Define Success by Your “Why”
Don’t copy another firm’s numbers. If your “why” is more family time, success might be 3 days/week at 5 meetings/day with on‑time finishes—even if someone else runs 8/day.
Core KPIs (Pick a Few to Start)
Capacity & Time
Average meetings/day on Surge days
Average meeting length (target ≤ 60 min)
Average prep time/meeting (goal: trending down)
Average post‑meeting dictation time (≤ 15 min)
Quality & Delivery
Packet error rate (%)
Follow‑up SLA (e.g., tasks created within 24 hours; client deliverables within 3 business days)
% meetings where the planned Value Add was delivered on time
Client & Team
Show rate / reschedule rate
CSAT (1–5) or quick post‑meeting pulse (“Was this meeting valuable today?”)
Referrals asked/offered count
Staff workload signal (simple weekly 1–5 burnout check)
Start with 3–5 KPIs this cycle. Add more later.
Debrief: Agenda & Output
Hold the debrief within 3–5 business days after Surge ends.
Debrief agenda (copy‑paste):
1) What worked (keep) 2) What hurt (fix) 3) One or two changes to test next cycle (no more) 4) Owners, deadlines, and how we’ll measure success 5) Appreciation round (call out wins by name)
Backlog: Log ideas during Surge; only 1–2 changes move into the next cycle. Everything else waits.
Forcing Mechanisms (To Keep It Tight)
Meeting countdown timer visible to advisor and RM.
“Hard stop” on the calendar (e.g., 4:30 shutdown).
Daily go/no‑go checklist for tomorrow’s packets.
Scripts and templates stored in one place (and versioned).
Common Failure Modes → Fixes
Changing process mid‑Surge → Park it in the backlog; review at debrief.
Overlong meetings → Timer + single‑topic agenda + closing script at minute 50.
Playing office (low meeting count, lots of busywork) → Set a minimum of 4 meetings/day on Surge days.
Weak delegation → Clarify role matrix and “done means”; coach without negativity.
Boundary collapse (drop‑ins) → Re‑train staff on scripts and triage ladder.
The Surge Readiness Ladder
Use this maturity model to see where you are and how to advance one level per cycle.
Level 1 — Ad Hoc
No time‑blocks; meetings anytime.
Next step: Pick 2 Surge days and cap at 4 meetings/day.
Level 2 — Scheduled Lite
Some time‑blocks; inconsistent prep.
Next step: Adopt the 15‑minute dictation and a basic pre‑appointment checklist.
Level 3 — Structured
Solid calendar; consistent dictations; exception log.
Next step: Add KPI tracking and a formal debrief.
Level 4 — Scaled
Team runbook; role matrix; stable KPIs.
Next step: Increase capacity carefully or shorten SLAs.
Level 5 — Optimized
Predictable outcomes; continuous small improvements.
Next step: Maintain; pilot one improvement per cycle.
30‑60‑90 Improvement Plan (Example)
Days 0–30: Lock calendar; enforce 60‑minute cap; implement dictation template.
Days 31–60: Track 3 KPIs; run a mid‑cycle check; refine handoffs.
Days 61–90: Debrief; ship 1–2 improvements; update runbook & checklists.
Success Checklist
3–5 KPIs tracked this cycle
Debrief completed within 5 business days
Only 1–2 changes committed for next cycle
Readiness level assessed & next step chosen
Runbook updated and re‑published