1️⃣ Warn early, then explain the miss HBR argues that waiting for the earnings call does not make bad news easier to absorb. Early disclosure gives investors time to separate the problem from the surprise.
💡 Why it matters Set the disclosure threshold before results deteriorate. When it is crossed, explain what changed, what management controls and what remains uncertain.
☕ Coffee talk Does your board know the number that triggers the call, or will everyone discover it in the draft announcement?
2️⃣ Make customer value usable inside the account HBR describes a B2B value gap: customers may benefit from a product but still struggle to measure or defend that value to their own stakeholders.
💡 Why it matters Give account teams evidence the buyer can reuse: the baseline, the outcome and who verified it. Product value that cannot survive an internal budget meeting is fragile.
☕ Coffee talk Could your customer defend the renewal without inviting your salesperson into the room?
3️⃣ Diagnose the move before losing the person More than 1,000 career-change interviews behind Lenny’s latest guide point to a common mistake: people start searching before deciding what the move must fix.
💡 Why it matters Ask what is pushing a strong employee away and what they want next. A new manager, different scope or more control may solve the problem without a resignation.
☕ Coffee talk Which person on your team is already browsing jobs for a problem you could remove this month?