Initiative Leaders Rally for Year-End Progress
Implementation plan contacts most frequently cite lack of time as the greatest challenge to initiative progress. Busy leaders crave protected, focused time to think, plan and move work forward.
In mid-December, the strategy and implementation team hosted a three-hour on-site event for implementation plan contacts. The onsite focus was progress, one of the Pack Practices for Initiative Success.
After a brief kick-off, participants settled into separate spaces for uninterrupted, focused work time — independently or with a colleague. Between each 40-minute segment of focused work, our team led short breaks where we offered easy stretches and quick tips to “unstick” group decision-making and mindsets — two common barriers to progress. By the end of the event, participants had checked off critical items on their “to-do” lists and received a celebratory high-five from us before heading into winter break.
Need a progress boost?
If day-to-day issues fill your working hours, it’s essential to plan for focused time. Below are our top tips for initiative leaders seeking to start 2026 with forward momentum.
- Set aside time and protect it. Calendering a block of time for progress is easy. Keeping that calendar appointment is hard. Honor the appointment. Minimize interruptions and distractions to the extent possible. For example, turn off chat and email notifications during this block of time.
- Cycle between short working segments and breaks. Attention on a task naturally dips over time. Short breaks help maintain focus on long tasks. To try it, set your timer for a period of focused work. For example, the Office of Faculty Excellence uses 25-minute writing cycles in its writing retreats. When the timer goes off, pause and take a brief break. Then restart the timer and repeat the cycle.
- Set a goal and celebrate. At the start of your focused time, write down what you want to achieve. During each break, look at your note. Reflect on and celebrate the progress you’ve made towards that goal. It can be as simple as a high-five with a colleague.
Questions about the implementation plan? Contact Courtney Thornton, Associate Vice Provost for Strategy, Implementation and Communication, Institutional Effectiveness, at chthornt@ncsu.edu.
