When planning season begins, many sales compensation teams start by reopening last year’s plan and making incremental adjustments. Over time, this approach layers new mechanics on top of assumptions that may no longer reflect the company’s strategy, market conditions, or expectations for seller behavior.

This working session invites participants to step back before making design changes. Through a structured diagnostic exercise, attendees will examine the underlying assumptions built into their current compensation plans and consider whether those assumptions still align with business priorities. The session introduces a practical method for distinguishing between minor plan adjustments and situations that require a deeper redesign of the compensation approach.

Participants will work through an assumptions audit they can apply to their own plans and explore a planning season framework designed to guide more productive conversations with sales leadership, finance, and operations. Attendees will leave with practical tools and a structured template they can use to start their next compensation planning cycle with clearer questions and stronger alignment.