Hi there,

Are you feeling the squeeze to deliver more results with fewer resources?

You're not alone. I'm hearing this challenge from virtually every leader I work with—and we're only in January.

I remember well the pressure to do more with less from my corporate days—I know it's a hard place to be.

But trying to absorb all that pressure yourself isn't just unsustainable—it's harmful to both you and your team. 🤯

So I'd like to share an approach that's helping my clients navigate this challenge effectively.

I call it the 5D's Method.

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When resources are tight, you have three main levers to work with:

🎯 Scope: What you deliver and its quality

💰 Cost: Your budget and available resources

⏰ Time: Your deadlines and timelines

Here's the thing: you can't have it all. Something has to give.

Many leaders try to soldier on without facing this reality, but the sooner you address it, the better solutions you'll create.

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This is where the 5D's comes in.

We start with the classic Eisenhower Matrix, which gives us the first 4 D's to help us prioritize projects and activities by urgency and importance:

• Do: High importance, high urgency tasks that need immediate attention
• Defer: Low importance but high urgency tasks that can be rescheduled or delegated elsewhere
• Delete: Low importance, low urgency tasks that can be stopped
• Decide: High importance but low urgency tasks requiring strategic thinking

Mapping your work and exploring your options—when work doesn't fit your resources in terms of scope, time, or cost—clarifies the choices available to you.

But then I add a 5th D that brings in a crucial leadership dimension:

• Dependencies: This is work requiring alignment with other teams

The fifth D is what sets successful managers apart.

By mapping dependencies and connecting with your cross-functional colleagues, you ensure alignment and avoid the frustration and inefficiency of misaligned teams.

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The key to making this work is having a robust planning system.

Here's what I recommend:

• Quarterly planning framework to translate big goals into tangible actions and priorities
• Weekly planning rituals to review progress and adjust those priorities if needed
• Regular stakeholder check-ins to maintain alignment

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Want to see exactly how this works in practice? This week's video walks through the entire 5D's Method and shows you how to implement it with your team.

If I were to describe a key differentiator between a manager and a leader, it is the people who proactively face into the problem of trying to do more with less and create effective solutions without burning out their team in the process.

It’s a great skill to master.

Is this something you are facing now? If so, let me know how you get on.

Regards,

Helen

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