Plan Review Workflow

Separate planning from implementation using two sessions.

When to Use

• Complex refactors affecting multiple files
• Architectural decisions with tradeoffs
• Changes requiring domain expertise validation
• When implementation keeps drifting from intent

The Two-Session Pattern

Session A: Planning

1. Enter plan mode: /plan or shift+tab
2. Describe the change, gather context
3. Claude produces detailed implementation plan
4. Export plan to markdown file

/plan
> Refactor auth to use JWT. Currently session-based in auth.ts.

Plan stays in plan mode until explicitly exited.

Session B: Staff Review

Start fresh session. Load plan as context:

Review this plan as a staff engineer. Challenge assumptions,
identify risks, suggest alternatives.

[paste or reference plan file]

Use challenge prompts from staff-review.md.

Decision: Iterate or Implement

After review:

Signal	Action
Major gaps identified	Return to Session A, revise plan
Minor clarifications	Note in plan, proceed
Plan approved	Exit plan mode, implement

Drift Recovery

When implementation diverges from plan:

1. Stop implementation
2. Re-enter plan mode: /plan
3. Compare current state to original plan
4. Update plan or reset approach

See drift-recovery.md for patterns.

Commands Reference

See plan-commands.md for full command list.

References

• staff-review.md - Review prompts and criteria
• plan-commands.md - Plan mode commands
• drift-recovery.md - Handling implementation drift