The 10-10-10 Rule That Cut Patagonia's Delays

In 2009, Patagonia’s quarterly planning stalled so long that entire weeks went missing from their schedule. The mounting indecision triggered CEO Yvon Chouinard to bring in Suzy Welch’s 10-10-10 rule that same spring, asking each leader to frame every choice around this: What will the impact be in ten minutes, in ten months, and in ten years? Each meeting paused while they ran these time checks, forcing answers instead of endless debate. Patagonia’s teams shaved forty-five minutes off an average planning session these quarters, and the rule’s most stubborn question always found its answer by shifting focus from now to ten years, then back to ten minutes - and the missing weeks stopped disappearing.