Challenge Strategist’s role at the Start-up Workshop
Challenge Strategist's Role at the Start-up Workshop
The Start-Up Workshop is an opportunity for Challenge Strategists to create an enabling environment for the Team. In practical terms, this may include the following:
Encouraging the team to experiment and to try new things, without waiting for permission. “We are here to support you. Making mistakes during the 100 days is OK. We can learn and move on.”
Leading with confident humility, by telling the team: “You will figure out the solutions to make progress on this challenge. If we knew the solutions, we would have implemented them. We are confident you will figure this out. And we are here to help you.”
Not interfering with the Team when they are setting their 100-Day Goal. In fact, it would be best if the Challenge Strategist left the room when the Team is setting their goal.
Challenge Strategists are expected to participate at the start and at the end of the Start-Up Workshop. Just being there sends a signal that what the team is doing is important! beyond being there. the Challenge Strategist can encourage the team at the Workshop, and she can ask them questions that come from a place of genuine curiosity – e.g. “How did you all decide to set the goal at 80% and not 60% above the baseline?” For more guidance on this, click on the + to see tips related to each topic:
Tips for the Opening Session - Understanding the Challenge
Prepare talking points for a 5-minute overview:
- Recap the focus area and explain why it was chosen.
- Clarify why these team members were chosen, the rationale behind selecting them, and why specific departments and/or organisations are represented on the Team and not others. And why specific individuals were selected and if there was a specific rationale for this.
- Clarify what is expected of the team.
Questions and answers: Teams will have questions based on the Challenge Note. The Overview of the Workshop Deep Dive has tips on answering questions that may come up at the Workshop.
By leaving the workshop after the opening session and the Q/A, the Challenge Strategist signals to the 100-Day team members that she trusts them to do the hard work of setting the 100-Day Goal and developing the 100-Day Plan.
Of course, it is important to promise that she will be back at the end of the workshop to hear about the 100-Day Goal and 100-Day plan.
One idea that could be used during the opening session is “welcome gifts”; the Challenge Strategist and leaders can offer the team things that they can do for them, to help them be more effective and efficient during the 100 days.
"Leadership Gifts" Examples
Welcome to the 100-Day Challenge Team
- Securing flexible funding that can be used at the discretion of the team.
- Commitment to expedite procurement of services and goods the team may need.
- Provision of meeting space – “mission control centre” – that the team can use to post tracking charts, etc. This could be virtual.
- Pre-emptive removal of one or two anticipated roadblocks. For example, data sharing across organisations is often tough. Leaders can sign data sharing and confidentiality agreements and protocols with each other before the 100-Day Challenges that provide a legal framework for this.
- Providing team members with access to data cards or other enablers of easy communications with each other, and internet access.
- Equipping team members with tablets during the 100 days, pre-loaded with useful apps, data, etc.
- Organising a lunch with the spouses or life partners of team members to thank them in advance for “putting up with their spouses during the next 100 days as they hustle and do what it takes to achieve the incredible goals they will set.”
Tips for the Closing Session - Dialogue with the Team
Feedback to the Challenge Strategist
Typically, the Team Coach or Leader welcomes the Challenge Strategist back. One of them (ideally the Team Leader) reads out the 100-Day Goal, and provides highlights of the 100-Day Plan, including:
- What is particularly exciting to the team(e.g. innovative ideas they want to test)?
- What is worrisome?
- What support do they need from the Challenge Strategist or others?
- What advice would they like from the Challenge Strategist?
Other Team members can pitch in if time permits.
The Challenge Strategist then comments and responds. It is important to err on the side of being positive in the feedback, rather than focusing on what is missing from the Plan.
