':1049 'guidanc':483 'handl':101 'hasn':1020 'haven':197 'help':184,1279 'highlight':925 'hypothesi':278 'hypothesis-driven':277 'identifi':499 'implement':846 'in-chat':387 'includ':478,936,1166,1256 'incom':827 'industri':1183 'info':348 'initi':212,931,1387 'input':290,493,552,612,695,760,822,892,953 'instead':1096 'intak':490 'intern':310 'intervent':1152 'involv':716 'keep':147 'key':300 'know':1318 'knowledg':556 'known':336,614 'languag':412,584,922,1266 'last':940 'late':314 'launch':56,135,259,625,1180 'level':582 'like':82,837 'limit':1155 'list':368,451,856,869 'litig':998 'll':667 'log':443 'longer':183 'loop':115,191,692 'lose':1034 'maintain':1042 'make':1098 'manag':2,10,27,383,891,980 'managing-timelin':1 'mani':1327 'map':764,1340 'march':315 'markdown':386 'matter':213 'may':1186 'mean':299 'mileston':14,62,141,425,686,705,734,740,761,825,1044,1190,1254,1306 'minimum':291 'miss':347 'missing-info':346 'mode':1007 'model':41,400,546,590,894 'move':515,641 'much':1274 'must':637 'near':652 'near-term':651 'need':121,208,221,234,276,946 'negoti':320 'never':1062 'new':873 'next':421,475,662,970,1170 'non':319,453 'non-goal':452 'non-negoti':318 'note':470,906 'off-track':163,1143 'one':1066 'open':369,473,968,1168 'option':1153 'outcom':743 'outcome-bas':742 'outer':114,190,691 'outer-loop':113 'output':378,418,521,570,588,628,654,659,733,794,865,927,977 'owner':427,707,885,974 'p0':83,838,1211 'pack':11,384,465,929,956,981 'parallel':334 'pattern':1004 'phase':12,50,140,414,569,607,631,655,673,696,703,1121,1358 'phase-bas':49 'pick':210 'plan':13,52,128,145,188,256,269,287,415,449,608,656,697,867,988,1106,1191,1205,1241,1307,1336 'planning-under-uncertainti':286,1335 'platform':324 'point':461,859,871 'prd':239 'prds':249 'pre':908 'pre-wir':907 'precis':1010 'primarili':220 'priorit':217,1377 'prioritizing-roadmap':216,1376 'privacy/security':323 'problem':205 'problem-definit':204 'problem/outcome':201 'proceed':363 'produc':380,806,1122 'product':105,180,267,690,722,916,1235,1248 'production-readi':721,1247 'project':161,1141 'promis':601,1030 'protect':72,815 'qa':863 'qualiti':321,518,950,1078,1156 'quarter':1368 'question':354,370,474,969,1169 'quick':178 'rag':66,168,431,432,712,737,756,783,1040,1192 're':255,669,997,1179 're-forecast':668 're-litig':996 'react':1059 'readi':238,243,723,1249 'real':79,834 'realiti':1086 'receiv':1136 'red':804,1054 'red/amber/green':67 'reduc':84,843 'references/checklists.md':959,960,1160,1161 'references/intake.md':356,357,496,497 'references/rubric.md':964,965,1163,1164 'references/templates.md':480,481 'references/workflow.md':484,485 'relev':694 'reliabl':731 'remain':577 'request':396,495,828 'requir':292,1158 'resourc':517,1079 'respons':1288,1333,1374 'return':1301 'review':172,438,758,773,789,798 'right':1295 'right-siz':1294 'risk':97,339,472,826,896,967,1167 'riski':1238 'roadmap':218,1361,1378 'rollback':261 'rollout':260,1260 'rule':459,585,593 'run':958,1343 'safeti':729 'safety/reliability':1258 'sales/marketing/execs':1199 'scope':16,21,24,29,87,224,231,377,445,516,818,861,874,1023,1077,1269,1275,1291 'scope/change-control':866 'scope/resources/etc':541 'scope/unknowns':558 'scoping-cut':20,230,1290 'score':962 'section':591 'see':18 'separ':717,1243 'set':88,166,185,580,754,1251,1370 'shape':327 'shield':821 'ship':123,266 'shipping-product':265 'short':787 'signal':98 'simpl':65,782 'sinc':939 'size':1296 'skill':1349,1383 'skill-managing-timelines' 'slice':1298 'slip':1038 'slow':104 'snapshot':525 'solut':54,623 'source-liqiongyu' 'spec':252 'spec/design':244 'stakehold':94,146,463,587,595,763,888,910,984,1026,1135,1309 'state':529 'status':68,130,169,805 'stay':1048 'step':476,488,971,1171,1261 'strategi':349 'success':296 'sudden':1052 'support':1229 'surpris':100 'system':784 'tabl':736 'take':182 'tangibl':677 'target':35,46,309,411,505,551,579 'team':74,326,341,699,992,1033,1093 'tell':597 'templat':468,479,902,930,1197 'term':653 'test':1115 'theater':1041 'time':1057 'timelin':3,9,28,382,979,1278 'timeline/milestone':127 'topic-agent-skills' 'topic-ai-agents' 'topic-automation' 'topic-claude' 'topic-codex' 'topic-prompt-engineering' 'topic-refoundai' 'topic-skillpack' 'track':165,1145 'tracker':15,63,426,687,735,762,895,1045 'trade':455,539,849,881,1090,1101 'trade-off':880,1089 'translat':702 'treat':80,835,1027,1076,1207 'trigger':71,441,776,801,1218 'true':639 'trust':1148 'turn':4,31,778,1053 'type':304,502,824 'unblock':792 'uncertainti':289,912,1313,1338 'uneven':1222 'unknown':273,615,1012,1328,1341 'updat':467,767,901,933,935,1138 'us':1280 'use':119,195,203,215,229,246,264,285,780,920,1063,1159,1289,1334,1347,1375 'user':395,494 'users/stakeholders':301 'usual':567 'variabl':406,513,536,1075 'vendor':342 'via':111 'vs':43,45,308,311,408,410,504,506,548,550,602,689,1246,1264 'want':1067 'warn':813 'week':170,437,466,757,769,788,797,900,941,1001,1233,1286 'window':312,507 'wip':844 'wire':909 'within':649 'without':877,995,1073,1116 'work':116,335,620,732,793,1018,1129,1323 'workflow':486 'write':248,251,898 'writing-prd':247 'writing-specs-design':250 'yellow/red':779 'yet':202","prices":[{"id":"980e4c6d-3bcc-4a59-97f9-078f3c24c030","listingId":"e351ad68-b986-4167-8968-300433cb169c","amountUsd":"0","unit":"free","nativeCurrency":null,"nativeAmount":null,"chain":null,"payTo":null,"paymentMethod":"skill-free","isPrimary":true,"details":{"org":"liqiongyu","category":"lenny_skills_plus","install_from":"skills.sh"},"createdAt":"2026-04-18T22:16:42.035Z"}],"sources":[{"listingId":"e351ad68-b986-4167-8968-300433cb169c","source":"github","sourceId":"liqiongyu/lenny_skills_plus/managing-timelines","sourceUrl":"https://github.com/liqiongyu/lenny_skills_plus/tree/main/skills/managing-timelines","isPrimary":false,"firstSeenAt":"2026-04-18T22:16:42.035Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-04-22T00:56:23.149Z"}],"details":{"listingId":"e351ad68-b986-4167-8968-300433cb169c","quickStartSnippet":null,"exampleRequest":null,"exampleResponse":null,"schema":null,"openapiUrl":null,"agentsTxtUrl":null,"citations":[],"useCases":[],"bestFor":[],"notFor":[],"kindDetails":{"org":"liqiongyu","slug":"managing-timelines","github":{"repo":"liqiongyu/lenny_skills_plus","stars":49,"topics":["agent-skills","ai-agents","automation","claude","codex","prompt-engineering","refoundai","skillpack"],"license":"apache-2.0","html_url":"https://github.com/liqiongyu/lenny_skills_plus","pushed_at":"2026-04-04T06:30:11Z","description":"86 agent-executable skill packs converted from RefoundAI’s Lenny skills (unofficial). Works with Codex + Claude Code.","skill_md_sha":"a78dea14ce31a24f8537d9caa15a3a2c7113b5e2","skill_md_path":"skills/managing-timelines/SKILL.md","default_branch":"main","skill_tree_url":"https://github.com/liqiongyu/lenny_skills_plus/tree/main/skills/managing-timelines"},"layout":"multi","source":"github","category":"lenny_skills_plus","frontmatter":{"name":"managing-timelines","description":"Turn a deadline into a Timeline Management Pack (phase plan, milestone tracker, scope control). See also: scoping-cutting (cut scope to fit)."},"skills_sh_url":"https://skills.sh/liqiongyu/lenny_skills_plus/managing-timelines"},"updatedAt":"2026-04-22T00:56:23.149Z"}}