The 90-day sprint

Scott Couchenour Feb. 11, 2021

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The tallest of skyscrapers and your simple goal have one thing in common: they both require step-by-step execution.

There is no such thing as a strategy.

There cannot be a strategy unless there is also execution. Otherwise, a strategy is just an idea. Worse, it's a waste of time. I bet you would be surprised by the number of strategic plans lay dormant in a drawer of a CEO's desk or on the shelf buried inside a thick 3-ring binder.

Execution is the key. Look around you at everything where you are reading this. Notice anything? What does everything you can see have in common? They are all products of execution. The ideas that were never executed are wafting in the wind like a vapor totally unnoticed. Talk really is cheap.

So, when I say execution, you might be wondering what I mean. Primarily, I mean 90-day sprints.

What is a 90-day sprint?

A 90-day sprint is made of 13 weeks. Twelve of those weeks are spent executing on atomic actions that guide you most, if all, of the way toward your desired outcome. The final week is reserved for a review. The review is where you look back on the 12 weeks of action and dig for what you can learn about yourself, your goal, and your overall life plan.

What makes a successful 90-day sprint?

One key to a successful sprint is in the low number of tasks you commit to in concert with your ownership partner (I dislike the word accountability because it seems so parent-child, so I use the word ownership. Your ownership partner holds you responsible for what you own in your agenda. That seems more like treating you like the adult that you are.)

No more than 2-3 actions should be in any one sprint. It may seem counter-intuitive, but trust me I know. Having 10 actions in 12 weeks will leave you disillusioned and discouraged. Why? Because you have a whirlwind—the daily stuff of life—to attend to as it happens. The whirlwind is unpredictable and can be almost devastating. The best way to ensure success is to keep the number of actions to 2-3.

The second key to a 90-day sprint is to have that ownership partner and a recurring check-in appointment on your progress. This increases the probability of reaching your goal by 95% (based on research by the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD).

Action step

• Select a desired outcome that you can see yourself accomplishing in 12 weeks
• Identify all the actions that you could take to achieve the outcome
• Select the top 20% of all actions that will likely generate 80% of the success and commit to 2 or 3 of them, maximum
• Determine who your ownership partner will be and obtain agreement on a weekly check-in with them
• After 12 weeks of actions, take a week off to review and course correct

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Scott Couchenour has a combined 30 years of experience in ministry, business and entrepreneurship. He has the perspective any leader needs to grow further in their personal and professional life. Scott served as COO and CEO for a national multi-million dollar family-owned business. He has served in his local church as worship leader and various leadership positions. He serves as Trustee on the Nazarene Foundation Board, the Nazarene Theological Seminary Board, and Harmony Village Board. Learn More »

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