100-Day Catalytic Projects for Quick Strategic Wins

Mahatma Gandhi once famously said, ¨We must be the change we wish to see in the world.¨ How can leaders integrate strategy and action? By designing catalytic pilots that embody the future - on a low-cost and low-risk scale. 

Instead of moving in a linear fashion from the present toward the future, Catalytic Projects are typically 100-day, small-scale, low-cost, low-risk projects that "force" participants to think and act as if today were tomorrow. These projects act as pressure-cookers to produce quick wins and alter the landscape of what is possible. The new landscape then informs – and transforms – the process by providing rapid feedback. They test the strategy in action so you can get immediate results and see whether your strategy works.

Catalytic Projects differ sharply from traditional planning. They typically focus on filling gaps in existing processes to eliminate duplication of efforts and save resources; on convergence of existing initiatives; and on opportunities to spark improvements. Projects can be of two types. Ground-breaking projects explore innovative ways to achieve your objectives. Proof-of-principle projects show with sufficient authority that successful innovations can be scaled up.

The ground rules are simple. Pick easy actions first; quick wins strengthen confidence and a sense of momentum. Ask periodically, "What could go wrong?" to anticipate and prevent future breakdowns. Take risks and innovate. And talk straight and make bold promises and requests.

You might say, What does all this have to do with me? Our answer: a lot. That's the beauty of Strategy-In-Action; every participant is a key agent of the strategy. Here is what you can do. Craft your own 3-year vision, alone or with your colleagues. Some of our clients craft their own fundamental commitments or a fictional newspaper article about their organization five years out. It doesn't matter what tool you use; the key is to have a future that is a magnet for action today.

Once you have a compelling vision, create a 100-day Catalytic Project. How can you live the future now, in the next 3 months? To be truly catalytic, your project must be (a) bold, visionary and unpredictable (not based on the past); (b) measurable, with clearly defined goals, (c) inclusive, meaning that it forces you to go beyond your personal agenda and lead others.

Here are some examples of Catalytic Projects our clients in all sectors – private, public and nonprofit – undertook, with results that were never given by the past or even by current resources:

• The company above launched eight Catalytic Projects, such as recruiting internal "ambassadors" for the strategy, coaching their communication skills, and having them communicate across the firm; and setting up focus groups to engage employees, create a common language and genuine two-way communication. 
• Another company brought a new product to market in record time and produced $6+ million. 
• One multinational produced $70 million in additional sales through a new channel. 
• Participants in our "Leadership en Action" and "Communique ou Meurs" workshops in Haiti launched and carried out 80 Catalytic Projects, for example a clean-up of a slum, reforestation, a school, latrines, civic education for youth, and an educational radio show for children. 
• Participants in the UN Development Programme's Virtual Development Academy implemented Catalytic Projects in 21 countries focused on democratic governance, for example fighting corruption in Kuwait and Ecuador, empowering people with disabilities in China, training judges in Serbia, strengthening women's participation in Saudi Arabia, reforming the police in Bangladesh, or fighting poverty through decantralization after the Tsunami in Sri Lanka. 
• A Columbia leadership student, a young entrepreneur, took on his dream of financing and opening a new restaurant, hiring and training the staff, and designing the menu. Another went for persuading the governments of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to apply for jointly hosting the 2025 Olympic Games in Jerusalem. 
• A nongovernmental organization (NGO) increased fundraising by 1,000 percent. 
• One division of a mid-size high-tech company went for delivering a new product, independently tested, and getting it out the door with zero defects. 

And the list could go on. Again and again, these catalytic projects show that when you combine strategy with people power, the results are extraordinary. So don't wait. What fruits can you garner before the end of 2006? The time is now to achieve your vision. As the sage Hillel said already 2,000 years ago: "And if not now, when?"1

All the best,

---

¹ Pirkei Avot 1:14