Set and steer control points — dated next steps with owners

A control point is the book's core mechanic applied to real work: the unit of "under control". It has four load-bearing elements — a named owner, a dated next step, a decision or escalation date, and an agreed fallback. Capture all four and the work can be steered; miss one and you're hoping.

It's not a task. Every control point ends in one of four states: Open (set, not yet at date), Held (it was true on the day), Slipped (re-dated with a reason), or Drifted (passed its date with no update). Slipping is honest; drifting is the thing to catch.

Set a control point

1. Open a project and find the Control points panel, then press + Control point. (Or press + Control point on the Control Points page and pick a project.)
2. Answer What should be true by then? — one sentence, the outcome, not the task.
3. Work through the four elements: Who owns this? (internal, or external with an Accountable (internal) person), The very next step and Date that next step happens, the Decision or escalation date, and Fallback if the preferred route does not work.
4. Press Save control point.

You'll see a toast confirming Control point set. A control point missing any of the four elements shows Not yet under full control — finish setup until you complete it.

Capture a control point during a check-in

1. While submitting a check-in, answer What is the next control point?.
2. Expand Capture this as a control point with a date and owner and set Target date and Owner.
3. Submit the check-in as normal.

The structured control point is created alongside the check-in, carrying your narrative as its statement, and shows a From check-in chip. Add the decision date and fallback later via Edit.

Review control points across projects

1. Open Control Points in the sidebar.
2. Use the Quick view chips (My open, My drifted, My past target date) or filter by project, owner, status and dates, then press Apply filters.

You'll see every control point on projects you can access — what you've agreed will be true by when.

Mark a control point held

1. Press Mark held on the control point.
2. Optionally answer What was true on the day? for the audit trail.
3. Press Mark held.

Works on drifted control points too — sometimes it held and you only recorded it later.

Re-date a control point that slipped

1. Press Re-date on the control point.
2. Set the New target date and answer Why did the date move?.
3. Press Re-date with a reason.

The previous date stays on the record. Slipping isn't failure — what matters is that the move is named, dated and explained.

Record a reflection

When a control point passes its date unresolved, the owner gets one email, then a short follow-up two days later asking What did the system do?.

1. Tap a response in the email, or press Reflect in the app.
2. Pick one of the three options and press Record reflection.

The point isn't the marking — it's noticing whether your setup made the control point more or less likely to hold next time. Worth bringing to your next 1:1.

Export control points as CSV

1. On the project's Control points panel, open the three-dot menu.
2. Choose Download CSV.

You'll get every control point on the project — current and historic, including hold notes, slip reasons and drift dates.

Who can do this

Anyone who can see a project can view its control points, use the Control Points page, and download the CSV. Setting, editing, marking held and re-dating need manage access to the project — the project owner, or managers who can see all projects. Reflections are personal: only the control point's owner (or the internal accountable person, for external owners) can record one. Available on every plan.