Glossary
THE 1:90
GLOSSARY
Every term in the 1:90 Align Framework, precisely defined. The single source of truth for the methodology.
Every term in the 1:90 Align Framework, precisely defined. The single source of truth for the methodology.
Language matters. When a Team Leader says "Milestone" and means something different to the Arc Leader, alignment breaks down. This glossary defines every term in the 1:90 Align Framework with precision — so every person in your organisation is working from the same definitions.
The 1:90 Align Framework operates on four hierarchical levels. Every level must connect to the one above it.
The 90-day strategic goal at the top of the framework hierarchy. An Arc defines the single most important outcome a business must achieve in the next 90 days.
The Arc answers one question:
"What does winning look like in 90 days?"
Every Wave, Milestone, and Task in the organisation must trace back to the active Arc. A business runs one Arc at a time. When the Arc is complete, the organisation reviews, resets, and defines the next Arc — continuing the 90-Day Cadence.
A 30-day execution sprint that translates the Arc into monthly deliverables. Each 90-day Arc contains exactly three Waves: Wave 1, Wave 2, and Wave 3.
Wave 1
Days 1–30
Foundation
Wave 2
Days 31–60
Build
Wave 3
Days 61–90
Complete
Each Wave has its own objectives, Milestones, and Task assignments. The Team Leader owns Wave execution. At the end of each Wave, the team conducts a Wave Review to assess progress toward the Arc before committing to the next Wave's plan.
A weekly measurable checkpoint within a Wave. Milestones are the evidence that a Wave is on track. Each Wave typically contains two to four Milestones.
A Milestone must be binary — either achieved or not. This clarity removes ambiguity from execution. When all Milestones within a Wave are achieved, the Wave is complete. When a Milestone is at risk, the early warning system allows the team to intervene before the Wave fails.
The daily unit of work assigned to an individual. Tasks are the specific actions that drive Milestone completion.
Every Task must link upward to a Milestone — maintaining complete line of sight from daily work to the 90-day Arc. This is what makes the 1:90 Platform an operating system rather than a task list: tasks that don't connect to a Milestone simply don't belong in the system.
The 15-minute daily standup that anchors every team to the active Arc. A Ripple is not a status update — it is an alignment check.
The Three Ripple Questions:
1. What did I complete yesterday that moved us toward the Arc?
2. What am I doing today that moves us toward the Arc?
3. Is there anything blocking progress toward the Arc?
Unlike traditional standups, every Ripple answer is explicitly referenced to the Arc. This prevents the drift that occurs when daily standups become disconnected from strategic goals.
The critical disconnect between an organisation's long-term strategic vision and its day-to-day operations.
The Alignment Gap is not caused by laziness or incompetence — it is structural. Most businesses have a 3-year vision and annual plans, but no system connecting those plans to what people actually do on Tuesday morning. Employees are busy, meetings are full, but the needle doesn't move on the things that matter most.
Symptoms of the Alignment Gap:
The gradual disconnection between an organisation's strategic goals and its daily activities over time.
Strategy Drift is the leading cause of annual plans failing. Teams begin the year aligned but progressively drift as urgent tasks, new hires, client demands, and reactive work displace strategic activity. By Q3, many organisations are operating almost entirely reactively. The 90-Day Cadence directly prevents Strategy Drift by resetting alignment every quarter rather than every year.
The recurring quarterly rhythm that underpins the entire 1:90 Align Framework. Plan → Execute → Review → Reset.
1
Plan
Define the Arc
2
Execute
3 Waves × 30 days
3
Review
Arc retrospective
4
Reset
Define next Arc
90 days is the optimal strategic unit: long enough to achieve meaningful outcomes, short enough to maintain urgency and adapt to change. Annual plans suffer from Strategy Drift; monthly plans lack the scope for meaningful strategic work. The 90-Day Cadence is the balance point.
The practice of explicitly connecting every piece of work — every Task, Milestone, and Wave — to the desired outcome defined in the Arc.
Outcome Anchoring is the mechanism that closes the Alignment Gap. It replaces activity-based thinking ("we've been busy this week") with outcome-based thinking ("we moved 12% closer to our Arc this week"). In the 1:90 Platform, Outcome Anchoring is enforced structurally: Tasks cannot be created without being linked to a Milestone, and Milestones cannot exist outside a Wave.
The foundational naming principle of the framework: one strategic goal, 90 days to achieve it.
The "1" represents the primacy of a single, clear strategic outcome — the Arc. Organisations that chase multiple simultaneous strategic priorities consistently underperform those that focus on one. The "90" represents the execution cycle. The ratio embodies the framework's core belief: focus beats breadth, and 90 days is the optimal unit of strategic time.
Strategic Level
The executive or business owner accountable for the 90-day Arc. The Arc Leader defines the strategic goal, facilitates Arc planning sessions, allocates resources across Waves, and reviews dashboard data. The Arc Leader asks: "Are we going to achieve this Arc?"
Execution Level
The manager responsible for Wave execution. Team Leaders translate the Arc Leader's strategic direction into operational delivery — planning Milestones, assigning Tasks, managing capacity, and facilitating daily Ripples. The Team Leader asks: "Are we going to complete this Wave?"
Daily Execution Level
The individual contributor who owns daily Tasks and participates in Ripple standups. Workers understand how their daily work connects to the Milestone, Wave, and Arc above them. This visibility — knowing why their work matters — is one of the most powerful engagement drivers in the 1:90 Framework.
Knowing the terms is the first step. Applying them is where execution begins.