Why Cadence Matters
Small teams win with focus and speed, but drift when priorities are fuzzy. A light, repeatable cadence keeps direction clear, removes blockers fast, and builds trust without meeting sprawl.
Weekly Rhythm at a Glance
- Weekly Kickoff (30–45 min): Align on 3–5 priorities, owners, and definitions of done.
- Daily Check (10–15 min): Progress, blockers, decisions; no solving in the meeting.
- Midweek Pulse (20–30 min): Resolve blockers, rebalance capacity, confirm priorities still hold.
- 1:1s (25–40 min): Growth, feedback, and support; never status-only.
- Weekly Review (30–45 min): Score outcomes, document lessons, reset priorities.
Meeting Playbooks
- Kickoff: Review last week’s scores; set this week’s outcomes; clarify dependencies; confirm measures of done.
- Daily: Each person: yesterday, today, blocker; capture decisions; keep it short.
- Pulse: Triage blockers; trade priorities if needed; confirm top 3 stays the top 3.
- 1:1s: Feedback both ways, development actions, and resource requests; status belongs in shared docs.
- Review: Score outcomes, celebrate wins, note misses, and write one improvement for next week.
Artifacts to Keep
- Single source of truth: brief weekly doc with priorities, owners, definitions of done.
- Decision log: bullets with date/owner/rationale; prevents re-litigating.
- Risk list: top 3 risks with owners and check-in dates.
Communication Rules
- Default async updates in the doc; meetings only for decisions or unblockers.
- Owners speak first; avoid manager monologues.
- If a topic needs >5 minutes, park it for a separate session.
Capacity and Focus
- Limit active priorities to 3–5; finish before adding.
- Track capacity weekly: absences, hiring, major launches.
- Protect 2–3 deep work blocks per person; defend the calendar.
Trust and Feedback
- Weekly micro-feedback: one thing to keep, one to improve.
- Leaders model vulnerability: share a miss and the fix.
- Publicly credit wins; privately coach misses.
Metrics to Watch
- Outcome hit rate, blocker resolution time, decision latency, deep work hours protected, attrition signals.
Iron Compass Links
- Domains: Leadership, Discipline & Mindset, Purpose.
- Start: Iron Compass Start Guide.
FAQ
How do we avoid meeting creep? Keep one weekly doc, strict agendas, and move problem-solving to separate, time-boxed sessions.
What if priorities change midweek? Use the pulse to swap priorities intentionally; communicate changes in the doc.
How do I build trust fast? Keep promises small and visible, share quick feedback weekly, and celebrate team wins publicly.