Preparing the Challenge Note
Preparing the Challenge Note
The Challenge Note is the team’s mandate. It acts as the official scoping document that defines the “Mission” and the “Guardrails,” but crucially, it grants the team the agency/power to set the goal and decide how to achieve it.
The Audience
The Team: Serves as their official invitation to the Start-Up Workshop and their authorisation to act.
The Leadership: Confirms that the scope reflects the decisions made during the engagement sessions.
Deep Dive Video
What Goes into the Challenge Note?
Keep it clear, concise, and inspiring. The document should cover these five essential components:
The Mission & Guardrails: What specifically are the leaders and the Challenge Strategist asking the team to achieve in the next 100 days?
Include: The specific Focus Area selected.
Include: Any non-negotiable boundaries (guardrails) the team must respect.
The Approach: How should the team work? Briefly explain why the 100-Day Challenge approach is unique. Emphasise that this is about fresh thinking, rapid experimentation, and cross-sector collaboration—not “business as usual.”
The Roles: Clarify who is doing what to prevent confusion later.
The Team: The doers and owners of the result.
The Coach: The facilitator and guide.
The Challenge Strategist: The sponsor and connector.
Strategic Guidance: Pass on the wisdom from the leadership meeting without dictating the solution.
Recommendations: Ideas the team might want to explore (make it clear these are optional).
The Learning Agenda: Specific questions leadership hopes this project will answer (e.g., “Why are cases stalling at X stage?”).
The Logistics The “Where and When” for the Start-Up Workshop (Day Zero).
The Tone Check
This is not a memo; it is a call to action. The tone should be upbeat, confident, and empowering. You are entrusting this Team with a critical strategic issue — make them feel the importance and the excitement of the challenge.
