What is a weekly business review?
It is a regular conversation about whether the business is moving toward its priorities, what is preventing progress, and what the team will do next. A useful review connects a small set of numbers to specific decisions. It is not a presentation contest or a report of everything everyone did.
A practical 30-minute agenda
- 5 minutes: close last week’s commitments. Ask what was completed and what evidence shows it. If an action stalled, identify the obstacle before assigning more work.
- 8 minutes: review the few numbers that matter. Consider cash due in and out, qualified opportunities, work promised versus delivered, or rework. Choose measures that match your business; agree who updates them and when.
- 12 minutes: resolve one obstacle. Describe the gap, separate known facts from assumptions, and decide what to change or investigate. Do not try to solve every issue in the room.
- 5 minutes: confirm the next action. Write the responsible person, due date and evidence of completion. Read the commitment back so nobody leaves with a different interpretation.
Choose measures that lead to a decision
“Sales are down” does not identify what to do. “We sent 18 proposals, but 11 have no scheduled next conversation” gives the team something to investigate. Compare the same periods and definitions, and mark missing information rather than filling gaps with guesses.
Cash deserves its own view. A profitable job does not mean the customer has paid. Review expected receipts and upcoming obligations alongside operating performance. Use your current records; do not share account credentials or private customer data in a public form.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE · NOT A CLIENT RESULT
“Everything waits for the owner.”
Observed: Six customer quotes are waiting for approval. Four are routine repeat orders.
Decision: The owner and sales manager define which repeat orders the manager can approve, with agreed price and margin limits.
Next action: The sales manager drafts the approval rules by Thursday. The owner reviews them Friday. At the next meeting, the team checks how many quotes still needed the owner and why.
What should you leave the meeting with?
One clear decision, an action somebody owns, and a date to inspect the result. “Improve accountability” is an intention. “Jordan will confirm the delivery date with each overdue customer by Thursday and bring the updated list” is a commitment you can review.
What if the same action keeps slipping?
Check whether the person has the authority, information, time and skill to complete it. A repeated delay may reveal a broken handoff or an unrealistic plan. Make that obstacle visible, decide what support or change is needed, and agree a revised commitment.
For the broader operating rhythm, see EXO’s weekly review approach. To explore cash, processes and team responsibility together, see what EXO helps teams build.