This is why measurement and transparency are key components of any effective management operating system. If everyone has access to the same information and that information is shared consistently through time, then the gap, dare I say gulf, that can exist between the information that makes its way up to the C-suite and the reality of operations at ground level can be closed. 

In my experience, run rate and momentum are the most important things that determine a business’s performance early in the new year. You can have glorious PowerPoint presentations that illustrate a bright, shiny New Year, but if there’s no momentum and your teams haven’t already upskilled and allocated significant resources to the plan, then you’re almost certainly going to face disappointment in Q1.

A gemba walk is an opportunity for leadership to see how work is accomplished with their own eyes, listen carefully to the challenges and opportunities the team faces, and ask questions with the intention to seek to understand challenges and opportunities so they can be an advocate for and supporter of the team or department.

It should be no surprise to frequent readers in this forum that the tools needed to improve the accuracy and fidelity of business forecasting are pinned in the tenets of continuous improvement and organizational health. The “ah ha” moment I hope you’ve had is the importance of having strong financial modeling skills embedded in your organization.