Well, that was fast.
Another month gone and nearly halfway through a new quarter. Regardless of the results, it's important to pause for a moment and ask yourself - what just happened?
Whether you started fast or fell on your face, there's something to be learned. I made the mistake too often of being too busy to look back on what happened because I was too focused on actually trying to make something happen! Sound familiar?
So, before you fall into that same trap, I thought I'd share some of the simple strategies I've developed to balance between moving fast and learning fast on a month to month basis.
What to Use
There's a few simple tools I use to help make sure I'm in tune with what's really happening and surfacing things I should be thinking about strategically:
Dashboards: make sure you have a simple, clear visual on the health of your team and targets. Don't get too fancy. This shouldn't take a lot of time or software to setup . You just need to know what matters most - in real time.
Monthly Recap: have your leaders create a monthly recap that covers their KPI results, key initiatives, wins, challenges/blockers and key adjustments. Do the same for your department or company. This exercise is more about the focused time on the issue than it is the output of a report. (this is my favorite tool!)
Hot List: have a shared list of action items/issues that need to be addressed. Work together to prioritize, but make sure this is in one place everyone can see and contribute to
What to Do
Weekly Review: Make time every week to review your dashboards. Don't obsess over the data every day, but you need to know your numbers and you need to make time to do it. There's not shortcuts.
Team Review: Dedicate 1-2 hours for you and your team to complete the the monthly recaps. Share them and schedule time to share outcomes in a working session (note: this is about taking action, not giving presentations)
Make Adjustments: if you see an area or issue to be addressed, don't wait - make a change, try a test, or at least explore your options. Don't wait for another month or quarter to "see how it goes". Don't "over rotate" or over-react, but don't be afraid to take action on validated data and good instincts.
Things move fast these days and it's easy to miss the details that can make the difference between hitting targets or missing and wondering what happened...again. These are simple tools and steps you can take to be more intentional about incremental reviews and improvement: every day, week, month and quarter.
Remember that your biggest wins may very well come from your smallest, most simple adjustments.
Remember that your biggest wins may very well come from your smallest, most simple adjustments. A role change, a new hire, a new process or pivot in strategy. Don't be afraid to take action and create a culture where others are encouraged to do the same. I love the "bias for action" mantra in these situations. Or as I tell my teams, "this is the plan...until it's not."
So whatever happened last month, learn from it, build on it, but don't forget about it.
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