There is a period in the life of every team when it is decided, almost invisibly, whether the year will be one of maturity or one of overexertion. Whether it will function autonomously or depend on the leader for every decision. Whether responsibility will become a reflex or remain a slogan.
This period is nothing spectacular. It is not announced by an official email and is not discussed in management meetings. It is the first 90 days of the year.
The first quarter (Q1) is, in fact, the period when the DNA of team performance is activated. It is the interval in which people form their (implicitly, psychologically) expectations, in which leaders set standards and in which it is decided whether autonomy will be possible or not.
Therefore, for any CEO or member of top management, the beginning of the year should not be just an administrative check, but a strategic opportunity.
It is the moment when you can reset the way you work, clarify responsibilities and build a system in which the team truly operates on its own.
Why the beginning of the year is the perfect breeding ground for autonomy
There is a psychological reason why the first few months of the year are so important. People enter January with a greater openness to change. Their minds are open to new routines, new standards, and new ways of working together.
It is a time of fresh start and a kind of psychological “white canvas”. During this time, teams are more receptive to clarification, new processes, and behavioral changes.
At the same time, this is also the time when most dependencies are established. If leaders start the year solving problems for the team, approving every detail, or avoiding difficult conversations, the message is clear: autonomy is risky and responsibility is negotiable.
People quickly learn that initiative can be penalized, that decisions must be validated, and that the leader is the center of all solutions.
If the beginning of the year is used to clarify roles, distribute decisions, and create a high-performance work pace, the team understands that autonomy is not only allowed, but also expected.
In leadership, the first 90 days are like a psychological printer: what is printed now is preserved all year.
Why teams are not autonomous and it’s not their fault
One of the biggest leadership illusions is the idea that autonomy is a personal trait. That some people “have initiative” and others don’t.
In reality, autonomy is a result of the system in which people work. If the system is confusing, centralized, or unpredictable, autonomy becomes impossible.
In many companies, people do not know exactly what belongs to them. Roles are described in general terms, responsibilities are ambiguous, and decisions are made by leaders even when they don’t need to.
In such contexts, teams cannot become autonomous because they have no benchmarks. They don’t know where their responsibility ends and someone else’s begins. They don’t know what they can decide on their own and what needs to be escalated. They don’t know whether initiative will be appreciated or criticized.
Many teams have been conditioned for years to wait for approval. They learned that mistakes are punished, that the leader “knows best,” and that important decisions must be validated.
In such cultures, autonomy cannot emerge spontaneously. It must be built deliberately, through clarity, consistency, and a new way of working.
How to build real autonomy in the first 90 days
For autonomy to become real, not declarative, leaders must start with clarity. Without clarity, autonomy is just a nice concept.
In the first weeks of the year, it is essential that each team member knows exactly what output they need to produce, by what time frame, and with what quality standard. Not activities, but results. Not To Do lists, but clear responsibilities.
During this time, leaders can introduce an accountability agreement for each person on the team. Not a bureaucratic document, but a paragraph that simply describes what decisions they can make on their own and when they need to consult or inform.
This kind of clarity reduces ambiguity, increases trust, and creates a framework in which autonomy becomes possible.
Another essential element is the decision architecture. In many organizations, decisions are centralized not because they need to be, but because that is how the team has become accustomed to it. In the first 90 days, leaders can redefine how decisions are made, clarifying who decides what and under what conditions.
A simple decision matrix can radically transform internal dynamics, because it eliminates confusion and reduces dependence on the leader.
In parallel, it is important to have visible and consistent accountability mechanisms. Accountability does not arise from inspiration, but from rhythm. A weekly check-in or a visible dashboard can create transparency and predictability.
People become more autonomous when they can see for themselves whether they are on the right track.
Perhaps the most important element is changing managerial behavior. Autonomy cannot grow in an environment where leaders intervene at the first sign of difficulty. In the first 90 days, leaders need to move from the role of “problem solver” to that of coach.
This means asking questions before providing solutions, letting the team explore options, and normalizing controlled mistakes. A team does not become autonomous if it does not have space to learn.
Finally, autonomy needs a work system that supports it. Complicated processes create dependency. Simple processes create freedom.
In the first months of the year, leaders can remove structural blockages, simplify flows, and introduce tools that increase visibility and collaboration. Autonomy is not an individual act, but a collective result.
What an autonomous team looks like after the first 90 days
After three months of consistently applying this framework, a team begins to visibly transform. Decisions are made faster, people take ownership for results, minor issues are no longer escalated, and conflicts are managed internally.
The team prioritizes its own activities, maintains its own pace, and operates without micromanagement. At this point, the leader can move from operational to strategic, and the organization gains a level of maturity that is difficult to achieve otherwise.
In conclusion
If there is a time when autonomy can be truly built, it is the beginning of the year. The first 90 days are a window of opportunity when people are more receptive, systems can be reset, and standards can be raised.
Autonomy is not a luxury, but a strategic necessity. Accountability is not a concept, but a system. And Q1 is the time when this system can be built with the greatest impact.
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About Valoria
Valoria is a consulting, training, and executive coaching company. Through our services, we help entrepreneurs to grow their business and make success concrete and predictable. Companies turn to us for marketing, human resources and sales consulting. We often respond to requests for training or coaching of management teams. Competence, trust, innovation and passion are the values we uphold in everything we do. We build long-term partnerships and collaborations, because we offer guaranteed results and the best quality, at the right price. Find out more at: www.valoria.ro.
