The Importance of Planning for Success

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I don't think all of us have to necessarily go through a detailed planning process as human beings every year. I would maybe write down a few things at the beginning of the year, but the reality was, especially earlier in my career, I would execute on what I had done the prior year that worked. And if you're perfectly happy with that and it's working for you, I don't necessarily think there's a need to change that.

Dave Stachowiak: Coaching for Leaders I am often asked how I produce this show, facilitate the Coaching for Leaders Academy, and still manage to keep work-life balance in check. Like most people, it is a daily struggle and that I error on often. However, I have found a few systems that work well for me. In this episode, I share why I've found quarterly planning to work well for me. In addition, I walk though my planning process in detail, so you can replicate the areas that align best with the context of your work. Key Points Leaders need to both lead and plan. Planning takes discipline. Plan out quarterly in addition to, or even instead of, planning annually. Take the most important areas of your life and try to find an objective for each one that you can focus on during the quarter. Lagging indicators are the results, and leading indicators are the action steps you take to get the results. Your life will mostly fill up with day-to-day tasks, but the key is what you do with the remaining time. We tend to think we can do it all. Have a “next quarter list” easily accessible so you can get things out of your head and clear up mental space. Having a quarterly plan will help you make better decisions because you’ve already done the critical thinking about what’s important to you. Resources Mentioned The 12-Week Year* by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington The Four Disciplines of Execution* by Chris McChesney and Sean Covey Related Episodes Do This for a Productive Week (episode 180) How to Actually Move Numbers, with Chris McChesney (episode 294) How to Turn Goals Into Results (MemberCast 1) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.