With the 4th quarter just weeks away, CEOs are prepping for their annual strategic planning sessions. Leadership retreats are being scheduled, agendas are starting to form, but do you have the foundation in place to draft your plan?

I encourage leaders to answer these four questions before their strategic planning event.

1. Do you have A Players on your executive team?

Are there leaders who can benefit from one-on-one coaching? Maybe they’re new to their leadership position. The Leadership Acceleration program can be tailored to their specific needs. Spending extra time up front with these new or less experienced leaders can make a significant difference.

2. Do you have a high-performance leadership team which is healthy and aligned?

Are there elephants in the room that prevent the team from peak performance? Is there a high level of trust? Does each person feel comfortable voicing his or her opinion? All of these factors will be crucial as you work together on your strategic plan.

3. Are your communications systems in place with regular meeting rhythms and a culture of accountability?

Are you positioned to drive flawless execution of your plan?

4. Do you have a vivid vision and clarity on your overall strategy?

Does everyone on the executive team understand and buy into the strategy? You can’t put together a plan without first having 100% alignment on the top-line strategy.

With football season starting again, I’m reminded that championship teams don’t go into their first game without months and months of preparation. They get all of their plays and strategies in place during the pre-season. They spend time integrating new team members. They develop trust among the team, and identify and address any barriers. They practice, review and improve plays. And, finally, they make sure that everyone on the team shares the same vision.

Do you have everything in place to ensure your strategic planning session will be as effective as possible? Are you ready for game day? If not, let’s get you ready now.