Helping ambitious managers reclaim their time and be exceptional leaders. Weekly advice, how-tos and latest thinking to get you ahead.
The Best Teams Do This Every Quarter – Do You?
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Hi there You’re busy. You’re setting goals, running meetings, chasing deadlines… but somehow, are your team still isn’t hitting targets? The problem isn’t effort—it’s that most managers miss one critical step that high-performing teams use. The best teams don’t work harder—they plan smarter. This is something I’ve seen time and time again: Managers and leaders not giving themselves time to stop and plan and a result spend too much time in reactive mode responding to events. My guesstimate is that over 20% of most managers’ working time is spent fixing problems caused by poor planning and unclear direction. That’s 45 days a year you could be using to get ahead, focus on strategy, or even just finish work on time. So what to do? The answer is remarkably simple, and when done well creates a ritual and routine that keeps both you are your team on track. Instead of constantly playing catch-up, you need a quarterly execution system that keeps you ahead of problems and gives your team clarity, I explain how in this week’ video. The 3-Step Fix for Better Execution✅ Step 1: Create Space for Strategic Thinking – Before you can align your team, you need clarity yourself. Block off two hours this week to step back and think. Ask yourself: Where is my team right now? What’s working? What’s holding us back? Without this space, you’ll always be reacting instead of leading. Action: Go to your calendar and book this thinking time — it’s the end of quarter one right now! ✅ Step 2: Bring Your Team Together To Get them Aligned – High-performing teams don’t just “hope” people are on the same page—they make it happen. Schedule a half-day team session to review last quarter, clarify this quarter’s top three priorities, and assign clear ownership. The key? Keep it focused on problem-solving, not status updates. ✅ Step 3: Sustain Momentum Through One-on-One Conversations – A common mistake managers make is setting goals once and forgetting them. Check in regularly, ask these two key questions: What’s slipping off track? Where do you need my help? This simple habit turns accountability into action—without micromanaging. Watch the full video here to learn how. It's part of the exact system I teach in Manager OS, that helps managers reclaim their time and accelerate their leadership impact. If you’ve ever felt like you’re running in circles, this approach will change the way you lead. I swore by it in corporate life, and still do it now. The quarter is the perfect window—it’s not too big to lose focus and not too small to get lost in the day to day. It’s just right. Now, don’t just think about this—take action. We’re right at the end of a quarter, so if you haven't done this yet, block time today to map out your next quarter. Let me know what you think after you’ve watched. Have a great week, Helen
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Leadership Accelerator Newsletter
Helping ambitious managers reclaim their time and be exceptional leaders. Weekly advice, how-tos and latest thinking to get you ahead.
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