What we do today impacts us in the months ahead

You have probably heard of the 100-day action plan, perhaps you associate it with incoming politicians especially America presidents. But I don’t want to talk about politics or sound bites, I want to help you define your business planning going forward. 

I’d like to share with you a simple but effective technique, we can all adapt and enjoy which helps focus our minds on the future. This is all about habits, ideas and a plan for embedding and implementing them. 

So, what good habits have you practiced today? What plans for the future are you working on and how much time did you spend thinking about your future?

I ask this because, what you are doing today will show up in your results in the months ahead. 

If you become preoccupied with paperwork and the minutiae of your daily routine allowing this to consume the time you have, then in 100 days from now you may find yourself frustrated as you won’t be generating the results you know you are capable of and wish to deliver.

Experience had taught me that momentum is gained over time. I have discovered it takes about 100 days for the results of my actions to really become evident. 

This is why I have a 100-day plan and I wish to help you create a version of your own.

The most effective 100-day plans are flexible: some call them a ‘a plan to plan’.  

My 100-day action plan consist of 8 simple headings, that I fill up with ideas and goals to create the habits, culture and most importantly momentum of my business. Here they are:

100-day action plan 

Strategy

• With your top-level vision and strategy agreed what are the expectations of you and your leadership team to implement them? 
• What are the key steps you need to take?
• What do you need to communicate to others?
• What are your key goals?

Performance

• How will you measure what you are doing?
• What can you do to improve performance?
• Are there any customer or stakeholder relationships that require immediate attention?

Action

• What changes are required to ensure that the actions you take align to the overall long-term plan?
• Can you implement any changes immediately?
• What are the key milestones to success?

Structure

• Does anything in the structure of the business have to change now?
• What structure will evolve in the future?

People

• What changes, if any, need to be made to your leadership team?
• How can you improve the talent pool in your organisation?
• How can you grow as a person?

Culture

• Do you need to shift the culture in your business?
• What actions can be taken to achieve this?

Personal Growth

• What resources do you need to achieve your 100-day plan?
• What training is required for you or your team?
• What support will you need from others?

Communication

• How will you communicate your plan and the goals you wish to achieve? 
• Who needs to know about your plan?
• How will you keep stakeholders updated?
• How will you promote success?

When compiling your plan be sure to break everything down into chunks. It is important to define what you can do in days 1 to 30, 31 to 60 and so on.

If not, there is a danger of becoming carried away with enthusiasm and trying to do everything all at once. As many of you will testify from experience, whilst drive and energy are important if not harnessed and positioned correctly it can result in failure.   

Structure is key and this tactic can give you this. It is best to draft your plan on one sheet of paper. Under each heading answer each question and any others that spring to mind. 

Once you do you have your 100-day plan, I’d urge you to review this on a monthly basis and amend, as necessary. What happens then, is that not only do you have a 100-day plan but a rolling document which can keep you continuously moving in the right direction and embed a powerful habit into your business DNA. 

John Joe McGinley, Glassagh Consulting, July  2021