You Know the Number. You're Just Not Doing Anything About It.
This summer I was told I needed surgery.
Not a simple procedure. A complex two-step cartilage transplant with a 6-9 month recovery. A meniscus tear catching on a groove worn into the bone of my femoral condyle since a surgery in 2002. One sports medicine orthopedic doctor prepped me for a plan for the fall and winter season. One very clear recommendation with little alternative option.
I decided to try something different first.
I committed to twice weekly PT, a weekly golf clinic, and daily exercises at home without negotiation. I measured everything. Squat depth in PT twice a week. Golf score every single clinic. And when the numbers weren't moving fast enough I pushed my physical therapist and my golf pro to get more creative.
Ninety days later I went from not being able to squat to pushing weighted sleds across the gym. Golf score below 100. That conversation with my doctor will look very different now.
Now let me ask you something.
Is there a number in your life or your business right now that you're watching go nowhere and doing nothing about?
Most leaders I work with aren't lacking targets. They have goals. They have KPIs. Some of them track more data than they know what to do with.
And yet the numbers are flat.
Same review. Same conversation. Same half measures. Same result.
Here's the part nobody wants to say out loud:
Flat data isn't a measurement problem. It's a decision problem.
You already know what the number is telling you. You've known for a while. The question isn't what the data says. The question is what you're doing about it.
And this isn't just a business thing.
The person who knows their health is trending in the wrong direction but hasn't actually changed anything. They track it. They talk about it. They do nothing differently.
The professional who has known for two years they're in the wrong role but hasn't made a move. They feel it every Monday. They do nothing differently.
The team leader who sits in the same review, looks at the same flat numbers, has the same conversation with the same people, and then goes back to doing the same things. They know exactly what's not working. They do nothing differently.
Knowing what to do and deciding to actually do it are two very different things.
Most people are stuck in the first one.
So what does actually doing something look like?
In health it means stopping the modified version of what isn't working and making a real change. Sometimes it means getting a second opinion on the conventional answer and deciding to try something different first.
In your career it means applying for the role that scares you or finally having the honest conversation you've been avoiding about where you're headed.
In your business it means looking at your team without the filter of loyalty or hope and making the calls that need to be made. The team member who has been underperforming for a year and a half isn't going to turn it around without a real intervention, whether that's a direct conversation, outside coaching, or a change in who's sitting in that seat.
Getting outside expertise, coaching, or mentoring into your team isn't a sign something is broken.
It's what leaders who are serious about results actually do.
Q4 is almost here.
The leaders who finish strong aren't the ones who had the best January goals. They're the ones who get honest in September, make the decisions they've been softening all year, and walk into October knowing exactly what they're after and exactly who they need around them to get it.
My doctor gave me a very clear recommendation this summer. I made a different decision, committed completely, measured everything, and pushed my team when the numbers weren't moving fast enough.
Your Q4 deserves that same commitment.
This is exactly what my 90 Day Strategic Shift program is built around. Clear targets. The right team. The decisions that need to be made. And ninety days of focused momentum to finish the year differently than you started it.
If that's what Q4 needs to look like for you, reply to this email with "Q4" and let's talk about what needs to shift, who needs to be in the room, and what decisions have been sitting on the table long enough.
Talk soon. This is my last note from the Maine coast before I head back to sunny South Florida. It's been a special summer with lots of memories and lessons learned.
Cheers,
Kasey
P.S. 90 days ago, my plan looked different than today. I made a decision, committed fully, and ninety days later the conversation looks completely different. That's available to any leader willing to make the decision and do the work. What decision are you making now that will lead to the outcome that you want when you look back at your data in December.