Welcome back to the Let’s Grow Leaders Frontline Festival. This month’s festival is all about preparing for 2017. Thanks to Joy and Tom Guthrie of Vizwerx Group for the great pic and to all our contributors! Next month’s Frontline Festival is all about goal setting.  Please submit your very best links to your goal setting posts. The question for the month is: “What your best practice for helping teams set meaningful goals?” Submit your answers and blog posts related to this question: here!

Jon Mertz of Thin Difference tells us that preparing is more than an act of getting ready or having a fixed plan. Preparing is creating the proper conditions to act more fully in the change we desire. Follow Jon.

Wally Bock of Three Star Leadership suggests that we forget resolutions. Concentrate on what you will DO differently. Follow Wally.

Michelle Cubas, CPCC, ACC, of Positive Potentials, LLC offers a post, “Loose Ends and Promises”, outlining some thoughts about the transition to a new year. Follow Michelle.

The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.

~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

From David Dye: In Winning Well we emphasize the importance of Committing with Clarity: mutually shared, clear commitments are the backbone of breakthrough results and healthy relationships. To that end, one way we’re preparing our team for 2017 is to create a playbook – a one-stop guide to the critical goals, messages, and activities of each strategic theme. It creates alignment, ensures we’re all focused on the same goals, and helps us to move faster. Follow David.

Chris Edmonds of Driving Results through Culture  says:  I’m a solopreneur – but I have some fine players in my “band.” (Bear with me – I’m a working musician on the side.) My publicity pro is amazing. My virtual assistant is brilliant. I’m doing more proactive strategic planning with my publicity pro with monthly calls so we can stay on top of trends and news-jacking opportunities that arise quickly. My goal for 1Q 2017 is to decide what my extremely capable VA can do more of – so I can do less of that and more content creation, writing, and marketing. Only if I trust these players more – and delegate more – can we do more for leaders, companies, and communities in the months to come. Follow Chris.

Eileen McDargh of The Energizer  shares: There are three people on my team: me, myself, and I. If I can get those three people in sync, then I can manage the other people who support me. I take myself away for three days on a silent retreat. I hike, write, and journal ideas. I meditate. I listen deeply. In the stillness that surrounds me, I come away refreshed. I don’t always have great breakthroughs and that’s ok too. The silence centers me because the rest of the year, I will be surrounded by the spoken word. Follow Eileen

Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.

~ Steve Jobs

Michelle Pallas of MichellePallas.com encourages us to understand ourselves, from all perspectives, before taking on something new. Follow Michelle.

Becky Robinson of Weaving Influence is preparing her team for 2017 by reflecting about and sharing wins from 2016 while setting goals and priorities for 2017. We’re all excited to launch a new website in the first quarter of 2017, which will more clearly reflect our company’s unique offer in the market while showcasing our authors/speakers. As we work on the website, we’re setting the stage for our best year ever.  Follow Becky.

William Steiner of Executive Coaching Concepts  says his team is cleaning up all contact files so our communications can be cleaner and more strategically targeted.  They are also going to have a nice party in January to celebrate the publishing of his new book, which was a collaborative, group effort.  Follow William.

Every day brings new choices.

~ Martha Beck

John Thurlbeck of Wear Consulting is reviewing how he did on goals in 2016 and setting goals for 2017 using Michael Hyatt’s Best Year Ever model. Follow John. 

Dr. Artika Tyner of the Planting People. Growing Justice Institute is preparing her team for 2017 by focusing on their brand. She feels this will serve as the foundation for developing new products and services while also holding the team accountable for clearly conveying their brand purpose and consistently delivering their best. Follow Artika.

Beth Beutler of H.O.P.E. Unlimited has a unique arrangement — she has a small team  of colleagues that help her provide virtual assistance, and she is ON more than team, providing virtual assistance. One of her hopes for the new year is that she cultivate herself and her own colleagues in such a way that the clients HOPE serves feel like the only team HOPE is on–is theirs. Follow Beth.