The CEO’s Essential Checklist

December 16, 2024

Good morning!

Being a lifelong devotee of Hellman’s, I was not familiar with the existence of Duke Mayonnaise until last year, but…… now, the Minnesota Gophers will be promoting the goop worldwide on January 3rd, so maybe, who knows?! We do have a jar on standby. Rest in peace, Nancy Ehlen.  Rest in peace, Dave Noack.

• The country of Japan — Tokyo specifically — wants more babies…
  • … and so it is offering/ encouraging four-day work weeks to certain segments of its population — presumably both men and women in roughly equal numbers.
  • We’re guessing the gift of work reduction is not for those in their 50s, 60s, 70s, or 80s, but rather for those in their 20s and 30s — maybe 40s?
  • We’ll stop here and let you conduct your own further research as to the merits — and the chances for success — of this new national policy.
• This is so simple as to be mundane, but such is the case with almost ALL good business practices, right?
• Distraction is among the bigger reasons goals aren’t achieved.
  • This one comes courtesy of Daniel Murray, a marketing guru:
    • Do it now:  Low Effort/ High Impact — such as
      • Jumping on a trend that aligns with your mission, vision, strategy, and audience
      • A quick e-mail campaign for something NEW
      • Giving some love to your highest-traffic posts
    • Do it next:  High Effort/ High Impact
      • Takes time to do it right, but the impact is hyuuuge
      • Linked to one of your strategic imperatives, it makes sense to invest big for big returns
    • Do it later:  Low Effort/ Low Impact
      • Yes, it would be nice, but don’t worry too much about it until the first two up above are at 100%
      • Updating your web site (unless there are major errors, Etc.)
      • Regurgitating old stuff just because you don’t have any new stuff
    • Don’t do it at all:  High Effort/ Low Impact
      • Do you really need coaching on this one?  C’mon   Spinning your wheels?  Stop.
      • Go back up to #1 and/or #2 up above
      • Maybe buy another dozen doughnuts for the break room — even though some in there are already nine days old
• If you aspire to be a member of the one percent club in Minnesota; i.e., among the top 1% of income earners, you need to earn $739,000+ annually.
  • These data are from the I.R.S., and we THINK this is for a single income earner, quite sure.
  • The average nationally, including ALL 50 states, is $797,000 in 2024 dollars
  • Washington City has the highest threshold at $1,220,000+ and West Virginia brings up the rear at $426,000+
  • Solution:  Move to West Virginia, take a pay cut, and you, too, can be a member of the 1% Club.  (IRS)
  • Or, take a government job, presumably, in Washington City.  (Do those really pay that well?!)
• We will take this in two smaller bites because this checklist created by Dewar and team is SO GOOD it deserves thought, reflection, and CONTINUOUS ACTION by leaders.
  • The first part was last week… the rest is right now.
  • This is SO good, we recommend clipping and saving this — and, if you keep an old-fashioned bulletin board, post it where you’ll see it often.
  • The CEO’s Essential Checklist
    1. Do we have a clear and compelling vision that reframes what winning looks like, and is it owned by the whole organization?
    2. Have we created a short list of clearly-defined big moves… that will distance us from our competitors?
    3. Are we thinking like outsiders to actively reallocate resources to our highest priorities, even when it’s hard to do?
    4. Are we targeting and systematically pursuing specific areas of cultural change to further execute our strategic imperatives?
    5. Is our organization characterized by a balance of stability and agility that maximizes the speed and effectiveness of execution?
    6. Are the most value-creating roles in your organization filled with the right talent, and do they have a strong leadership pipeline?
    7. Is my senior team the right size, comprising people with complementary skills and characterized by an ‘enterprise first’ mindset?
    8. Does my senior team effectively use data and dialogue to make timely decisions on topics only they can tackle?
    9. Does my senior team have an effective annual operating rhythm and business review cadence that drives execution and minimizes surprises?
    • Like we said, here is the rest with the first part reprinted as a reminder up above?
    1. Have I built trust with my board members by being radically transparent and showing an interest in their views?
    2. Do we have the right profiles on the board, and are we sufficiently educating directors and pulling them in to help where and when they can?
    3. Are board meetings well-prepped, effectively-run, and focused on the future; i.e., strategic?
    4. Are we clear on the holistic impact to which we aspire; i.e., strategic vision?  (Our Why?)
    5. And, is it embedded into the core of how we conduct our business?
    6. Do we fully understand our stakeholders’ needs (their why?) and find constructive ground with them?
    7. Have we built resilience ahead of any potential crises so we’ll be able to mitigate their impact — and use them to unlock opportunities?
    8. Do I manage my time and energy well, and do I have the right support in place to help me successfully and sustainably do what only I can do as the CEO?
    9. Am I leading in a way that is genuine and authentic to my convictions and values while also adjusting my behaviours to what the organization needs?
    10. Do I approach my trusted position of leadership with humility, focusing on helping others to succeed while continually improving my ability to do so?  (Dewar, Etc., et al., 2024)
• Counterintuitive?
  • Brazil leads the world in sustainability practices related to agriculture and the production of food for the world,
  • followed closely by the United States and most of Europe — with some countries lagging far behind, such as India.
  • No data were quickly available to this writer for China.  (McKinsey Global Farmer Insights, 2024)