The fundamentals that anchor Q4
Budgeting—Does the 2027 budget reflect our true priorities, including the investment AI and cybersecurity require?
Retention—Which people are critical to next year’s plan, and how strong is our position to keep them? Look at regretted turnover, engagement, succession depth, and pay competitiveness.
Return on investment—Which 2026 investments, AI pilots included, delivered measurable returns, and which call for a harder look before more capital goes in?
Set the course: your board’s 1/3/5-year strategy sprint. Align on goals, resources, and guardrails, then commit to the plan.
Effective boards anchor the future in a clear plan. I hold a simple belief I learned years ago in mining and finance: when we plan well, we create the conditions for success. Q4 2026 is the moment to translate this year’s lessons into a durable strategy with milestones for 2027, 2029, and 2031. Given the pace of change this year, especially in AI, I encourage boards to treat the plan as a living document, with a checkpoint each quarter.
The Strategy Sprint (board + management)
Value creation and budget: Revenue, margin, and cash targets, the levers that fund the journey, and clear ROI hurdles for every major investment. People and projects needed.
Execution system: Quarterly operating rhythm, dashboards, and an owner for each KPI.
Risk & resilience: Top risks, thresholds, and pre-planned responses, including supply chain and policy shifts.
Growth Strategy: Are we wanting to grow? How fast? What is our target? What is our plan to get there. Do we have people we need?
Practical outputs for January 1, 2027 readiness
One-page plan with 3–5 enterprise priorities and metrics.
A 2027 budget and capex/opex map aligned to those priorities, with ROI targets for each major investment.
An AI roadmap and an approved-use policy covering both the company and the board.
Calendar of board touchpoints for 2027, deep-dive topics, and decision gates.
Board composition & capabilities
Refresh the skills matrix against the 2027 strategy, with a clear-eyed look at AI and cybersecurity fluency.
Build director education on AI and cybersecurity into the 2027 calendar so every director stays current.
P.S. I am cheering for strong Q4 finishes and smart, future-ready strategies for 2027.