End-of-Week Strategic Navigator: Stay on Course with Just 30 Minutes
As a busy UX leader juggling multiple projects and teams, it's easy to lose track of our most important areas of focus—the ones where we can make the greatest contributions. But fear not! I've got a simple yet powerful solution that has been a game-changer for me and can benefit you too.
Introducing the "Strategic Goals Navigator," a brief 30-minute session I conduct every Friday. This practice helps me maintain a focused and elevated view of where I'm spending my time, ensuring I stay aligned with my strategic goals. I'm excited to share this valuable technique with you!
Here's how it works:
1. Reflect on Your Strategic Goals:
Take a moment to review and remind yourself of your strategic goals.
2. Acknowledge progress this Weeks:
Reflect on the progress you made towards your goals during the week. Celebrate successes and acknowledge where fell off course
3. Identify Distractors:
Note any factors that derailed you from your strategic path this week. If certain distractions or patterns keep recurring, be honest with yourself, and commit to addressing them systematically.
4. Determine Your MITs (Most Important Tasks) for next week:
Identify the Most Important Tasks that will significantly advance you towards your strategic goals next week. You should only commit to approach 3 so This is more an exercise of clarifying to yourself whats not going to get done next week
4. Set up next week for success
Whether it's blocking time on your calendar or scheduling crucial conversations, take proactive steps to set yourself up for success. Also for those tasks that will get delayed as they are not part of your MIT, push them out, and let stakeholders know, so you have some breathing space
How to Implement the Navigator:
Create a Recurring Block: In your calendar, set up a weekly recurring block on Friday mornings, titled "Strategic Goals Navigator," for just 30 minutes.
Engage in Reflection: During this session, spend the first 10 minutes reflecting on your strategic goals, progress, and potential distractors.
Take Action: Next, invest the remaining 20 minutes to take immediate actions based on your reflections. Prioritize and plan for the upcoming week to ensure you remain on course.
By incorporating this simple yet impactful practice into your weekly routine, you'll find yourself better aligned with your strategic goals, focused on your Most Important Tasks, and prepared to tackle the following week with confidence.