It Was a Good Year. Here’s Why It Can Be Better.

This year was good. And the reason it was good wasn’t luck, or improved economic conditions, or help from the government. It was the result of deliberate planning, setting specific goals, making clear decisions, and following through with implementation and review.

But as I look back, I see not just what worked, but what could work even better. Honestly it has left me unsatisfied. Good can be made better. So here is how we’re taking a good year and making it the foundation for our best year yet.

Why “Good” Happened

Let’s start with the basics. Why did this year go well? It wasn’t because we stumbled into success, had a lucky break, rode the waves from favourable market conditions, or benefited from government help. It was because we planned for it.

This is what made the difference:

• Specific, Timebound Goals: We set 90-day targets. Short enough to stay focused. Long enough to make real progress.
• Clear Actions with Owners and Due Dates: Every action had a name next to it and a deadline. No more “someone should do this” floating around.
• Weekly Lead Indicators: We tracked what would create future results, not just what happened after the fact. This meant looking at things like on-time client requests, first-pass completion rates, and how quickly clients responded to information requests.
• Monthly Reviews: We didn’t wait until the end of the quarter to find out what went wrong. Monthly check-ins let us correct course before small issues became big problems.
• Systems and Billing Changes: We streamlined processes and changed our billing flow—upfront payments and deposits reduced stalled jobs and rework.
• Stop doing this: We identified a number of tasks, services and projects that we needed to stop doing – that were no longer, or never were, aligned with our specific goals.

These weren’t just process tweaks. They were mindset shifts. We moved from reacting to problems to anticipating and preventing them. From hoping things would work out, to making sure they did.

Why “Better” Is Possible

Good is not great. The reality is that even with all that progress, we hit new challenges.

In our experience, our capacity doubled over the past year, and we saw transactional work increase by three to four times. Turnaround times improved noticeably, and we had fewer open jobs, with clients who were a better fit for our services. These changes made a measurable difference, allowing us to focus on what mattered most.

However, transactional demand rose faster than our capacity. The downside was that we had to push back new projects to meet existing commitments. That’s why this next phase is so important. It’s about building on what worked and fixing what didn’t.

So, what does “better” look like? It’s not just about working harder or squeezing more out of the same team. It’s about designing capacity around demand, not the other way around. It’s about making sure our systems, people, and processes are set up to handle what’s coming, and not just what’s already here.

The Three-Step Plan: From Good to Better

Here’s the plan we’re using to move from a good year to a great one. It’s simple, practical, and most importantly, it’s actionable.

1. Build a Capacity Model on One Page

First, map out your demand drivers. What’s causing the work to come in? Is it seasonal? Or linked to specific clients or services? Once you know what’s driving demand, set capacity targets for the next quarter. This isn’t just about headcount. It’s about people, process, and automation.

Ask yourself:

• Where are the bottlenecks?
• What can be automated or streamlined?
• Do you need to upskill your team or bring in new resources?

Capture all of this on a single page. If you want a template, I’ve packaged our approach into a simple, one-page plan. You can download it here:

2. Run a 90-Day Sprint with Three Key Actions

Next, choose the three actions that will make a measurable difference in the next 90 days. Don’t try to fix everything at once. Focus on what will have the biggest impact.

For each action:

• Assign an owner.
• Set a due date.
• Define what success looks like.

This keeps everyone aligned and accountable. It also makes it easier to track progress and highlight the milestones your team reaches.

3. Track Weekly Lead Measures

Finally, track the things that create future results. Don’t just measure the outcomes. These are your lead measures. For us, that means things like:

• On-time information from clients.
• First-pass accuracy on deliverables.
• Cycle time from request to completion.

Review these every week. If something’s off track, adjust quickly. The goal isn’t to punish missed targets. It’s to learn and improve in real time.

Lessons Learned: What Worked, What Didn’t

Looking back, here’s what improved:

• Our capacity doubled over the past year.
• We saw transactional work increase by three to four times.
• Turnaround times improved noticeably.
• We had fewer open jobs and attracted clients who were a better fit for our services.

These changes allowed us to focus on what mattered most.

As you implement your own plan, recognise and share specific achievements as they happen. These milestones are proof of your progress. Most importantly, give your team the clarity and tools to succeed, so you can achieve even more in the year ahead.

But not everything was perfect. Transactional demand rose faster than our capacity. We had to push back new projects to meet existing commitments. That’s why this next phase is so important. It’s about building on what worked and fixing what didn’t.

From Reflection to Action: Your One-Page Plan

If you only do one thing this week, create a one-page plan. Here’s what it should cover:

• Where are we now? (Current capacity, constraints)
• Where do we need to be in 90 days? (Three specific outcomes)
• What changes first? (Top three actions, owners, due dates)
• What will we measure weekly? (Lead indicators, not just lagging profit)

You don’t need a 40-page business plan. You need clarity, focus, and a way to track progress. That’s what this one-page plan delivers.

Use it to capture your capacity model, sprint actions, and weekly lead measures in one place. Then review your progress every week.

This week, don’t just reflect—act. Download the one-page plan, fill it out, and give your team the clarity and tools to succeed. If you have questions or want to share your own experiences, reply below. I read every note.

Let’s make next year not just good, but truly great.