LEADERSHIP LIBRARY

IN BRIEF

The core idea of the 12 Week Year is to eliminate annual planning and, instead, focus on a shorter window to achieve results. In the system, one identifies goals for each week, creates a Strategic Block to work on high priority tasks, and holds a weekly accountability meeting for support. Those tactics may be helpful for those who are already doing some form of planning, but want additional structure.

Key Concepts

The eight elements of the system (p. 67)

1. Vision—having a vision sufficiently compelling that it drives your forward

2. Planning—clear goals and tactics, with short timelines 

3. Process Control—working against a weekly plan and participating in a Weekly Accountability Meeting 

4. Measurement—weekly scoring to help you stay on track 

5. Time Use—scheduling Strategic Blocks, Buffer Blocks, and Breakout Blocks to get things done with intention  

6. Accountability—taking ownership and holding yourself accountable 

7. Commitment—keeping your promises to yourself and others

8. Greatness in the Moment—focusing not on the outcome, but on great execution today 

“Execution is the single greatest market differentiator.” (p. 3)

“Long-term results are created by the actions you take every day.” (p. 29)“

“Periodization began as an athletic training technique designed to dramatically improve performance. Its principles are focus, concentration, and overload on a specific skill or discipline.” (p. 13)“

“More than 60 percent of the time the breakdown occurs in the execution process, but usually people assume the plan is at fault and change it. This is a mistake, because you don’t know if the plan doesn’t work if you’re not working the plan.” (p. 36)

“The fewer goals and weekly actions there are, the easier the plan will be to execute.” (p. 98)“

“Keep in mind that the weekly plan is a derivative of your 12 week plan. It is not something that you create each week based on what happens to be urgent at the time. On the contrary, the weekly plan is populated with the tactics from the 12 week plan that are due that particular week.” (p. 106)

“We recommend forming a group of two to four committed individuals to meet weekly. We call these meetings WAMs, which stands for Weekly Accountability Meeting.” (p. 108)

“In the first 12 weeks you have two basic goals: One is to hit your 12 week goal, and the other, perhaps more important, is to learn how to apply the 12 Week Year effectively. Make this a learning experience.” (p. 179)

Quotables

“...the critical first step to executing well is creating and maintaining a compelling vision of the future that you want even more than you desire your own short-term comfort, and then aligning your shorter term goals and plans, with that long-term vision.” (p. 19)

“The most important lead indicator you have is a measure of your execution.” (p. 35)

“Accountability is the realization that you always have choice; that, in fact, there are no have-to’s in life.” (p. 46)

“What I find profound is that the difference between greatness and mediocrity on a daily and weekly basis is slim, yet the difference in results down the road is tremendous.” (p. 58)

“Life balance is not about equal time in each area; life balance is more about intentional imbalance.” (p. 62)

“The best visions are big ones. In our experience, nothing great is ever accomplished without first being preceded by a big vision.” (p. 79)

“A plan between your ears is not nearly as effective as a plan on paper.” (p. 112)

“In the end, everything happens in the context of time. If you are not in control of your time, then you won’t be in control of your results. Personal effectiveness is about your intentionality.” (p. 135)

“If you frequently defer the strategic work to accomplish the urgent, lower-value activities, you will never accomplish great things.” (p. 138)

“Taking ownership means that you stop looking outside yourself. Stop letting all those things keep you from living the life you desire, the life you are capable of. In the end, nobody, outside of a few close friends, really cares if you succeed or not.” (p. 146)

“To be consistent with your commitments will require you to align your thinking with a few core beliefs. The first is that it is okay to say no.” (p. 164)