Do you know how professional sports teams prepare for upcoming games? They watch tape. For those who may not know what this means, let me explain. Most athletes, at the college and professional level, know that to improve and accomplish the goals ahead of them (for example, winning the championship game), they first must review and reflect on their performance from the recent past. March Madness is coming to a close as I write this, and just about every coach and athlete interview I’ve watched these past few days involves a question about how to best prepare for the upcoming match-up, which is typically against a team they have never played before. Almost every response to that question includes that the team will review their most recent game to see what the athletes did well, identify what they can improve, and then study the opponent to anticipate what’s to come. The formula for ideal preparation for these teams is: Review + Preview = Solid Game Plan.
A Quarterly Plan
Bringing this to the world of business, the same formula can be applied. At the end of each quarter (post-game), and prior to the start of the next business quarter (pre-game), professionals and leaders ideally take the time to “watch tape” and evaluate their own performance from the previous 90 days. Living in this “busy is best” culture, it can be tempting to only focus on what is unfinished, incomplete, & still ahead on the never-ending to-do list. But ask any productivity coach and they will agree that starting a Preview & Planning process with a Review & Reflection on what has recently been accomplished and achieved is the best approach to devise a “game plan” for upcoming work and goals for the future quarter.
I lead my clients through a Quarterly Review + Preview process every 90 days, which has proven to be a game-changer for my own business and for the business owners and leaders with whom I work. This exercise can help put leaders in the right mindset as they head into the upcoming quarter.
Five Questions
Here are 5 simple questions to answer as part of a Quarterly Review + Preview, which will help leaders/owners adopt a healthy mindset and create a proactive plan for the quarter ahead.
- What are the biggest wins and accomplishments [personally and professionally] experienced in the past 90 days?
- What do you want to keep doing in the next 90 days for continued growth, progress and success?
- What do you want to improve over the next 90 days?
- What do you want to start doing in the next 90 days to ensure progress and work towards your goals?
- What do you want to stop doing in the next 90 days?
This is the “KISS” method, which is part of the Full Focus Planner quarterly preview strategy. This process is proven to help professionals feel prepared, proactive, and to have a solid game plan for the quarter ahead.
Formula for Success
Review + Preview = Growth & Success. This is the formula that can work for you in so many ways as you learn from the past and look towards the future. By acknowledging what you have gained, you are better prepared to close the gap that remains between where you are now and where you want to go.
Want to explore the Full Focus method and join a group of like-minded professionals to plan your next quarter? Michael Hyatt says, “To accomplish our goals we must distill your dreams into daily actions.” I would love to help you take those actions in my Full Focus Quarterly Planning workshops; reserve your spot today!
Recent Comments