With the recent election in the rear-view mirror, focus is now heavily on transition. And everyone is wondering how exactly the President-elect’s 100 day plan will play out. While that remains to be seen, it is a good question for all of us.

What if you were appointed to take the leadership reins of a new organization, beginning in January?

• When would you begin planning?
• What would you do?
• How would you do it?

There are lessons here – important ones.

When do you begin planning?

The fact is, if you were starting this new position in January, your time for planning is NOW. If you wait until January 1, it is too late. While this sounds obvious, there are many organizational leaders who do not have a solid plan in place yet for next year. And there are many others who have a plan, but it is merely a warmed-over version of last year’s plan. Take a look at your position and your organization as if it is all brand new to you. It will change your perspective.

What would you do?

A good leader knows that planning to complete 100 goals in 100 days will not work. Instead, identify the three most impactful goals for the organization for that time period. As you do your Quarter 1 planning, ask yourself what three goals would most affect the company’s bottom line income and growth. This could be a new initiative, or it could be the fixing of a current one. Do those three goals which most benefit the company, and you will be amazed at the compounded results. Be sure the goals are clearly defined so you know if you have reached them or not. Ambiguous goals get ambiguous results.

How would you do it?

Identifying goals is one thing. But that gets you nowhere if you don’t also have a strategic plan followed by action.

Again you can engage the “rule of three.”

Three goals.

Then identify the resources you will need in each of these three areas:

• Team
• Tools
• Technique

Identify team members who can hit the ground running in the areas of their strengths. Working in one’s strengths generates energy, and having an entire team working in their strengths zone creates a dynamo effect for the entire organization.

Equip your team with the tools they will need to do the job, and as they create the process, have them document it. This three-pronged approach, applied in a very targeted fashion, provides strength, implementation, and efficiency.

What will YOUR first 100 days in office look like?

For more information on how you can create a strengths-based team that will help you hit the ground running toward your goals, click here.