Episode Overview

Podcast: Nonprofit Mastermind Podcast
Host: Brooke Richie-Babbage
Episode: "Q is for Quarterly Cadence: Chaos Thrives Without Rhythm"
Date: August 21, 2025

In this episode, Brooke Richie-Babbage explores the transformative power of cadence—a structured, rhythmic approach to planning and execution—for nonprofit organizations. She explains how establishing a regular tempo for your team’s work can banish chaos, reduce stress, and drive sustainable success. Through actionable advice and analogies, Brooke guides nonprofit leaders to shift from hustle-driven operations to intentional, rhythmic progress.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Problem: Reinventing the Wheel, Every Week

• Brooke starts by addressing common nonprofit pain points—constantly resetting priorities, chasing updates, and revisiting what matters, which she attributes not to "a time problem or time management problem," but to lacking cadence.
• Quote [01:10]:

  "It may feel like you have a time problem or time management problem. Chances are you don't. You may actually have a cadence problem."
  — Brooke Richie-Babbage

2. Defining Cadence and Its Impact

• Cadence is likened to the "drumbeat that moves work from idea to executed" and "the rhythm that carries your team forward without needing you to push every step."
• With established cadence, stress declines and decision-making becomes easier, because "the next step is always predefined."
• Quote [02:10]:

  "With cadence, you get predictable progress because you know what steps you're taking. There is a pattern. There's a system. There's a rhythm or a flow."
  — Brooke Richie-Babbage

3. The Power of a Shared Rhythm

• Brooke uses an orchestra metaphor, emphasizing that while talent is important, it's "the shared rhythm that transforms the noise into actual music."
• This metaphor reinforces how a team without cadence is like an orchestra without a conductor—talented, but chaotic.
• Quote [03:00]:

  "Think about an orchestra. The talent of an individual player matters, but without the beat from the conductor, the sound is just chaos. It's the shared rhythm that transforms the noise into actual music."
  — Brooke Richie-Babbage

4. Practical Micro Action for Nonprofit Leaders

Brooke's actionable steps for establishing quarterly cadence:

• Pick Three Quarterly Rocks:
  Set three clear priorities for the quarter. "I really recommend three, not nine. Clarity has a lot to do with constraint."
• Bookend Your Week:
  Institute a Monday planning meeting and a Friday review:
  • "Lock a Monday plan and a Friday review time. 20 minutes on Monday, 20 minutes on Friday for the team and make these non-negotiable rhythms."
• Use a ‘Stuck to Executed’ Lane:
  Add this lane in your project management tool to visually track progress, motivating the team by moving at least one item weekly from "stuck" to "executed".
• Quote [03:50]:

  "You plan on Monday. You review on Friday and then add a stuck to executed lane in whatever project tool you use. And every week move at least one item from stuck to executed that shows the team that things are moving."
  — Brooke Richie-Babbage

5. Resources and Templates

• Brooke offers listeners practical tools:
  • A quarterly planning template (available via the episode’s email companion).
  • Her Posted Planning Toolkit for a comprehensive cadence-setting process.
  • The "Year in a Day Board Alignment and Planning Toolkit" for board planning rhythm.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the heart of nonprofit chaos

  "Without cadence, progress depends on who hustles the hardest that week, right? Which is exhausting and unsustainable."
  — Brooke Richie-Babbage [01:40]

• On decision fatigue

  "What's wonderful about this, about having a cadence, is that decision fatigue drops because the next step is always predefined."
  — Brooke Richie-Babbage [02:30]

• On building team confidence

  "People stop waiting for direction and start moving in sync because the rhythm has been predefined, the cadence is already there."
  — Brooke Richie-Babbage [02:40]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00] – Series Introduction and Purpose
• [01:10] – Identifying the Real Problem: Cadence vs. Time Management
• [02:10] – Definition and Benefits of Cadence
• [03:00] – Orchestra Analogy and Team Rhythm
• [03:50] – Practical Actions: Three Rocks, Weekly Rituals, Stuck-to-Executed Lane

Takeaways for Nonprofit Leaders

• Sustainable progress comes from rhythm, not relentless hustle.
• Less is more: Focusing on three clear quarterly priorities brings clarity and impact.
• Simple rituals—20 minutes twice a week—can transform your team's effectiveness.
• Visual cues and shared rhythm foster empowerment and consistency.

Action Step:
Block your Monday and Friday 20-minute sessions and define your "three rocks" for the quarter to set your cadence.