Your first 90 days as a manager: A simple plan that actually works
A simple 90-day plan for new managers: get to know your team and context, set up a rhythm of one-on-ones and team meetings, then build a plan you can deliver.
planning
Sharpen the axe: The leadership habit most people neglect
“You’re too busy chopping wood to sharpen the axe”. I heard Netflix founder Reed Hastings talk about this idea recently on the Guy Raz How I Built This podcast. He was talking about how – when we’re flat out at work – we often forget…
Only 1 in 5 organisations execute strategy effectively – Here’s why
Want to know how your strategic planning compares to everyone else’s? I’ve been looking at the data from our Impact Society Planning Health Check tool. This free 5 minute tool lets any manager check the health of their team or organisation’s strategic planning – both…
6 tips for setting direction for your team when you’re still figuring things out
What do you do when you’re a manager … and you’re not sure what to do? That might sound like a contradiction. Managers are meant to lead. To provide clarity. To set the direction. But what happens when you don’t feel clear yet? Maybe you’re…
Stop searching for the best productivity apps (and what to do instead)
I’ve spent countless hours searching for the best productivity apps and tools. Asana, Monday, ClickUp, Basecamp, Trello—you name it, I’ve probably tried it. For a long time, I thought the issue was that I hadn’t found the right tool yet. I thought the next app…
What Alice in Wonderland and Roman philosophy teach us about vision
What do Alice in Wonderland and Roman philosophy have in common? They both share at least one important lesson on the importance of a clear vision for high performing teams and organisations. Vision statements are common, but they often exist in a going-through-the-motions, tick-the-box-of-a-strategic-planning-checklist kind…
Here’s a sneak preview of something we’re working on at the moment
Here’s a sneak preview of something we first started working on four years ago. It’s a planner designed just for leaders. For leaders who want to get their sh!t together, be impactful and eliminate stress. Joel Bailey and I are big believers that simple planning…
Becoming a manager requires next level time management
When we step up into a management role, our time management needs to go to the next level. Most people manage their time by: The most important change is to move from reactive to proactive time management. Reactive often works well enough early on in…
I get frustrated when I see leaders overcomplicate their strategic planning
Here’s what they get wrong: ❌ Taking months to finish the process❌ Distracting their already busy team with endless ‘planning days’❌ Drowning in analysis before even starting the plan❌ Spending a fortune on strategy consultants The truth: ✔️ You can create a solid strategic plan…
Businesses are stuffed with vague, pretentious-sounding jargon
Here are some of my favourites: No shame if you use these. I do too. They can be handy shortcuts. Once I got past the vagueness, I found most of them useful. My top piece of business jargon? “Organisation Strategy” Here’s why: So, what is…
Goal-setting matters less than you think
(And why you should still do it). Conventional wisdom suggests that goal-setting is fundamental to success at work. But there’s a growing trend against goal-setting. Some business leaders, like 37signals CEO Jason Fried, avoid setting goals altogether. I understand the sentiment. Goal-setting can be counterproductive,…
Three methods to get clear on what you want (in life and at work)
I’m continually reminded that clarity is a fundamental element of great organisations, relationships and, ultimately, a great life. When we have clarity, we are more fulfilled as individuals and our organisations and communities thrive. Method 1 Do you know what you want to do and…
Most people can’t get organised, because they’re too busy being disorganised
What’s the number 1 reason that most people can’t find the time to get organised? Because they’re too busy being disorganised! Many people can’t get organised, simply because they’re too busy being disorganised. As author Patrick Lencioni says in his book The Advantage, sometimes we…
Need a straightforward strategic plan for your team or organisation?
Need a straightforward strategic plan for your team or organisation? All it takes is six simple questions… In @Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Advantage, he says that the best performing teams have extremely clear answers to six questions: We’ve developed a simple tool to capture and…
Introducing the Strategic Planning Toolkit
We’ve built a Strategic Planning Toolkit so any leader can create a plan for their team or organisation in a few weeks. A free sample is available to download now. Many managers want a plan. But they don’t know how to build one or where…
Overloaded at work? Try working dumber, instead of smarter.
Overload is something I’ve struggled with at work, particularly in management roles. Here’s a fairly typical situation for me. I’d find myself running 7+ projects at once. Some were just kicking off, and others were close to being finished. Some of them were ‘paid’ projects…
Road testing the MiGoals Progress Journal
Updated: March 2025 I’ve trialled a number of planning journals in the past. None of them really ‘stuck’. Sometimes the planning system didn’t work for me. Or I didn’t like the physical design. Or both. But I remain attracted to the idea of finding a…
You don’t need to trade-off purpose against performance
In fact, it turns out that organisations deliver better financial returns when they focus on purpose over profit. You don’t have to take my word for it: recent survey by PwC showed that 79% of business leaders believe that an organisation’s purpose is central to business…
How I roll with objectives and key results (OKRs)
Let’s dive into the world of objectives and key results (OKRs). Some say it’s just another goal-setting approach, but for me? OKRs have become one of the most valuable tools that I’ve adopted in both my personal and professional life. I’ve been using OKRs for…
Are you working on the right things?
What are the most important problems in your field? Why aren’t you working on them? If you don’t have any great answers to that second question, perhaps consider: maybe I should be?