Day 8: Keep the course plan current and pass changes on to your team

Start with a short review of the past week

Have you changed a working process recently, such as making a meeting point more specific or adding a payment deadline? Briefly record what actually happened afterwards. Separate observations from assumptions: no further question on one quiet day does not prove an improvement across all courses.

Record what you will keep, what you will adjust and what remains unclear. If you are joining today, start with a current plan change. The previous Challenge days are not a prerequisite.

Choose one concrete change

Take a typical change from your operation, such as a different course start time or a substitute instructor. Review an existing case or rehearse it internally. Do not change a real booking or send a message to guests for this exercise.

First establish where the authoritative version is kept. A message can point to a change; it should not create a second, conflicting course plan. The team must be able to find the current version without relying on one person's private notes.

Assign plan maintenance and communication separately

Name two tasks: one person updates the plan, and one person ensures that the affected roles know about the change. The same person may do both, but the arrangement needs to be explicit. Name a backup for their absence.

Use your chosen case to identify who is actually affected: the instructor, reception, equipment handover or another role. Agree on a suitable communication route and the time by which the new information is needed. A read receipt alone does not show that the practical consequence is clear.

Example: A course starts later

Fictional case: A course will start at 11 am instead of 10 am. The person responsible for the plan corrects the start time in the current plan. Reception must expect guests at the right time; the instructor must adjust their preparation. The person responsible for communication informs both roles and asks them to state the new start time and their next task.

The check reveals a gap: reception knows about 11 am, while the instructor is still using an old printout. The team agrees to label printouts with their version and check changes against the authoritative source before the course. Whether guests also need to be informed, and who will do so, is a separate task to resolve. The internal exercise does not replace that decision.

Ask someone else to test the route

Ask a colleague who did not prepare the case to find the current plan and explain the change. Ask for their next task without suggesting the answer. Record the first uncertainty and correct that specific point.

Repeat the same case with the corrected agreement. Today's success criterion is limited: the person finds the current version and can explain what changes for them. Observe subsequent real changes to learn whether the process helps over time.

Worksheet for shift starts and plan changes

The two-page PDF “Coordinate shift starts and plan changes” provides a worksheet for courses, instructors, equipment and open tasks, plus a page for the communication route, backup responsibility, a practical check and a weekly review. The PDF is in German and works without TIDEFORCE.

Request the printable worksheet through the email form. Use page 2 for today's single change; page 1 can support your next shift briefing.

For background, read how to hand over the course plan and open tasks. For preparation before arrival, see meeting points, preparation and course starts.