Investment managers are experts at optimizing portfolios, risk management, and operations—but many struggle with consistent business growth. Why? Because while investment performance is (rightly) the top priority, sales, marketing, and business development often fall into the "important but not urgent" trap.

The result? Stagnant AUM, missed opportunities, and frustration—even when investment returns are strong.

In this article series, we will explore the top productivity hacks for investment managers and IR teams.

Every single hack will propel you forward. And if you execute all of them, you and your business growth will be unstoppable.

I am willing to take a bet on this. If you follow all suggested hacks and after four weeks haven’t made greater progress than without them, contact me at knab@opalesque.com and we’ll arrange a free coaching / consulting session for you.

So, here’s Productivity Hack #1: Weekly Review, Goal Setting & Deep Work Productivity Session

I recommend that once a week you reflect on the last seven days.

Sit down on Sunday morning. Or in the evening, when everyone is already asleep, provided you still have energy. Latest Monday first thing in the morning.

Analyze the actions of the last week. What went well, what did you miss, what do you need to do or focus on in the coming week. Take a separate notebook for this exercise. Think about what should have the highest priority in the next few days. Look for the things which will give you the biggest leverage: What, if done today or next week, will give you the biggest, most important results? Then you should focus on it every day.
 

I. Why a Weekly Review & Goal-Setting Session is Non-Negotiable:

1. Prevents drowning in “busy work”

• Investment managers juggle countless tasks—client meetings, research, compliance, team management.
• Without intentional focus, reactive work consumes all available time, leaving little room for proactive business development. You also need to work ON your business.
• A scheduled weekly review forces you to step back, assess priorities, and ensure high-leverage activities (like networking, outreach, or content creation) don’t get lost.

2. Aligns Daily Actions with Long-Term Growth

• Asset growth doesn’t happen by accident. It requires consistent, intentional effort in sales and marketing.
• By setting clear weekly goals (e.g., "Schedule 3 prospect calls”, "Publish one LinkedIn post”,”Improve the ‘How We Invest’ section in our deck”), you ensure that growth activities get the focus they deserve.

3. Reduces Decision Fatigue & Increases Follow-Through

• Deciding in the moment what to work on leads to procrastination on tough but critical tasks
• A pre-scheduled, weekly planning session removes ambiguity. You decide once, then execute without second-guessing.
   

II. How to Implement the System

Step 1: The Weekly Review (Sunday or Monday Morning)

• Reflect: What moved the needle last week? What didn’t?
• Assess: Did you make progress on business development—or just "work"?
• Adjust: What one or two high-leverage actions will drive the most growth this week?
• Set Clear Goals: Define specific, measurable objectives for the upcoming week.

Step 2: Ruthless Prioritization

Focus on the 20% of efforts that drive 80% of results. For most managers, this could mean”

• Proactive outreach (calls, emails, LinkedIn engagement)
• Creating content (blog posts, market commentary, videos, improving deck / message refining and testing)
• Strategic relationship building, pipeline management, and strengthening referral relationships (e.g. CPAs, consultants, existing clients)

Step 3: Schedule Deep Work Blocks (Like a Doctor’s Appointment)

• "I’ll get to it later" = "It won’t happen." Block time in your calendar for uninterrupted focus on growth tasks.
• Treat these blocks like client meetings or a doctor’s appointment: non-negotiable.
• Use Deep Work principles: No distractions, no multitasking. Just focused execution.

The most successful managers I've worked with treat capital raising with the same disciplined and systematic approach they apply to investing:

• Measure Leading Indicators & Create Accountability: Track weekly outreach activities, conversations, and follow-ups—not just final allocations
• Batch Similar Activities: Group investor calls, content creation, and pipeline review into focused blocks.
• Cognitive Clarity: Separating business development from investment activities creates mental space for each. This prevents the common problem where urgent investment matters constantly override important but non-urgent marketing efforts.
   

III. The Power of Scheduling and Deep Work

Scheduling tasks, especially those requiring deep focus, transforms intentions into commitments. By treating these time blocks as non-negotiable appointments, akin to meetings with clients, you ensure consistent progress on essential activities.

The difference between a $100M firm and a $1B firm isn’t just investment skill—it’s consistent execution on growth.

By integrating these practices into your routine, you can achieve a more balanced focus, ensuring that areas like sales and marketing receive the attention they deserve alongside performance and operations.