57 days left for 2024

And just like that, here we are at the start of November; with 24 days until Thanksgiving, 51 days until Christmas and 57 days left of the whole year. Between the holidays and year-end deliverables this time can feel like it is hurtling by, really fast.

That said, 57 days is a lot of days. So much can progress and/or change during this time. And, it's not quite the time to reflect and review your year; nor is it the best time to plan out 2025. So, what should you be spending your time on?

My advice is that this is the time to think about what your team wants to bank for 2024 in terms of its deliverables; and then you plan on how to inspire and mobilise your team to get there.

Now you may be thinking - Sheree, I am tiiiiireD. My team is definitely tired. There is no way this is going to work

Here's what I plan to do, and what I suggest you do to inspire your team for the next 57 days.

1. Review your strategy and goals, and set them out up until December 2024. Look at what has your team achieved already, what is work in progress and then what might you have forgotten about.
2. Assess the situation. Looking at the in-progress and not started goals; rank these in terms of completion rate & note what is still to be completed on each and who is involved in each.
3. Decide on next steps for each open goal. For those in progress, sense check what is needed to get the team to completion on these items. For those which have not started, review the goal and ask yourself what you would like to have achieved on this by the end of the year.
4. Think differently about how to achieve these goals. For each goal, ask yourself if you have the right team members assigned to the project. If you notice that some team members have additional capacity at this time, include them. If you have interested stakeholders ready to support you by rolling up their sleeves, invite them on the journey. Then, ask yourself if there is a better, more efficient way to achieve the outcome. For example, could you leverage technology, or bring in additional support for a short period.
5. In your next team meeting, walk your team through your thinking and get their input. The goals on the list and the progress made so far, should not be a surprise to your team. But, what you do need to sense check is whether you have included everything still to be done and if your timings are realistic.

Explain to your team the importance of achieving these goals that have been set for the team. This could be important to your customers, for your business, for your team in the long run etc. Make the case for why it will be beneficial to put in the work to get these projects closed or as close to closed as possible.

Ask your team to join you on the journey to make this happen over the next 57 days!

6. Meet with the impacted team members 1:1. In this session, go over their involvement in the work plans set out and ask them if they need any support to achieve the goal. Confirm their commitment.

7. Plan to win. Right up front set-up an end of year function. This really helps people by giving them an anchor for when they can officially go on leave and a celebration to look forward to.

8. Keep talking. Have each team member update the team weekly on their progress, so that you can keep track of how things are progressing, and so that you can all support each other with any challenges that arise during the process.

I hope this process inspires you and your team to make the most of the 57 days ahead. Apply this process in your team and let me know how it goes?

Join me at my upcoming workshop!

Join me on the 19th November 1 PM EST | 6 PM BST or 21st of November 8AM EST | 1PM BST. In this workshop we will cover the topic below.

How to Give Feedback in 3 Simple Steps

Gain Confidence to Facilitate Tough Conversations that Boost Performance.

Learn more about the workshop & Register here: https://leadwithsheree.com/free-feedback-workshop/