OPERATORS E136: What Top CEOs Do When They Miss Their Numbers
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Oct 22, 2025 Discover the hard truths of business planning in challenging times. Explore why forecasts often fail and the three main culprits behind plan derailments. Learn how crucial operational frameworks can guide scaling efforts effectively. The hosts discuss managing financial discipline and navigating bank covenants, plus effective communication strategies for delivering tough news. They emphasize the importance of aligning growth levers like brand expansion and product innovation while maintaining transparency and hope within teams.
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Formalize Planning Early
- Adopt a formal operating system early (EOS/Traction) to build planning rhythms and roles.
- Run quarterly QBRs to review numbers, set 90-day priorities, and align product roadmaps.
Forecasts Are Inherently Flawed
- Forecasts are always wrong the minute you save them, so plan around ranges and contingencies.
- Expect to miss plans about half the time and diagnose if it was goal-setting, execution, or market forces.
Diagnose Why You Missed Plan
- When you miss plan, diagnose the root: bad goal, poor execution, or external market forces.
- Tailor your response based on that diagnosis rather than applying one-size-fits-all fixes.
