Shaping the way forward with the Challenge Strategist

Week 15

Shaping the Way Forward with the Challenge Strategist

The tasks over the next two weeks include closing out the Scale-up workshop and supporting leaders in ensuring that the decisions is turned into action.

Your Tasks the Next Two Weeks

Debrief the Challenge Strategist and Team Leader

Schedule a “close-out” session with the Challenge Strategist and Team Leader. Here are topics to cover during this session:

  • Their impressions and takeaways from the workshop
  • Appreciation for the roles they played throughout the 100 days
  • Solicit suggestions for improving the process 
  • Test their interest in learning more about the 100-Day Challenge process and becoming a team coach for future 100-Day Challenges.
  • Agree on a time to check in with them in 2-3 months to get their perspective on progress on the sustainability front.
  • Prepare a draft thank-you note from the Challenge Strategist to the team, copying their managers. Try to highlight the team’s specific contributions so that it is not a generic note. You can use some of the things that emerged at the Scale-up Workshop in this. 
  • Ask the Challenge Strategist to send private messages to the managers of specific team members who stood out during the 100 days. Praise them.

After the discussion, share their feedback and the team’s input during the workshop in your 100-Day Challenge Report assignment this week.  Also include any additional videos or photos you made during the workshop.  For easy access here are the Report template again.

Action decisions from the Scale-up Workshop

Schedule a time to meet with the Challenge Strategist to discuss the next steps. 

If the leaders and team decided to extend the 100-Day Challenge a week or two

  • Help the Team leader and Challenge Strategist schedule a “Re-Scaling Workshop” at the end of the agreed period. This will bring closure to the team.
  • Prepare the team for the Re-Scaling Workshop. Use the same agenda and preparatory steps as the Scale-up Workshop. But adjust this to build on what was shared at the Scale-up Workshop.
  • Ask the Challenge Strategist to follow up with leaders who committed to supporting the team in implementing its Last Sprint Plan.

Commitments to implement “sustaining recommendations “

  • Follow up with leaders who have signed up as “owners” of each recommendation, ensuring they are clear on the action that needs to be taken. Offer to support them.
  • Encourage the leadership to include an update on “sustaining the gains” in their monthly management meetings. 
  • Help leaders put in place mechanisms to continually track the impact indicator that the team focused on: e.g. # the number of staff members coming forward to file a complaint about a GBV-related offence. 
  • Encourage the communications or human resources department to include updates on the issues addressed in the 100-Day Challenge and related stories in employee newsletters and similar venues. 
Supporting the Challenge Strategist on the Way Forward

Set up a time to talk with the Challenge Strategist to discuss the way forward. 

  • Review the sustainability and scaling recommendations. Based on these, decide on the best way to move forward. More details on these in the Deep Dive on Mapping the Way Forward Beyond the 100 Days. 
  • Once a path is chosen, make sure a Challenge Strategist and Team Coach are assigned to each 100-Day Challenge that will be launched. The team leader is a natural choice for becoming a coach. 
  • Organise an orientation session for Challenge Strategists and Team Coaches so that you can share your experience and hand off the baton to them. As part of this, introduce them to the online learning platform, and share with them the ‘advice to future 100-Day Challenge Teams prepared by your team (and possibly other teams).

Two Assignments for the Next 2 Weeks