We are embarking on a three-year exit runway, but we are struggling to prioritize our long-term cleanup work over daily client firefighting. How do we use Keith Cunningham's concept of Thinking Time to stay on track?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When you are running a high-growth company, the urgent daily operations will always crowd out the important work of exit preparation. To prevent this operational drift, you must carve out dedicated, uninterrupted space to focus solely on your strategic transition. This is where Keith Cunningham's concept of Thinking Time is invaluable.

Schedule a minimum of two ninety-minute Thinking Time sessions every week. Sit in a quiet room with a blank pad of paper and no electronic devices. Before you begin, formulate a high-value question designed to address your exit bottlenecks.

For example, ask yourself: How might we restructure our operational workflows so that our customer onboarding requires zero involvement from our leadership team? Or: What are the three biggest liabilities a buyer's due diligence team will find on our balance sheet, and how do we resolve them this quarter?

Write down every idea, strategy, and risk that comes to mind. Do not censor your thoughts. Use this quiet space to step back from the daily noise and gain objectivity about your business.

Once your Thinking Time session is complete, convert your best solutions into actionable quarterly Rocks for your leadership team. By establishing this disciplined thinking habit, you ensure that your long-term exit preparation remains a priority and is not swallowed up by daily firefighting.