Another 90 Days Gone — Now What?

A 90-day window just rolled over. What’s next for your business?

If your business has a business plan with 12-month objectives (as it should), then the turn of each 90 days is more than just a date on the calendar — it’s your call to realign, refocus, and reset.

But in the busyness of day-to-day operations, many businesses miss the moment.

Here’s why that matters — and how to make your next 90-day plan count.

Why 90-Day Plans Work

Most businesses don’t fail because of a lack of ideas. They fail because of a lack of focus.

That’s why 90-day execution cycles are so powerful. They:

Set the direction

Create urgency without panic.

Break big goals into manageable steps.

Give teams clarity about what matters most.

Allows you to take the 90 day focus & break them into sprints.

Jim Collins talks about the "20 Mile March" — doing the consistent work, every day, regardless of conditions. A 90-day plan is your business version of that march.

Most businesses don’t fail because of a lack of ideas.
They fail because of a lack of focus.

Link It Back to the 12-Month Plan

Every 90-day cycle should serve something bigger.

The purpose of a 90-day plan isn’t to fix everything or do everything. It’s to progress the few things that matter most.

Your 12-month objectives — the clear, measurable outcomes outlined in your business plan — are where you’re heading. Every quarter, ask:

What will move us closer to our 12-month objectives

What milestones do we need to hit this quarter?

What’s blocking progress on our key priorities?

What will move the dial most over the next 90 days?

Then choose no more than 4 key items.

Less Is Best — Why Focus Wins

The folk I work with that have found the sweet spot (they’re continually improving, scaling, becoming more profitable) ,realise that less is better.

When you try to do everything, you end up doing nothing well. That’s why:

Four priorities max — three is often better (They must all be linked to your 12- month objectives).

No “nice-to-haves” or “easy wins”. Only mission-critical outcomes.

As Tom Peters would say, “Do it right. Or don’t do it.”

The purpose of a 90-day plan isn’t to fix everything or do everything.
It’s to progress the few things that matter most.

Assign Ownership and KPIs

Every 90-day item must have:

A clear owner, don’t try and do everything yourself if you have a team.

If a team is accountable then no one is accountable.

A defined KPI — so we know what success looks like. That might be a number, it might be a yes or no, but if you don't have a measure you don't know how you've got on.

Some examples could be:

3 table

Make It Visible — Reporting and Rhythm

Planning without reporting is just hopeful thinking. The 90-day plan needs to be shared and seen. It can't just sit with you the business owner.

Discuss it with your team. Let them see the priorities. Create shared ownership.

Review progress regularly. Make it part of your stand up process.

Keep it visible. Put it on a dashboard, a whiteboard.

Don't have it hidden in software that no one looks at.

The goal isn’t to micromanage. It’s to keep the important things in front of people — especially when urgent noise tries to drown them out.

Planning without reporting is just hopeful thinking. The 90-day plan needs to be shared and seen. It can't just sit with you the business owner.

Final Thought: Execution Is Culture

You don’t build execution muscle by doing more. You build it by doing what matters — repeatedly, visibly, and with discipline.

The best-run businesses I see don’t treat 90-day plans as a tick-box. They treat them as a key to execution — providing direction with daily action.

A really good question to ask your team is: If the next 90 dayswas all you had — what would you focus on? Now do that.

Want Help Setting Your 90-Day Plan?

At PlanA, we help business owners and leadership teams set and stay accountable to high-impact quarterly plans. If you're ready to sharpen your focus and drive real outcomes, we’re here to help. Get in touch to find out more.

Another 90 Days Gone — Now What?