The Turnaround Blueprint: One List to Rule Them All!
- jimrettew
- Oct 23
- 4 min read
And a few important green markers :)
We're finally through our first 30 days, and its been brutal and uplifting at the same time. You see the potential. You see the way to nirvana, but getting there? That's going to be a slog.
It's time to synthesize everything we've heard and learned, communicate that to the board, and come up with a scrappy action plan for the next 9-12 months. It's your turnaround blueprint.
What I've Learned
Somewhere between day 30 and 45, I present my findings to the board. By this point, I’ve listened to everyone - staff, clients, board members, community partners, etc. I've investigated the financials, and I've looked into HR files.
So I pull no punches. I share a detailed report of what I've learned complete with anonymized staff quotes that make the challenges real and visceral. I try to be respectful but direct. Honest, but hopeful.
The board knew things were wrong. But they don’t always know how wrong. Or how deeply it runs.
It’s often relief (“Finally, someone’s naming it”), quickly followed by an “Oh sh*t” moment (“We’re really in it, huh?”).
But I never leave them in despair. Diagnosis without a plan is just cruel! The extensive evaluation is just the baseline for 'what are we doing next?'
Turning Insight Into Action: The Turnaround Blueprint
From all of our problem statements, I build a list of action items — usually about 30 key priorities for the next 9 months.
Why 30? I don’t know. It’s like my leadership version of a baker’s dozen. It just always seems to be around 30. And why nine months instead of twelve? I'm usually gone in a year, and I want to build in a time buffer. The deadline just helps us stop dithering. We move faster when we know the clock is ticking.
I group the list by topic — finances, HR, governance, fundraising — and include clear, specific deliverables under each one. Not fluffy goals like “stabilize operations,” but specific, trackable goals like:
✅ Submit a board-approved budget on time
✅ Reduce aging A/R by 80%
✅ Increase earned income from rentals by 15%
✅ Hire a Director of Programs
✅ Migrate accounting software before Q3
Once I have the draft, I bring it to the staff and say: “Does this feel right?” They edit, add, refine. We get real alignment.
Then I take it to the board. They weigh in. And just like that, we’ve got ourselves a shared mandate.
And Then I Blow It Up
Literally.
I print a giant poster of this list and slap it on my office wall. It becomes the centerpiece of every conversation - every staff meeting, one on one, or board report.
You can’t walk into my office without seeing what we’re working on.
We build a color-coded stoplight system of our collective work — visible, proud, and radically transparent.
🟢 Green & crossed out = Done 🟢 Green = On Track 🟡 Yellow = Behind 🔴 Red = Didn’t happen or failed
And here’s the part people love: As we make progress, I bring in the folks who got it done, and we cross it off in green marker together. Publicly. Joyfully. No confetti cannons, but close.
“If We Did 70% of This...?”
Early on, I ask the team:
“If we completed 70% of this list, how would that feel?”
And every time, the answers are some version of:
“Huge.”
“Like a miracle.”
“Honestly? I’d feel proud.”
Here’s the twist: We usually hit 85%. And then we knock out an entire second list just as long of bonus wins we never even planned for.
Yes, even in crisis. Always happens (knock on wood).
When I Leave…
I hold a final review: I show the original list. I show the updated, color-coded list. And then I drop the bonus accomplishments on them.
People are stunned.
“We did that?” “In this kind of chaos?” “Wow.”
It’s like the highlight reel of their resilience — and it’s my favorite moment in the whole engagement.
So... What’s Your List?
And no, I don’t mean vague, nice-sounding goals like “strengthen our fundraising capacity.”
I mean: 📈 Increase unrestricted revenue by 20% 📊 Finalize and present strategic plan by October 💬 Rebuild donor trust with these three individuals 💼 Hire and onboard a Director of Development by Q2
And more importantly: Does your staff know the list? Do you reference it in 1:1s, team meetings, and board reports? Is there awareness? Is there buy-in?
If not, your list may be more of a wish than a plan.
The magic isn’t just in making a list. It’s in owning it together — transparently, visibly, with shared accountability and a little green marker joy along the way.
This system has helped me triage, communicate, and focus in the hardest situations. But it’s not just for interims — it works for any leader, in any sector.
Try it. Write your list. Make it visible. Own it together.
You might just find the clarity you’ve been looking for.
As always, if you find this useful, forward it to someone else who might too! Follow, share, and if you’re in the middle of a crisis, I promise: there’s a way forward.
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