6 Questions To Ask At The End Of Every Quarter

You could cut the tension with a knife.

Tempers were short, and this felt like one of the longest days of the year.

Last-minute deals are trying to be closed.

Special incentives have gone out to entice our best customers.

The finance person has turned off slack because they are tired of being asked for the latest numbers every ten minutes.

It’s the end of the quarter.

No matter how your quarter went, every organization needs to take some time and reflect on it and set goals for the coming quarter. So many times, we are in such high execution mode, we forget to stop and check-in so we can iterate and improve our results. Every organization should be meeting at the end of each quarter to set itself up for success for the next. A lot can change in a quarter. As a leader, you must make sure your team is clear on the path forward to succeed. Here are some questions you can ask in your quarterly meeting to set your company up for a great next quarter.

1.  Did we hit our quarterly goals and metrics?  No emotions here, just the facts. Yes or no. If yes, how are we going to celebrate this accomplishment?
2. What went well this quarter, and what do we need to do differently?
3. What does a SWOT (Trends or Threats) say about our business, and do we need to pivot for the next quarter?
4. What’s the number one question we need to answer for our business next quarter?
5. What are the 3-5 goals for next quarter we will focus on, and who owns them?
6. What are the metrics that we need to track to ensure we meet our goals?

These high-level questions are just a starting point but will get you well on your way to having the right conversations. Once you have worked through these questions and are clear on your direction, it is time to tie your goals and strategy to an execution plan. When you combine your strategy to your execution with the right goals (priorities) and metrics, there is no question where you are going, and your organization will make great strides.