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Key Takeaways CEOs who delay tough calls on underperforming programs or leaders heading into Q4 — hoping the issue resolves on its own — almost always face the same problem again the following year.
To run a Q4 course correction, CEOs must stop waiting for the calendar to fix what’s broken, focus on customer stories, uncover the real problem, prepare for surprises and check their egos.
Over the years, I’ve seen many CEOs make a common mistake heading into Q4. Instead of taking action, they wait. They tell themselves an underperforming program or leader will work itself out before the calendar switches to January. That almost never happens. CEOs who push out hard decisions invariably find themselves in the same difficult situation in the coming year.
Every quarter has its own nuances and characteristics. This Q4 carries extra weight. The noise around AI is deafening, and CEOs who keep kicking that strategy down the road will regret it.
Vistage’s recent research found that 84% of small and midsize U.S. businesses have already started using generative AI, and 76% of CEOs use it themselves. But only 22% have a governance plan behind it. Wages are also ticking back up, making it more expensive to retain great people. On top of that, customers increasingly want clear justification and communication of the value companies are delivering, especially amid increased prices.
The following are five time-tested strategies I’ve seen effective CEOs use to run a Q4 course correction.
1. Stop waiting for the calendar to fix what’s broken
The first move is the hardest: Stop waiting. If months of data have clearly shown that a program, product or person isn’t working, the right answer is almost always to stop investing further. Don’t give it one more quarter.
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