Quarterly Planning

Start by reviewing your annual plan, making sure all team members understand the long-term goals at hand.

Divide your overarching annual goals into a series of smaller, more targeted focus areas that can be tackled in three months or less.

It’s crucial always to keep your budget in mind when making quarterly plans.Were you over budget or under budget last quarter?Are additional resources required to meet this quarter’s benchmarks? Keep all team members aware of budget constraints so there are no surprises down the line.

Brainstorm and determine what specific actions are needed to meet the short-term goals for the quarter, in each focus area.

Having a specific timeline to follow throughout the quarter, ideally built into your enterprise work management solution, will ensure priorities are clear and work is done efficiently.

Each team member needs a clear understanding of their own tasks, as well as the tasks assigned to those they work most closely with. Use a shared document or calendar to maintain accountability and monitor each team member’s work, or use work management software.

The definition of success will look different for each focus area. Be sure to clearly and specifically identify these with your team in a shared document that all can access and refer back to as needed.