Know when to change course

Signals that a plan needs adjusting, and how to adjust without starting over. Changing course is not failure; ignoring the instruments is.

Watch a few leading signals

Lagging results like annual revenue arrive too late to steer by. Pick two or three leading signals instead: inquiries per week, proposal win rate, delivery time, or customer renewals.

When a signal drifts outside its normal range for several weeks in a row, treat it as a reason to look closer rather than a reason to panic.

Diagnose before you react

A drop in sales might come from pricing, a competitor, a seasonal pattern, or a single lost account. Each points to a different response. Talk to customers and frontline staff before rewriting the plan.

Ask what changed, when it changed, and what else changed at the same time.

Adjust in small, clear steps

Most course corrections are a few degrees, not a full turn. Change one or two things, explain the reason to the team, and agree on how you will know whether it worked.

Keep the original heading in view. A good adjustment brings you back toward it.