Q4 Reality Check: PART ONE Celebrate, Learn, and Close Strong

Celebrate the wins, surface the gaps, and finish the year with clarity. The final stretch can feel thrilling, demanding, or somewhere in between. With shifting economies, cultures, and politics, the view from October rarely matches the view in January. This is exactly when a board adds the most value: gain visibility before year-end, review outcomes, and guide a thoughtful strategy discussion for the year ahead.

What to celebrate (do this first)

• Goals that hit the mark: projects completed, milestones achieved, value created.

• People who delivered: acknowledge excellence and teamwork.

• Strengths that showed up: capabilities to double-down on next year.

What to examine with clear eyes

• Targets still in flight: three months remain: what would meaningfully move the needle?

• Gaps in execution: where did timelines slip, or resources stretch?

• Talent capacity: roles to add or upgrade as the company scales.

External shifts to factor in

• Customer behavior and market dynamics

• Shareholder expectations

• Policy and interest-rate environments

• Supply chain resilience and alternate sources (lessons from recent years still apply)

Data the board should have before year-end

• YTD vs. guidance with a simple traffic-light view (green/yellow/red)

• Forecast for Q4 with two scenarios: base and stretch.

• Cash, capital needs, and hiring plan for the next 12 months.

• Top risks with current mitigations and owner for each

Boardroom prompt:

“What worked so well we may want to scale it, and what needs a different approach in Q4 to finish with strength?”