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Plan and prioritise · Core

Share the roadmap and set expectations

A roadmap only helps if people understand it. Share it in a way each audience can use, be clear about what is certain and what is not, and keep it up to date.

About 1-2 daysEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026

Who this applies to

Skills it builds
Communication and influencePrioritisation and roadmapping
PM types
All
Product types
All
Starting points
All
Ways of working
All
Experience
All
Size of organisation
All

Steps, by experience

Beginner (under 1 year)

  1. Decide who needs the roadmap: your team, leaders, other teams, customers or the public. Each needs a different level of detail.
  2. Show outcomes and problems, not just features. For each item, say why it matters.
  3. Use a simple format such as Now, Next and Later, so certainty drops as items move further away.
  4. Say clearly what is not on the roadmap and why.
  5. Walk key stakeholders through it in person and invite questions.
  6. Agree when you will update it and where people can always find the latest version.

Intermediate (1 to 4 years)

  1. Tailor roadmap views for each audience.
  2. Frame items as outcomes, with confidence shown by time horizon.
  3. Present it, take questions and record concerns.
  4. Publish one source of truth and an update rhythm.

Experienced (5+ years)

  1. Use the roadmap to tell the strategy story: where you are going, why and what you are trading off.
  2. Pre-wire senior stakeholders so the review is a confirmation, not a surprise.
  3. Treat changes as normal and explain them openly when they happen.
  4. Align roadmaps across teams so dependencies are visible.

Who can do this

Owner: Product manager

Can be delegated to

  • Delivery Manager or Product Owner: Keep the roadmap and delivery plan in step
  • Content Designer: Make the roadmap wording clear for each audience

Reviewed by: Delivery Manager, Tech Lead

Tool examples

Jira
Publish a read-only roadmap view for leaders so they see live status without extra reports.
Confluence
Embed the roadmap on one page with a short explanation of each outcome.
Miro
Draw a Now, Next, Later board for workshops with stakeholders.
Notion
Keep a roadmap database with a view per audience.

Definition of done

  • Roadmap views agreed for each audience
  • Items framed as outcomes with confidence shown
  • Shared and walked through with key stakeholders
  • Single source of truth and update rhythm agreed

Common pitfalls

  • One roadmap for every audience
  • Treating the roadmap as a promise of dates
  • Letting it go out of date so people stop trusting it

If you lead the team

What good looks like: Each audience gets a roadmap they can use, with clear confidence levels.

Ask your PM

  • Who has seen the roadmap, and what did they push back on?
  • How do we show what's firm and what's uncertain?

Warning signs

  • Stakeholders treat 'Later' items as promises.
  • Different audiences hear different plans.

Do these first

Sources