[Verse 1] Every three months we gather round the table Planning out our goals like we are able To predict what's coming down the line But the future's never that defined Two weeks spent in meetings and discussion Charts and graphs in endless succession While the real work waits outside the door Planning time keeps growing more and more [Chorus] Quarter cycles spinning round and round Planning overhead weighs us down False precision in an uncertain world Watch those stale objectives get unfurled The quarterly cadence problem's here Making progress disappear [Verse 2] Month one we're excited and aligned Month two reality starts to unwind Customers want something we didn't plan Technical debt hits like shifting sand But we can't change course mid-way through 'Cause that would make the system untrue Stuck with goals that no longer fit While opportunities we can't commit [Chorus] Quarter cycles spinning round and round Planning overhead weighs us down False precision in an uncertain world Watch those stale objectives get unfurled The quarterly cadence problem's here Making progress disappear [Bridge] Fifteen to twenty percent of time Spent planning instead of the climb Markets shift and customers surprise But our quarterly goals can't recognize The world moves faster than our plans Success slips right through our hands [Verse 3] Five departments means five weeks of pain Coordinating goals drives us insane By the time we're done the moment's passed Our assumptions fading way too fast Is there a better way to steer? Without this quarterly frontier? The cadence meant to keep us straight Might be sealing up our fate [Chorus] Quarter cycles spinning round and round Planning overhead weighs us down False precision in an uncertain world Watch those stale objectives get unfurled The quarterly cadence problem's here Making progress disappear [Outro] When planning time exceeds the doing That's when we know the system's screwing Our ability to adapt and grow The quarterly problem we need to know
← 3 The Goodhart's Law Dimension | 1 Delegation vs. Direction — The Leadership Spectrum →