Annual planning sucks.
It’s too short to be strategic...and too long to be predictable.
And yet, most businesses are still stuck in the “January vision board” hamster wheel…setting big goals…feeling pumped for 3 weeks...then forgetting about it until Q4 panic hits.
We fixed this by switching to what we call Scalable Planning Rhythm™, a hybrid approach that marries vision with execution.
Here’s how it works…
Step 1: Set a 3-Year Target
Forget BHAGs and 10-year plans. Start by asking, “Where do we want to be 3 years from now?” in terms of…
Revenue - ”How much will be doing in sales?”
Profit Margin - ”What will we be bringing to the bottom line?”
Customers/Clients and/or Team Size - ”What will the business look like?”
For example: “By March 31, 2027, we will be generating $25M in revenue at 22% margin, by serving 1000+ high-value clients…”
Why 3 years? Because it’s long enough to do something meaningful (like launch a new product line or enter a new market), but short enough that your current team can see themselves getting there.
Step 2: Break It Into 12 Quarterly Sprints
3 years = 12 quarters, so we treat each quarter like a step on the staircase.
Each quarterly execution sprint includes:
Revenue and Profit Targets (for the quarter, but broken down by month)
North Star Metrics - The 3 - 4 metrics we most need to impact to hit our quarterly revenue and profit targets.
3 - 5 Strategic Initiatives - The major projects we must complete to impact our North Star Metrics, so we can hit our Revenue and Profit Targets for the quarter.
This Quarterly Sprint Plan then gets rolled out to the entire company so every team knows what matters this quarter. No more “random acts of strategy”…every quarter connects directly to your 3-year goal.
SIDE NOTE: This is the goal-setting template we use to calculate our 3-Year Targets and then break them into 12 quarterly “sprint goals” we can then use for Quarterly Sprint Planning sessions.
Step 3: Measure Weekly, Pivot Monthly
Here’s how we stay on track:
Weekly Scorecard Meetings: We host 90-minute Scorecard Review meetings to check progress on key metrics. IMPORTANT: Don't make major pivots here. Just identify the metrics that are on-track and off-track, and discuss what you’re going to do to get the “off-track” metrics back in the “green.”
Monthly Business Reviews: We also hold Monthly Business Reviews to evaluate how we’re progressing on our Quarterly Sprint Plan. This is where we give ourselves permission to make any necessary tweaks and pivots to the plan, but in a perfect world, we’re on track and the plan is reaffirmed.
Either way, there are no more “gut checks” and no more waiting 3 months to realize something’s off. Weekly Scorecard Meetings give us visibility into our real-time progress, and Monthly Business Reviews give us the permission to pivot when necessary.
So what’s the takeaway?
Annual planning is killing your momentum. It’s time to switch to quarterly sprints informed by 3-year targets and enabled by weekly scorecard check-ins. If you make this change, you’ll achieve more goals and make faster (and better) decisions…all while holding LESS meetings.
⚡ Action Step: Schedule your next Quarterly Sprint Planning Meeting. Lock it in now…don’t let the quarter “just happen” to you.
Stop letting broken systems hold you back. Let’s create a plan that “de-bottlenecks” you from your business so you can scale your company…without sacrificing your soul. Schedule a free “Scale Session” today.
Quick Hits
Here’s some other content from the Scalable network you might have missed:
🧰 Tool of the Week: This goal-setting template calculates the exact revenue and profit you need to hit your stated growth targets each quarter.
⏳ I’m 44. Here are 12 pieces of advice I would give my 19-year-old self if I could go back in time. (a.k.a. What 8-figure entrepreneurs know that 6 and 7-figure founders don’t.)
🪂 The Exit Playbook - Here’s how to avoid leaving millions on the table if you’re thinking about selling (Business Lunch Podcast)
🥱 Why “strategic laziness” is the key to scale (and why dumber, less-experienced entrepreneurs still manage to be successful)
🎬 This “sneaky trick” will get more of your prospects to take action FASTER (“Why We Buy” - The Endowed Progress Effect)
Tweet of the Week
From $0–$2M, you’re rewarded for hustle.
From $2M–$10M, hustle turns into handcuffs.
From $10M+, systems set you free.
— #Ryan Deiss (#@ryandeiss)
5:36 PM • Jun 12, 2025
Want more from us?
Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways we can help you scale your business (without sacrificing your soul in the process):
Download the “$200M Operating System Case Study.” This 46-page “manifesto” (and accompanying video) reveals how we’re scaling six (6) different businesses simultaneously inside our $200M holding company using the Scalable Operating System™.
Get a free copy of my book. If your goal is to own a business that can run and scale without you, then Get Scalable is your playbook.
Work 1-on-1 with me and my team. If you’d like direct, 1-on-1 support systemizing and scaling your business, you can get more information and schedule a complimentary Scale Session here.
