As the year winds down, it’s natural for teams to slow down, take stock, and spend time with family. While this rest and reflection are vital, it can sometimes overshadow the momentum needed to hit the ground running in the new year. That’s why many leadership teams use the window between Christmas and New Year’s to engage in a focused, intentional planning sprint, a structured way to review the past year, refine priorities, and define what success will look like for the year ahead.
Here’s a framework for a 5-day executive planning sprint designed to set your team up with clarity, purpose, and momentum for 2026. Each day builds on the last, helping leadership align strategy, sharpen offerings, and prepare for action from day one.
Day 1 — Lock the Direction (Vision Day)
Outcome: One clear focus everyone can repeat.
Begin by defining your vision for the year: what does “winning” look like for your team or organization? Establish your top-line revenue goals, ideal client profiles, and the type of work that aligns with your standards.
Key steps:
- Revenue & Margin Goals: Determine what financial outcomes are necessary to support growth and sustainability.
- Ideal Client Profile: Define the type of client or partner who aligns with your mission and values. Include both the person and the organization, focusing on decision-making authority, psychographics, and organizational stage.
- Core Offers & Services: Clarify which products or services are your primary focus and which you will say no to. This ensures your team’s energy is spent where it creates the most impact.
- Non-Negotiables: Establish financial, quality, and mindset standards to guide client selection and internal operations.
By the end of Vision Day, your team should have a single, cohesive statement that captures what the organization is focused on and what success will look like.
Day 2 — Sharpen the Offer (Sales Day)
Outcome: Anyone can explain what your organization does in one breath.
With clarity on your vision and ideal client, it’s time to sharpen your offer:
- Define Retainer or Service Packages: Outline who each package is for, what problem it solves, and the transformation it delivers.
- Pricing Philosophy: Develop simple, principled pricing guidelines. Who is the right client? What is the minimum investment?
- Why You’re Different: Identify your unique differentiators, including experience, strategy, and execution approach. This is your “unfair advantage” and should be a key part of every sales conversation.
A clear, compelling offer ensures your team is speaking the same language and attracting the right clients or partners.
Day 3 — Authority & Inbound (Visibility Day)
Outcome: Set the stage for 2026 inquiries and inbound opportunities.
Use this day to define your thought leadership and content strategy:
- Anchor Content Pieces: Identify 3 cornerstone topics that will fuel your content throughout the year.
- Thought Leadership & Guests: Plan podcast episodes, webinars, or articles that establish authority.
- Social Media Themes: Clarify core messaging pillars—such as leadership, storytelling, or behind-the-scenes insights.
- Email Strategy: Determine what value your email communications will deliver to clients or stakeholders.
- Point of View: Define a strong, polarizing stance that attracts the right audience and naturally filters out the wrong fit.
By the end of this day, your team should have a clear visibility and inbound plan to drive qualified interest in the months ahead.
Day 4 — Operational Cleanup (Efficiency Day)
Outcome: Ensure the team spends 2026 doing high-leverage work.
Focus on internal operations, delegation, and process improvements:
- Define Responsibilities: Clarify what each executive or key team member must own versus what can be delegated.
- Document or Delegate: Identify high-priority processes that need SOPs or clear delegation plans—client onboarding, content workflows, project handoffs, approvals, and more.
- Non-Negotiables: Set boundaries, including maximum client load, minimum contract size, and defined client access to leadership.
The goal is to reduce bottlenecks, eliminate unnecessary distractions, and make room for strategic, high-value work.
Day 5 — Momentum Triggers (Launch Pad Day)
Outcome: Ensure January starts with speed and clarity.
Close out the sprint by preparing actionable next steps:
- Pre-Write Outreach: Identify key groups or individuals to connect with in January, including past clients, warm leads, and strategic partners.
- Schedule Key Content: Plan content drops, podcast releases, case studies, and social media posts for the first month.
- Choose Your Guiding Word: Pick one word to encapsulate the organization’s focus and mindset for the year.
- Commit to a Mindset Shift: Identify the most important behavioral or strategic shift your team needs to make 2026 a success.
This final day ensures the team enters the new year aligned, energized, and ready to take immediate action.
A Framework for Intentional Growth
A 5-day executive planning sprint is more than just a review of the past, it’s a proactive blueprint for the future. By locking your vision, refining your offer, building authority, optimizing operations, and triggering momentum, your team enters the new year with clarity, alignment, and purpose.
Done well, this approach prevents early-year inertia, sets high standards, and ensures your organization is prepared not just to survive, but to thrive in 2026.
