Module 12
To the exec: Today is your chance to really get critical, to question, to poke and prod until you have shaped exactly what you need (don’t worry, we’ll explore any refinements too). If the workshop was research, intelligence gathering, the collation of contributions, this is the deeper discussion, a chance to tease out every angle, very honestly, and get right to the bottom.
No disruptions!
One of the toughest challenges for execs is getting time to focus uninterrupted, but to succeed in these sessions, undisrupted time is everything.
Openness
This is your final point of deliberation when it comes to very important decisions. Be open, critical, debate, leave no stone unturned.
Space
A big flipboard or white board helps keep the ideas flowing and unrestrained. Space to think, deliberate, test and jot down every thought is important!
40 minutes
Implementing ideas without having the operational readiness in place to support them often creates more problems than it solves. We’ve all seen it: a quick win idea gets greenlit, but once it hits the business, old processes grind against it, costs creep up, people get confused, and the momentum fizzles.
That’s why great leadership means looking around corners: anticipating what it will take to make change land well. Today, this is our job: to think through the operational impacts of the shifts we’re planning, so we don’t end up stuck digging without a shovel, or pruning with a pair of nail scissors.
The good news is, some of the work completed in the workshop gives us a head start. The team has brainstormed, discussed and jotted down some of the risks and obstacles they see getting in the way of implementing planned quick wins, and you can bet a lot of those challenges are directly related to operational practices.
Let’s work through what we have planned pragmatically so we can move forward with eyes wide open.
Using the BAU quick wins agreed upon, for each idea, complete the decision table:
Idea
Feasibility (1–5) — how deliverable is this REALLY in the time allowed, under current, unchanged circumstances?
Operational implications — note any existing processes impacted, if they are sufficient or need changing, new processes needed, resourcing issues, conflicts or other challenges.
Discuss each idea in depth as you go — adjust feasibility ratings or notes as needed.
The goal is to flag any major obstacles early and identify which ideas need more prep before implementation. As the exec, you are aware of every aspect of the business, sometimes more sensitive things the other leaders will not be, and you need to ensure these ideas aren’t set up to fail.
40 minutes
Here’s the hard truth: executive approval doesn’t create change. What creates change is visible leadership support, and practical help to drive momentum. Without this, teams drift, priorities blur, and great ideas stall.
The difference between an idea that sticks and one that fades? Clear signals from the top, combined with smart internal communication and fast follow-through. That’s what we’ll define now.
This is our moment to ask: What will our teams see and hear from us that shows this is real? And what practical actions will we take to make this happen?
For each top-priority BAU quick win (and any larger early shifts), work through:
What visible leadership actions are needed to support this? (beyond ‘approving’ — eg. talking points, walkarounds, coaching, engagement)
What internal communications are needed?
Who needs to hear what, by when, from whom?
What channels will we use?
Build a Rollout Support Checklist for each idea — listing ‘To Do’ actions and ‘Comms’ actions.
Agree ownership for each item — assign names and rough timing.
Great work! With another exec session done, and the next coming soon, hopefully it is becoming clear exactly how we will build this growth through triple bottom line strategy: the ‘write’way!
That means we will dot every i and cross every t, we will have teased out every idea, tested it fully, analysed everything it needs to work and put in place every operational support mechanism we can to ensure success.
Too often, businesses trying to grow skip doing the legwork that helps really enable success, and it comes as no surprise when over 80% of them don’t make it. But not your business! You will be on the right side of the stats with a comprehensive and clear strategy.
