Respect traditions but do not become wed to the status quo. This is your time to govern. Be bold in your proposals. The people know we are in tough fiscal times and will accept big changes and new approaches.

Organize a cabinet and leadership team retreat prior to the inauguration. The retreat would be an orientation to state government, the governor’s priorities, legislation, budget, and rules of the road.

Ensure that decision-making processes are in place for the myriad of daily decisions from scheduling to judicial selections and establish a process to communicate these decisions across your team.

Make a list of all the promises you made during the campaign, the promises you like that your opponent made and other good ideas you learned during the campaign. This list helps inform your focused agenda.