Business Planning - Waterfall of Accountability

Adam Payne • 3 January 2021

For All Those People Looking at Business Planning and Those That Don't - You Need Accountability.

For anybody looking at Business Planning or Getting The Right Things Done bear in mind the ‘Waterfall of Accountability’ applies.


Whatever horizon you’re looking at (Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly) the Objectives or Actions need to be broken down into Daily Tasks.


I do this with my Business Planning Masterclass and also my 30-Day Fire-Up Mastermind Groups. (albeit they are a unique process and template to each)


The video above discusses in a little more detail my approach to this, and believe me, this sets you apart from others, if you keep on top of the structure, make it a habit, and implement the actions it will deliver the Results.


Business Planning is easy, it’s the EXECUTION and IMPLEMENTATION that’s difficult.


***BUSINESS PLANNING & 90 DAY ACTION PROGRAMME***


You ‘know’ your business is capable of more but either never get the time to do it or you don’t know how to do it and simply want a helping hand.


Set the GOALS, create THE PLAN and deliver the RESULTS in the next 90 DAYS - Click Here

You Won the Order. Did You Win the Money? A Cash Walk for UK Manufacturers

by Adam Payne • 25 September 2026
Follow one £186,000 UK manufacturing contract from quote to bank and see exactly where the margin goes: a discount agreed in the last five minutes, stale material prices, panels scrapped after a drawing revision, ten days of invoice drift, a bounced part number and five months funding someone else's business.

You Committed to the Next Growth Number. Did You Commit to the Structure That Carries It?

by Adam Payne • 17 September 2026
UK manufacturing growth numbers get committed in the boardroom, the bank, to a group MD or across the kitchen table, while the capacity, decision rights and reporting lines needed to deliver them are quietly assumed rather than built. A practical look at where that gap comes from and what closing it actually requires.

The Number Doesn't Fit Through the Structure: What Really Stops UK Manufacturers Growing

by Adam Payne • 9 September 2026
UK manufacturing firms stall at roughly £3m, £10m and £25m for structural reasons, not effort. This guide explains each growth ceiling, the warning signs (decisions queueing on the owner, revenue rising while margin flatlines, knowledge trapped in 3 or 4 heads), and the specific changes that break through each one.

Under NDA: How UK Engineering Firms Build Authority Without Showing the Job

by Adam Payne • 1 September 2026
How UK engineering, defence and confidential contract manufacturers build authority when NDAs, IP restrictions and export controls block the obvious approach.

The UK Manufacturer's Risk Register for Marketing: Ten Roadblocks and What to Do Before They Hit

by New Way Growth • 25 August 2026
A practical risk register for UK micro and medium manufacturers: ten marketing roadblocks, including capacity limits, late payment cash flow squeezes, key person dependency, platform changes and staff turnover, each paired with an early warning sign and a specific contingency to plan around before it derails growth.

The Marketing Routine That Actually Survives a Busy Month at Your Factory

by Adam Payne • 13 August 2026
For UK manufacturers, marketing stops and starts because of capacity, ownership and planning, not willpower. Here is a routine that survives busy months.

A UK Manufacturer's Guide to Build Lasting Accountability

by Adam Payne • 5 August 2026
How UK manufacturers can turn "that's not my job" into lasting accountability using the PDCA cycle (Plan, Do, Check, Act) and a daily governance rhythm, explained with real shop floor examples.

OKRs vs KPIs Which Does Your Manufacturing Firm Need

by Adam Payne • 30 July 2026
KPIs are health metrics you track continuously, such as OEE, OTIF and scrap rate. OKRs are quarterly change goals with a start point and a finish point. UK manufacturers turning over £5m to £50m usually need trustworthy KPIs before OKRs will work at all.

Critical Success Factors for UK Manufacturers: What Really Drives Your Next 12 Months

by New Way Growth • 23 July 2026
Critical Success Factors are the 3 to 5 things that decide your manufacturing business's next 12 months. See how UK manufacturers can identify theirs for year to come.

Why Your Strategy Day Never Survives Contact With Monday Morning

by Adam Payne • 16 July 2026
UK manufacturers: up to 90 percent of strategies fail at execution, not planning. See why, with Make UK data, and practical fixes for closing the gap.