The 1/3–2/3 Rule: A Planning Skill Every Organization Should Steal From the Army

Photo by Bozhin Karaivanov on Unsplash

In the Army, time is everything. Missions succeed or fail based on how quickly units can plan, prepare, and execute. To keep timelines tight and responsibilities clear, the Army uses a simple but powerful principle called the 1/3–2/3 Rule—and it’s a tool every school, team, staff, or organization can benefit from.

At its core, the rule ensures leaders don’t waste time and subordinates don’t get boxed into impossible deadlines. It creates predictability, structure, and fairness… even when the clock is ticking.

Let’s break it down in plain language and then translate it to civilian life.

---

What Is the 1/3–2/3 Rule?

The rule is straightforward:

A leader keeps one-third of the available time for planning and gives the remaining two-thirds to their subordinates to complete the mission.

If higher headquarters gives you 24 hours to execute…

• The leader uses 8 hours to plan
• Subordinates get 16 hours to prepare and execute

The math is simple, but the discipline is the magic.

This prevents leaders from burning up all the available time creating the “perfect” plan while the people who actually need to carry it out are left scrambling.

---

Why the Rule Works

The 1/3–2/3 Rule forces leaders to:

• Make timely decisions
• Produce workable—not perfect—plans
• Respect the time and workload of their teams
• Get information out early
• Keep execution realistic and achievable

It protects everyone from the bottleneck of a slow leader.

And no matter the setting—a battalion, a school, a nonprofit, a company—the bottleneck is always the enemy of progress.

---

How Any Organization Can Use the 1/3–2/3 Rule

You don’t need uniforms or rank insignia to use this rule.
Any team with deadlines, events, projects, or tasks can benefit immediately.

Here’s how.

---

1. Communicate Expectations Early

If a project is due on Friday, you shouldn’t hold onto it until Thursday night before telling your team. With the 1/3–2/3 rule:

• You take the first third to gather information, clarify the task, create direction
• You deliver the rest of the timeline to your team so they can actually do the work

Early clarity always beats late perfection.

---

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

2. Use the Rule for Meetings, Projects, and Events

School events, business proposals, game prep, unit plans—this rule keeps everything on track.

Examples:

• If you have a 9-day planning window for a school event
– Leaders plan for 3 days
– Staff get 6 days to prepare
• If your business has a 60-day timeline for a project
– Leadership makes decisions by Day 20
– Teams get 40 full days to execute

This structure scales easily to any timeline.

---

3. Prevent Burnout With Predictable Planning Cycles

Nothing burns out a team like receiving information “last minute.”

The 1/3–2/3 rule:

• Reduces stress
• Avoids frantic late-night prep
• Protects weekends and family time
• Creates a rhythm the team can rely on

When people know they’ll get adequate time to do their job, they perform better.

---

4. Improve Trust and Transparency

When leaders consistently push information early:

• Teams trust them more
• Communication improves
• Mistakes drop
• Ownership increases

People don’t resist responsibility—they resist surprises.

---

5. Build a Culture of Discipline, Not Chaos

The best organizations don’t work harder; they work earlier.

The 1/3–2/3 rule creates a culture where:

• Timelines are respected
• Decisions are timely
• Teams aren’t blindsided
• Leaders aren’t “winging it”
• Everyone gets the time they need to succeed

This makes any organization more effective regardless of size or mission.

---

The Biggest Misconception

Some people think the rule is about taking less time as a leader.

Not exactly.

It’s about using time wisely:

• Make a good plan
• Make it fast
• Get it out early
• Let your people work

The rule forces leaders to shift from “perfect planning” to “productive planning.”

In the Army, that can save lives.
In civilian organizations, it can save time, morale, and resources.

---

Final Thought

The 1/3–2/3 Rule is one of the simple systems the Army gets right. It keeps planning disciplined, timelines manageable, and teams empowered.

Use it for meetings.
Use it for events.
Use it for classrooms.
Use it for leadership teams.

Whatever timeline you have—divide it.
Take your third.
Give them their two-thirds.

You’ll be amazed at how much smoother everything runs.

Teach. Coach. Lead.
JVD

Sources & Credits

This concept is derived from U.S. Army operations doctrine, specifically principles outlined in ATP 5-0.1 and FM 6-0 regarding the Troop Leading Procedures and time management in mission planning.

This post was drafted with the assistance of AI (ChatGPT) and edited by Mr. VanDusen.

One Thing Every Leader Should Say More Often: “I Don’t Know.”

Photo by 愚木混株 Yumu on Unsplash

In a world that expects leaders to have instant answers, admitting “I don’t know” feels risky. But here’s the truth: it’s one of the most powerful phrases a leader can use.

Saying “I don’t know” isn’t a confession of weakness. It’s a commitment to honesty, clarity, and trust. When leaders pretend to have answers, teams can feel the disconnect immediately. When leaders speak with humility, the entire organization becomes more grounded and more capable.

It Shows Humility, Not Weakness

Strong leadership isn’t about projecting perfection—it’s about being real.
When a leader admits they don’t know something, they’re demonstrating:

• Self-awareness
• Emotional maturity
• Confidence without ego

People don’t expect leaders to be flawless. They expect leaders to be truthful. Humility builds far more trust than a scripted, overconfident answer ever could.

It Creates Space for Collaboration and Honesty

When a leader owns their uncertainty, it gives everyone else permission to be honest too.
This simple phrase:

• Opens the door for new ideas
• Reduces pressure on the team
• Encourages genuine problem-solving
• Helps people speak up without fear

The best solutions rarely come from one person at the top. They come from teams that feel safe enough to contribute.

Contrast With Fake Confidence

Fake confidence is easy to spot—and once people see it, trust erodes quickly.
Pretending to know the answer:

• Shuts down dialogue
• Creates confusion
• Leads teams in the wrong direction
• Damages credibility when reality catches up

Photo by Júnior Ferreira on Unsplash

Real leadership doesn’t bluff. It builds a foundation of honesty, even when the path forward is still taking shape.

---

A Practical Example

Imagine a team member asks a tough question about a new initiative. Instead of guessing, dodging, or
rushing out a half-sure answer, the leader responds:

“I don’t know yet. What ideas do you have?”

That single shift turns a moment of uncertainty into a moment of empowerment. It invites the team into the process and shows that their perspective matters. Over time, this approach builds a culture where initiative and creativity thrive.

---

Final Thought

“I don’t know” isn’t an ending. It’s the beginning of better conversations, better solutions, and stronger leadership.

Honesty builds credibility — even in uncertainty.

Teach it.
Coach it.
Lead.

---

Sources & Credits

Leadership research consistently supports the value of humility in effective leadership. For foundational work on humility, transparency, and trust-building in organizations, see Jim Collins’ discussion of Level 5 Leadership in Good to Great (HarperBusiness, 2001).

This post was drafted with the assistance of AI (ChatGPT) and edited by Mr. VanDusen.

How to Lead Through Change Without Losing Your Team

Photo by SEO Galaxy on Unsplash

Change hits schools, teams, and organizations like a surprise fire drill: loud, inconvenient, and usually right when you were finally enjoying a cup of coffee. But here’s the truth—if you don’t lead change on purpose, change will lead you, and it’s usually a terrible driver.

For the Command and General Staff College, we teach Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model. It’s simple, smart, and built for real humans—not mythical teams who “love change.”

Let’s break it down in plain English. Then I’ll show you how to guide your people through the chaos without losing their trust—or your mind.

---

Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model 

1. Create a Sense of Urgency

People don’t move just because you said so. They move when they understand that staying still is no longer an option.
This isn’t about fearmongering—it’s about clarity. Show the stakes. Share the data. Paint the picture.

2. Build a Guiding Coalition

You need allies. Not yes-men. Not people who disappear the moment work appears.
Find those who carry influence, trust, and follow-through. They become your internal engine.

3. Form a Strategic Vision and Initiatives

This is where you answer the golden question:
“Where are we going, and how will we know we’re getting there?”
Keep the vision simple. If it takes more than 30 seconds to explain, it’s homework, not a vision.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

4. Communicate the Vision (A Lot)

If you’re sick of saying it, they’re finally starting to hear it.
No, seriously. People don’t absorb change the first time, especially when their routines are being disrupted.

5. Remove Obstacles

If your team keeps tripping over the same problems, the problem isn’t them.
Cut the red tape. Fix the systems. Give them the tools to actually succeed.

6. Generate Short-Term Wins

Nothing keeps momentum like a quick victory.
Find an early win and celebrate it like your favorite team finally beat their rival.

7. Sustain Acceleration

People revert to the old way the second you stop watching.
Keep improving. Keep adjusting. Keep pushing the vision until the new normal becomes… normal.

8. Anchor the Change in the Culture

When people say, “This is just how we do things now,” congratulations—you’ve won.

It’s no longer a change. It’s a habit.

---

So How Do You Lead Through Change Without Losing Your Team?

Here’s the part leaders usually mess up:
Change isn’t about the new system, structure, or strategy—it's about people.

Let’s hit the essentials.

---

Communicate early—even when you don’t have all the answers.

Leaders often wait until everything is “perfectly figured out” before they share information.
Spoiler: that day never comes.
Silence breeds rumors. Rumors breed fear. Fear breeds resistance.

Say what you know.
Say what you don’t know.
Say when they can expect an update.

People don’t need perfection. They need honesty.

---

Explain the “why” behind the change.

Nothing loses a team faster than forcing a change without telling them the reason.
Give them the purpose. Give them the story. Give them the big picture.

When people understand the “why,” the “how” becomes far less overwhelming.

---

Give people ownership in the transition.

If people feel like change is done to them, they’ll resist.
If people feel like change is done with them, they’ll engage.

Invite ideas.
Ask for feedback.
Let them help build the solution.

Ownership creates buy-in faster than any memo ever written.

---

Address uncertainty directly.

Change creates anxiety—always.
Ignoring it doesn’t make it go away.
Call it out. Let people ask questions. Tell them what’s changing and what’s not.

Your job is not to eliminate uncertainty—it’s to lead your team through it with confidence.

---

Keep the mission steady while the methods shift.

Change is easier when the mission stays the same.
You can change tools, schedules, workflows, or systems—as long as the purpose remains rock-solid.

When everything feels like it’s moving, anchor people to what will not change.

---

Final Thought

Change isn’t a storm you survive—it’s a season you lead through.
And when done well, it can strengthen trust, sharpen focus, and elevate your team to a new level they didn’t know they had in them.

So communicate. Explain the why. Share ownership. Embrace the uncertainty. Keep the mission steady.

Teach it.

Coach it.

Lead.

JVD

---

Sources & Credits

Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model is based on the work of Dr. John P. Kotter, first published in Leading Change (Harvard Business School Press, 1996).

This post was drafted with the assistance of AI (ChatGPT) and edited by Mr. VanDusen.