Your First Quarter Game Plan
Quick wins that move operations and culture in quarter one
Fourth quarter is coming into focus. The year is closing fast. You are already sketching 2026 on the whiteboard.
When I played Division-I football, we learned to win the next quarter before we worried about the final score. Halftime was calm and clear. What is working? What must change? What will we do first?
I carried that rhythm into leading a faith-based youth, sports, and character program. We set a few priorities, named owners, and kept the pace steady. Families stayed calm. Coaches stayed aligned. Kids grew in skill and character. The same approach serves an executive office just as well.
Here is how to set up your next ninety days so you finish strong and enter 2026 with momentum:
Think in quarters, not in years
A year is too wide to manage. A week is too narrow to steer.
Set the quarter as your unit of focus. Ask three questions with your team.
What must improve now?
Who owns it?
How will we know?
Once the quarter is defined, everything else starts to line up.
Decide the win before you start
Pick three outcomes for the next ninety days. Make each specific.
Reduce client wait time by ten minutes.
Raise fifty thousand dollars in flexible revenue.
Start every youth session on time and hold a ninety five percent attendance rate.
Assign an owner for each outcome. Match each operational outcome with a value you want to see more often. “On time shows respect for families.” “Attendance shows commitment to the group.” When the values are clear, the numbers move.
With the wins defined, shift to how the work will move.
Simplify The Work Flow
Speed comes from simple paths and shared habits.
Use one path for internal requests. One intake form. One place to track status.
Simplify approvals. Decide what needs your yes and what managers decide. Put it in writing.
Protect focus. Block two thinking periods on your calendar each week and keep them.
Hold a ten-minute daily huddle. What got done? What is next? What is stuck?
I’m going to share a brief example from my experience. Purchase approvals were slowing programs. We set two tiers. Managers approved anything under a set amount. I approved items above it within two business days. We logged both on a shared page. Within two weeks, delays dropped and staff confidence rose.
With flow simplified, turn to the people who manage the flow.
Coach your managers
Managers need coaching as much as players do. Give them a consistent way to lead.
Hold brief one to ones every other week. Ask four questions.
What is working?
Where are you stuck?
What support do you need?
What will you deliver before we meet again?
Model a tone that is calm, clear, and forward looking.
When every manager uses the same playbook, your culture steadies and execution speeds up.
Now make progress visible so everyone can move together.
Keep a scoreboard everyone understands
People chase the things that are clear to see.
Pick a small set of measures that match your outcomes.
Update them the same day each week.
Talk about trends and choices.
For youth programs, you might track on time starts, attendance, family satisfaction, and one skill gain. For fundraising, track meetings held, asks made, and commitments won. Add one sentence on what you will do next based on the numbers.
With visibility in place, close the loop on the quarter.
Finish strong and start fast
In week twelve, run a short review.
What did we hit?
What did we miss?
What will we change by day ten of the next quarter?
Celebrate by name and connect each win to impact. Name the next three outcomes. Keep the same cadence. This turn from Q4 into Q1 sets the tone for 2026.
Your next move
Pick your three outcomes.
Choose owners and dates.
Simplify the path of work.
Coach your managers.
Show a scoreboard people can read in one minute.