Focus Wins. Complexity Kills.
Pete Caputa didn’t pull punches: “Most scaled operators will tell you that companies should only be running 3-5 major cross-functional initiatives. Yet our survey showed many teams are juggling 20+ at once. “You can’t do everything. The essence of strategy is deciding what you’re not going to do.”
Jen Spencer added, “We all know better. But we keep piling more on. It’s like Coco Chanel said – except instead of removing one accessory, we add three more priorities.”
Plan Like a Forecaster, Not a Dreamer
Board pressure is real. But caving to aggressive top-down goals without cost modeling is where so many plans go wrong. Jen put it bluntly: “Yes, we can hit that number. But what are we going to stop doing to get there?”
Pete echoed the need for modeling: “Companies often stack risky bets and assume they’ll all work. But they don’t model what happens if just one fails – and that’s where the plan falls apart.”
Pete added, “You must use data to model your future performance. What happens if you increase spend or improve efficiency by 20%? Model that. Ground your planning in reality.”
Trust, Transparency, and Strategy Go Hand-in-Hand
Jeetu outlined the need for shared assumptions before the plan is built: “Each function often operates on its own logic. You need to align everyone early, then identify what matters most – three to five key initiatives.”
Doug shared a simple but powerful suggestion: ask your team to describe your strategy in 300 words or less. “You’ll be shocked at the misalignment,” he said. “Good strategy creates clarity. Great strategy creates clarity for everyone.”
Jen drove home the importance of involving frontline teams earlier and having consistent language and definitions. “One team must own the data dictionary. Otherwise, you’re debating semantics instead of solving problems.”
Stop Annual Planning from Being a One-Time Event
Doug pointed out a core flaw in most companies’ approach: “We plan by event, not by process. Planning should be ongoing, not a once-a-year offsite. And we need to present not just the plan, but the hypothesis behind it.
“If your plan is just numbers, it’s not a plan. You need to ask: What are our opportunities? Risks? What do we do if we’re wrong?”
Your Plan Should Work Like a GPS
The group aligned on a practical approach to execution:
- Start with 3–5 objectives
- Use OKRs and shared dashboards to align teams
- Review and adjust quarterly using real-time data
Jen described Booth’s approach: “We treat our annual plan like a GPS. It keeps us moving forward, but we can reroute as needed. It forces prioritization.”
Pete reinforced the need for rhythm: “If you want to grow, you must innovate. We don’t just need dashboards. We need feedback loops.”
Don’t Just Hit Targets: Build a Smarter System
The final takeaway? Hitting your number is not the same as building a high-performing system.
“You can squeeze harder and get more juice – but is the juice worth the squeeze?” — Doug Davidoff
“True scale is growing revenue and margin at the same time.” — Pete Caputa
“Your North Star might be growth. But you can’t get there by burning people out.” — Jen Spencer
Whether you're rethinking this year’s plan or already forecasting for next, this discussion offered a refreshing perspective: slow down to model, align, and clarify – then execute with confidence.
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