September 16th marks 100 days until Christmas.
But this isn’t one of those ‘oh bloody hell where did the year go’ articles – rather a reframe to say, “that’s three months during which we can really make a change!’
I’d like to challenge you and your team (as I have already challenged my own clients) to treat Christmas as a deadline for one additional activity that is guaranteed to have a positive and lasting impact on your business – all before the big man comes clambering down the chimney.
This isn’t just getting something on your roadmap done or doing some unimportant thing that’s been on your to-do list for months. This is an opportunity to do something material, to set a deadline and use that to energise your team. To deliver it. To impact your business. And to celebrate it together, all before you break for the Christmas holidays.
100 days. Just imagine what you could do.
100-day challenge examples
My clients have been as inspiring as ever, fully embracing the challenge and taking the time to consciously decide what they want to achieve over the next 100 days. It’s in writing, their teams are onboard (and fully energised by the idea), and I’m going to be there to support and drive their initiatives right up until Christmas.
Here are some of activities my clients have decided to ‘get done’ over the next 100 days – perhaps they will inspire you to consider what you might decide to focus on…
- Upsell initiative – training an entire team on how to turn clients into advocates (to everyone’s advantage)
- Aiming for a new Gross Profit target by involving everyone in the business and using it as a pretext for teaching the team more about how the finances of an agency operate
- New Product Launch – moving from beta to properly launched by Christmas
- Implementing a functioning CRM in a business where they have always shied away from CRM tech
How to get started on the 100 day challenge
Ideas please!
How do you come up with a theme? I’m happy to help (you can take me up on a free 30-minute agency leaders surgery every Wednesday, here) – we can brainstorm something together if you like. Ideally, get your team together, tell them about the idea, get them excited about delivering something new and work out what to focus on. Be brave and be ambitious.
Set milestones
Set some milestones (or gates as I call them). What will have happened after 30, 60 and 90 days to reassure you that you have maintained momentum and that you’ll get your activity done?
Define accountability
As ever, make sure that everyone understands their role and that accountabilities and responsibilities are clear. Do you need to create a mini team for this project? Who will be in charge of keeping it on track?
Ensure autonomy
Make sure that people have the mandate to make things happen, give them the power and resources to push things through. If necessary, agree budgets.
Get a special ops team together
I’d suggest setting up a Task Force (or something with a more imaginative name) and pushing the resourcing beyond your most senior people. Get people excited and enthused.
Check in regularly
Step back if you’re letting your team drive this one, but be sure to check in regularly, provide support, feedback and re focus where needed.
Celebrate
When you deliver your 100 day activity, stick your hand in your pocket and sort out a way to properly celebrate with everyone who made it happen. What a great way to round off the year.
I really want to hear if you decide to take on the 100 day challenge, and to reiterate I would love to provide you with some support or steerage to get you going. Please help yourself to my agency leader surgery calendar, here.
Let’s see what we can achieve!
Andy.
Every Wednesday I book out an hour to hold a FREE agency leaders surgery. If you have something on your mind, a challenge you’re wrestling with or just want an alternative point of view, I’d be very happy to lend an ear and maybe help you start to unpick the issues. You can help yourself to my calendar, here. Speaking to a diverse group of agency leaders helps me stay current and contextualise the issues I’m seeing with my clients. So please see this conversation as a genuine collaboration where we both hope to learn something new.