Episode 116: From Paralysis to Progress - Mastering Business Acceleration Cycles

In this episode of The RevOps Show, hosts Doug and Jess delve into the concept of acceleration cycles, a core principle from Doug’s best-selling book, The Revenue Acceleration Framework. Celebrating the book’s one-year anniversary, they discuss how acceleration cycles can transform how businesses approach strategy and execution.

Audio:

Video:

Additional Resources

• [Book] The Revenue Acceleration Framework
• [RevOps Show] Episode 61: Keeping Score in An Infinite Game - Why Your KPIs are Killing Learning & Halting Momentum

Show Notes:

Pre-Show Banter: 

• Doug’s a little unsure if he’s ready for today’s podcast because, for the first time in ages, they’re actually recording at the scheduled time. Wild, right?
• In true Doug fashion, he kicks things off with a classic: “April showers bring May flowers…and Mayflower brings…pilgrims.” Yes, the dad jokes are still going strong.
• 🎉 It’s the one-year anniversary of the award-winning, best-selling book The Revenue Acceleration Framework! Can you believe it’s been a year already? Doug can’t–mostly because he’s still deep in the trenches recording the audiobook version. Stay tuned–updates are coming soon!
  • Pro tip: recording an audiobook is NOT for the faint of heart.

Main Discussion Points: 

• Understanding Acceleration Cycles
  • Learn the definition and purpose of acceleration cycles
    • Components include: hypothesis, action, result, and learning
  • Know the importance of consistency in planning
• The Optimal Length of Acceleration Cycles
  • Why 90 days is a recommended timeframe
  • Adjusting cycles based on business needs and changes
• Implementation Pitfalls
  • The importance of focusing on fewer initiatives
  • Managing ongoing business versus improvement initiatives
• Tracking and Measuring Effectiveness
  • Balancing ongoing operations with improvement efforts
  • Utilizing a healthy backlog for planning future cycles
• Acceleration Cycles as Learning Cycles: Viewing cycles as opportunities for learning and adjusting strategies can improve business agility and performance
• Consistency Leads to Extraordinary Outcomes: Regularly practicing acceleration cycles can transform ordinary performance into extraordinary results.

Jess’s Takeaways: 

• Focusing on objectives and key results are important. Not so much metrics as you’re looking at how you’re tracking your acceleration cycles. 
• If there’s a disruption, you can do a reset without having to necessarily change the length of your acceleration cycle.
• Don’t take on too much and leverage the power of the backlog.
• Thinking of acceleration cycles like learning cycles is a great way to approach this topic.

Next Steps:

• Follow Jess, Doug & Lift on socials for updates on the show or other insights: 

  • Doug Davidoff LinkedIn

  • Jess Cardenas LinkedIn

  • Lift Enablement LinkedIn

• Follow the show on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

• Subscribe to The RevOps Show YouTube channel

• Coming Soon Episode 117!