Velocity Starts with Clarity: How Clear Next Steps Unlock Speed of Execution

Inevitably, most software companies go through a phase where they take a hard look at execution velocity. Often it’s in response to organizational stress in the form of lost deals, missed KRs, or stalled growth. If the stress response is strong enough, it can lead to finger-pointing: engineering isn’t executing fast enough. I may have too much skin in the game to be impartial, but every time I hear the phrase “we need to execute with more urgency,” I feel frustrated because I don’t think the problem is lack of effort. When a team struggles to ship, the root cause is often unclear direction.

A Metaphor: Incandescent Bulbs vs LED Lights

Incandescent bulbs waste 90% of their energy as heat, with only about 10% of the energy actually producing visible light. LEDs convert almost all their energy into light, making them significantly more efficient. A 10W LED produces the same brightness as a 60W incandescent, but with six times the efficiency. Besides the difference in...well…physics (this is an imperfect metaphor)...LEDs have strong DIRECTION.

Team effort can be scattered like an incandescent bulb, wasting 90% of their energy in context switching between priorities, or trying to make sense of unclear requirements. When next steps are not clear, or there are too many top priorities, effort gets diffused. Work happens, but progress is slow. When teams are focused on few priorities – and when the “next move” is crystal clear—they burn brighter without burning out.

The Power of Clear Next Steps

In The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey, Kenneth Blanchard and his co-authors share a simple yet powerful principle:

“Rule number one is that the ‘next moves’ must be described.”

This may seem obvious, but it’s a rule that’s easy to forget. Every moment of uncertainty in a project creates delays—delays in decision-making, in action, and in forward momentum. Clarity isn’t just about knowing the overall goal; it’s about knowing exactly what to do next. As Blanchard puts it:

“The more clearly one understands what must be done, the greater the energy and motivation that exist for doing it.”

How Clarity Unleashes Speed

I once led a team that was developing a reputation for shipping slowly. Engineers were working hard, but the work itself wasn’t moving. When I looked closer, I noticed a pattern: many of our tasks were labeled as "technical discovery" with vague instructions like “Dig in here and tell us about the problem space.” These types of tasks are easy to procrastinate, because they lack a clear start and a clear end.

So I made a shift. Instead of endless exploration, I focused on defining the next tangible step. I started working about 2 weeks ahead of the team, ensuring there was a clear definition for what we needed to build next. The result? The team picked up speed—fast. I started working 6 weeks ahead of the team, and the more clarity they had, the more they shipped. Every time I took stock, they were executing faster and closing the gap.

What Slows Teams Down?

If your team isn’t shipping, it’s usually due to one (or both) of these problems:

• Unclear next steps: Without a clear path forward, engineers hesitate, second-guess, or wait for further direction.
• Too many competing priorities: If everything is important, nothing moves forward efficiently.

It’s rarely because people don’t want to do the work. Motivation isn’t the issue—lack of clarity is.

How to Increase Velocity Without Burnout

• Define the next move: Before assigning work, make sure it has a clear, actionable next step.
• Stay ahead of the team: If you’re leading, ensure the team isn’t waiting on you to figure out what’s next.
• Reduce competing priorities: If people are context-switching between too many things, progress will be slow.

Velocity isn’t about working harder—it’s about working with clarity. The sooner your team knows exactly what to do next, the faster they’ll execute.

But knowing what to do is just one part of leadership. If you're transitioning from an IC to an EM role, this kind of strategic thinking—clearing roadblocks, setting direction, and enabling your team to move fast without burning out—is an important skill to develop.

That’s exactly what I cover in my 12-month IC to EM course. Over the year, I help new engineering managers shift from high-performing individual contributors to high-impact leaders—covering topics like delegation, prioritization, and leading with clarity. If you want to develop the skills to boost your team’s velocity while staying sane as a leader, let’s connect!