Planning

What it is

Planning is an agent's ability to break down goals into steps and determine the sequence of actions needed. Good planning considers dependencies (what must happen first), alternatives (what if this fails), and efficiency (what's the best path to the goal).

Why it matters

Planning quality determines agent effectiveness. Poor planning leads to wasted effort, dead ends, or failure. Good planning enables complex multi-step tasks. When evaluating agents, consider how well they plan—not just whether they can execute individual steps.