Effective Last Quarter Review

There are just 96 days left in 2024. As the year winds down, it's key to focus on what truly matters. With holidays approaching, the key to success in Q4 (which starts next week BTW) isn’t adding new goals but reviewing where you stand and executing the most important tasks.

Whether you’ve made progress or fallen behind, now is the time to assess. This quarter is about trade-offs. Instead of aiming for perfection (100%), focus on completing more projects at 70-80%. [Side note: Not all goals are created equal, so for the most critical ones, aiming for perfection may be strategic. I’ll let you decide!]

As with every quarter, this is your invitation to reflect on what you can accomplish in the last quarter of 2024. I also share my own quarterly plan in the PS section.

THE THEORY

The Pareto Rule (80/20 Rule): 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. Focus on the small number of tasks that deliver the most value, and don’t get bogged down in low-impact activities. It's about working smarter, not harder.

RAG Status Reports are a great way to reflect on progress. As I mentioned last quarter, breaking our goals into Red (off-track), Amber (uncertain), and Green (on-track) helps us prioritize effectively. The instinct is to make Greens even greener, but real progress comes from focusing on Red and Amber projects. This quarter, aim to resist the temptation to stick to the comfort zone.

This leads us to the core idea for Q4: Delivering at 70-80% completion can be more beneficial than striving for perfection. This principle was hammered into me at Amazon, where the emphasis was often to Bias For Action (one of the Leadership Principles). Getting a project 70% done (sometimes even lower) and releasing it for feedback allows you to refine based on real-world input, rather than getting stuck in the pursuit of perfection. Keep the momentum going, and iterate as needed.

MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS

My Lessons from Moving a Lot: After living in 7 homes over the past 10 years (I know, it’s a lot!), I’ve learned that the last 20% of any task takes disproportionately longer than the first 80%. Packing 80% of a house might take 4 days, but the last 20% can take just as long. The same goes for projects: moving from 80% to 100% is often slower and more challenging.

With just 96 days left this year, don’t aim for perfection. Focus on executing to “good enough” and iterating later. If you’re worried about how it’ll look, just label it a "work in progress" or "draft" in whatever type of document you are presenting, and ask for feedback.

HOW TO PUT THIS INTO PRACTICE

1. Self-Evaluation: Do a RAG (Red, Amber, Green) assessment of your annual goals.

2. Break it Down: Break intimidating tasks into smaller, manageable pieces. Or as I like calling it: Break the Lion into Small Kittens.

3. Embrace Pareto: Focus on getting each project to 70-80% completion. Only aim for perfection on key goals.

4. Execute: Stick to your systems and focus on execution, not experimentation.

5. Set External Commitments: As I mentioned last week, commit to external deadlines (even fake ones) to maintain progress.

6. Ask for Help: If you’re falling short, raise your hand now – don’t wait until it’s too late.

With 96 days remaining, focus on finishing strong, not on perfection. Let’s get it done!

Yours Quarterly,

Jorge Luis Pando

PS: My biggest goal for Q4 is to launch The Effective Collective for a select group of Founding Members. The key benefit? You’ll gain direct access to me, live and recorded sessions, expert support, and flexible participation options—all within an exclusive community focused on mastering workload and career growth. Interested? There are only 10 spots left! Registrations close next week, and we start on October 7th. Click here to learn more. Any questions? Feel free to DM me on LinkedIn or reply to this email.