A quarterly strategy review is a standing half-day meeting, four times a year, where the leadership team checks whether the plan still holds and decides what changes. We prepare the pack, facilitate the meeting and keep the decision log. The plan stays current without being rewritten, and the board, if you have one, receives a consistent picture every quarter.
What it is and who it is for
It is the maintenance routine of the planning cycle, and it is where most plans succeed or fail. Usually it runs under a monthly retainer so the reviews happen on schedule.
It suits:
- companies with a plan that has drifted since it was approved;
- owners who want an outside voice to challenge progress on a regular schedule;
- boards that want a dependable quarterly pack from management;
- teams that have just finished a three-year strategic plan and want it to stay alive.
What is included
Each quarter follows the same structure, so the review becomes routine.
The review pack
We prepare a pack of no more than ten pages, circulated five working days before the meeting:
- the KPI scorecard with year-to-date results and status;
- OKR scores for the quarter just ended;
- a one-page update from each priority owner: progress, obstacles and what they need;
- a reforecast of the full year against the original budget;
- a refresh of the scenarios, with any triggers hit;
- the open items from the decision log.
The half-day agenda
| Time | Block |
|---|---|
| 0:00–0:20 | What changed outside and inside the company this quarter |
| 0:20–1:20 | Scorecard and priorities: focus on amber and red only |
| 1:20–1:35 | Break |
| 1:35–2:35 | One strategic question, chosen in advance |
| 2:35–3:20 | Next quarter's OKRs and resource changes |
| 3:20–3:40 | Decision log review and closing |
After the review
A written summary, an updated decision log and next quarter's OKRs, usually within three working days. Our quarterly review guide explains each block in detail.
Timeline and cadence
The reviews follow your fiscal quarters. A typical calendar looks like this:
- Quarter-end: books close; the scorecard is updated within about two weeks.
- Week three after quarter-end: pack circulated.
- Week four: half-day review, online or in person.
- Within three working days: summary and decision log.
The fourth review of the year usually becomes the annual planning session, often held as an in-person leadership offsite, where the three-year plan rolls forward a year.
How results are measured
Reviews work when the plan changes deliberately and the company can see why. We use three tests.
- Every red measure has an action. No measure stays red for two quarters without a recorded decision.
- The decision log is short and current. Open items have owners and dates, and closed items show what was decided.
- The plan rolls forward. At year-end, the three-year plan is updated rather than replaced.
A worked example of a reforecast
Suppose the budget called for $2.3 million of revenue in the first quarter and the company delivered $2.05 million, about 11% short. The review asks two questions. First, is the shortfall timing or volume? If backlog grew from five to seven weeks, some revenue has moved into the second quarter rather than disappearing. Second, what does it mean for the year? If the team reforecasts the year at $9.0 million against a $9.2 million budget, the gap is about 2%, which may need no change to the priorities but might delay one planned hire by a quarter. That decision, its owner and its date go into the log.
Mistakes to avoid
Quarterly reviews lose value in recognisable ways.
- Reviewing every measure. Green measures need a glance, not a discussion.
- Rewriting the plan each quarter. Adjust priorities and OKRs; leave the destination alone unless something fundamental changed.
- Skipping a quarter because things are busy. Busy quarters are when drift happens.
- No decision log. Without it, the same issues return unresolved every three months.
Between reviews, some owners want weekly execution accountability; our sister practice Doin.ca specialises in that. Our reviews are usually priced as a monthly retainer; see pricing. Call, text or email to set up a first review.
Frequently asked questions
How is a quarterly review different from a monthly management meeting?
The monthly meeting manages the business against the budget. The quarterly review asks whether the plan itself still holds: are the priorities right, are the scenarios still realistic, and what should change for next quarter.
Can our board receive the review pack?
Yes. We prepare a board version of the pack and can attend the board meeting to present it with management. Governance matters, such as how the board records its decisions, stay with the chair and your advisors.
Can the reviews be held online?
Yes. Most quarterly reviews work well online by video, and we hold them in person when you prefer or when the review is combined with the annual offsite.
Do we need a plan written by you to use this service?
No. We often start quarterly reviews on a plan a company wrote itself. The first review includes a light check of the plan's structure so it can be tracked properly.