Building Better Teams Through Business Rhythms

uring my time at Uber, we didn’t just set goals and hope for the best. We had a system. Each Monday, our team would meet to review last week’s insights and roadblocks. Everyone, from entry-level associates to executives, contributed.

It was this bottoms-up approach that ensured leadership wasn’t disconnected from the realities of our day-to-day work. And it empowered teams to feel like their contributions truly mattered.

Years later, when I started consulting for small businesses, I realized something – most owners don’t lack ambition—they lack structure. They have big visions and set exciting goals, but without a mechanism to tie those pieces together, execution falters.

One of my clients, a solopreneur managing a small but growing team, said to me: “I don’t know if this kind of structure is right for me. It feels too corporate”. They wanted a system, but they wanted one that fit their style, and offered the flexibility that they needed to excel. 

That’s where finding the “rhythm” of your business can help. Business rhythms aren’t about adding bureaucracy, they’re about simplifying your focus and aligning your team—even if it’s just you and a couple of contractors.

Without rhythm, even the best plans fall apart. Take the story of Schlitz Brewery, once the largest brewery in the U.S., they had a goal – cutting costs, but that goal was disconnected from the larger “rhythm” of the business: the brand, the customers, the product. Rather than integrating these into their efforts, they let them fall by the wayside. In the end, their quality suffered, customers noticed, and their once-thriving business collapsed.

It was a failure of execution driven by a lack of perspective and a lack of systems. They didn’t have the mechanisms to catch their missteps early and pivot.

On the other hand, when rhythm works, it’s like magic. I’ve seen small teams double their output because every person knew exactly how their efforts contributed to the big picture. When everyone’s on the same page, it creates this flywheel of momentum. Alignment drives engagement, and engagement drives results.

I’ve dedicated much of my career to helping entrepreneurs—large and small—understand these business rhythms, the cadence that connects vision, planning, and execution. Best of all, it doesn’t require big budgets or fancy tools, just a commitment to consistency. Let me show you how.

Start with Your Vision and Mission

Your vision is the dream—the long-term impact you want to create. Your mission is what you’re doing today to make that dream a reality.

• Vision: Future-oriented. Aspirational. The purpose of your team. What you are aiming to achieve in the long term. 
• Mission: Present-focus. Action-oriented. How you're going to achieve your vision.

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Set One or Two Goals That Matter

To execute on your mission, you need to have something to measure against. I recommend using OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to achieve this. OKRs offer a straightforward way for team members to evaluate their contribution to the broader goal, they describe the work that people should be doing and what they’re responsible for.

What are OKRs?

• Objective: The overarching focus, like improving customer retention.
• Key Results: Measurable outcomes, such as increasing repeat customers by 20%.
• Initiatives: The actionable steps to make it happen.

Create a Regular Review Cadence

Once you understand your mission, and you’ve set actionable OKRs, you need to schedule time to review them with your team. It’s easy to assume that plans are set in stone once they are made, but business can change on a dime, and goals that made sense last quarter could be disastrous this one. The only way to figure out whether you’re walking into the same trap Schlitz did is to consistently review your efforts. 

Whether it’s weekly check-ins or quarterly reviews, you need to carve out time to evaluate progress.

These check-ins don’t need to be especially formal or complicated, a shared Google Sheet or a few update slides can do wonders. 

The most important thing is to make sure everyone is involved, everyone has a say. A rhythm only works if everyone is part of the beat. If the team is disengaged and disempowered, they won’t be able to execute. Ask them for their insights, and take their concerns seriously. 

Case Study: Nike

In my experience helping businesses develop their operational cadences, Nike stands out as a gold standard. 

Nike’s vision is straightforward:

• “To do everything possible to expand human potential.”

This singular focus defines the company’s long-term purpose and sets the tone for everything they do.

Their mission complements their vision by focusing on action:

• “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”

Combined we can see how their future goals are aligned with present-day actions, and how both are broad enough that every employee can find a role in it.

Nike supports framework with an organizational rhythm built around a robust five-year plan broken into:

• Strategic Targets: Nike sets 29 specific targets that reflect their strong commitment to People, Planet, and Pay. [Vision and Mission]
• Tangible Actions: Each target is accompanied by actionable steps and measurable metrics that clarify how teams contribute to larger objectives. [OKRs]
• Metrics and Transparency: Progress is continuously measured and openly shared, ensuring alignment across all levels of the organization. [Check-ins]

What truly sets them apart is their ability to tie individual roles to company-wide goals, connecting vision with mission. Every employee—from product designers to marketing teams—knows how their work directly impacts the broader objective, and is held accountable for their role in it. 

You don’t need Nike’s scale to implement their principles. As you reflect on your business, ask yourself:

• Do my team members know how their work contributes to our mission?
• Do we have a rhythm that keeps us aligned and accountable?

If the answer is “not yet,” start building your rhythm today. It might just be the game-changer your business needs.