Frameworks · DELIVER

Baby Steps™

14-day delivery cycles with named outputs and binary completion criteria. The action layer that turns milestones into shipped workflows.

The Problem This Solves

30 days between milestones is long enough for execution to stall.

Even with a 90-Day Cadence defined and milestones set, teams lose focus, get pulled into BAU, and arrive at the 30-day check with nothing done. The gap between milestones is where momentum dies.

Baby Steps break the 90-day window into six or seven 14-day cycles, each with a defined deliverable that cannot be deferred. Fortnightly delivery commitments prevent drift.

How It Works

Each cycle: 14 days, one output, two check-ins

Anatomy of a Baby Step

Duration

14 days

Fixed cycle length. No extensions.

Check-ins

2 per cycle

Weekly. Problems caught early.

Completion

Binary

Done or not done. No "80% complete."

Inside the 90-Day Cadence

Baby Steps sit inside the broader 90-Day Cadence™ as the action layer. Six to seven Baby Steps fill the 90-day window, with each cycle's output feeding into the next cadence review.

Step 114d
Step 214d
Step 314d
Step 414d
Step 514d
Step 614d
Day 130-day check60-day review90-day gate

The Six Rules

Baby Steps™ methodology

Rule 1

The Smallest Possible Meaningful Change

Break tasks into atomic steps. Each cycle delivers one defined output — not a vague objective.

Rule 2

The Process is the Product

Document how tasks are accomplished. The audit trail matters as much as the result.

Rule 3

One Substantive Accomplishment at a Time

Focus on a single task per cycle. Multitasking kills delivery.

Rule 4

Complete Each Step Fully

Finish before moving forward. Partial work is worse than no work — it creates false confidence.

Rule 5

Incremental Validation is Mandatory

Verify after every step. If Week 1 output is wrong, Week 2 catches it — not Week 12.

Rule 6

Document Every Step with Focus

Detailed documentation at each step. The cadence review only trusts what's documented.

Where This Fits

DELIVER phase — 90-Day Steering only

Baby Steps are only available in the 90-Day Steering tier of the Decision Discipline Program. This is the tier where MethodWorks actively runs the delivery cadence and ships the first workflow alongside your team.

The Core tier defines the cadence. The 30-Day Steering tier provides accountability for the first month. Only the 90-Day tier includes active execution via Baby Steps — because that's the window where the first workflow reaches production and proves the model works.

Ship in 14-day cycles

The gap between milestones is where momentum dies. Baby Steps close the gap.