Strategic Breakthroughs is the first to adapt this technique for business. We have developed a 12-week approach that moves beyond just training to focus on the critical factors that drive production and life balance. Periodization is a business process, and a structured approach that fundamentally changes the way leaders think and act. The result is an increased focus on the "Critical Few" that drive a healthy and successful business and the execution of those core activities daily and weekly at a rate sufficient to reach long-term objectives. Periodization creates a sense of urgency each day to do what is necessary. Furthermore, it addresses both harvesting today's opportunities, and planting the seeds necessary to ensure continued success in the future.

Overcoming Annualized Thinking...

Periodization addresses three areas of leadership that impact execution. The first area challenges the ingrained notion of "annualized" thinking and actions. Ultimately effective execution happens daily and weekly, not monthly or quarterly. The trap for most advisors and managers is that goal setting and planning are built on an annual platform. The annualization of goals and plans unintentionally creates a barrier to high performance. Inherently, people assume an unspoken belief that there is plenty of time in the year to make things happen. If we have a slow start in January we may be disappointed but we think, "I've got eleven more months to make my goal." Or worse yet, "I've got 47 weeks left." We mistakenly believe that there is lots of time in the year, and we act accordingly. We lack a sense of urgency and forget that every week is important, every day is important, every moment is important.

That's right: a year is now a 12-week Period. No, there are not four Periods in a year, that's old thinking. There's just this Period and next Period, ad infinitum. Think about the implications of a 12-week year. The excitement, energy, and focus that happen every December now happens continuously. The year-end push to hit our goals now takes place not once every twelve months, but all the time. How many bad weeks can you have in a 12-week year and still hit your goal? And if you can't afford a bad week, then each day of the week automatically becomes more important. Periodization narrows the focus to daily and weekly, which is where execution occurs.

Principles & Disciplines...

Our results are affected at two levels: our actions and our thinking. Our actions need to align with what it takes to achieve our objectives. Our thinking needs to support us taking the actions we need to take - even when we don't feel like it. Periodization addresses these two levels of execution through a powerful set of core Principles and Disciplines that equip leaders with the processes and tools necessary for effective execution and high performance.