Andrew RadosevichWhy Operating Cadence Matters
Without a cadence, decisions happen ad hoc, issues fester, and accountability erodes. A well-run weekly operating meeting is the single highest-leverage change you can make to operational performance. It creates predictability, surfaces problems early, and ensures the team is aligned on priorities, not just busy.
The Weekly Leadership Meeting (Template)
Duration: 60–90 minutes. Same day, same time, every week. Agenda: (1) Good news / wins: 5 min. (2) Scorecard review: 15 min (review 5–7 KPIs, flag red/yellow). (3) Action item review: 10 min (status on last week's commitments). (4) Issues list: 30 min (identify, discuss, resolve, one owner per issue). (5) Forward look: 10 min (next week priorities, blockers). (6) Cascade: 5 min (what gets communicated to teams). Rules: start on time, end on time, no devices, one conversation at a time.
Choosing the Right KPIs
For your scorecard, select 5–7 KPIs that are: (1) leading indicators where possible (pipeline, proposals sent, utilization rate this week) not just lagging (revenue, margin); (2) owned by a specific person; (3) reviewed weekly with red/yellow/green status. Common selections for $5–15M businesses: revenue (trailing 4 weeks), pipeline value, utilization %, cash position, delivery on-time %, open issues count, and customer satisfaction score.
Building the Habit
The first 4 weeks are the hardest. Expect resistance, since people aren't used to accountability. Keys to success: the leader must attend every week (non-negotiable), keep the agenda tight, follow up on action items relentlessly, and celebrate wins. After 6–8 weeks, the cadence becomes the heartbeat of the business.
Common questions
What if my leadership team is too small for a formal meeting?
Even a 2-person leadership team benefits from a weekly scorecard review. The structure matters more than the size. Scale the agenda to fit, but keep the rhythm.
How do I handle remote/hybrid teams?
Same cadence, same rules. Use video, keep cameras on, and use a shared dashboard everyone can see. The format (remote vs. in-person) matters less than the consistency.
What tools work best for the scorecard?
Start simple, a shared spreadsheet works fine. The tool doesn't matter; the discipline of reviewing it weekly does. Graduate to dashboarding tools (Databox, Klipfolio, etc.) when the habit is solid.