Bill Canady says leaders must publicly declare whether their company is in growth mode or fix-it-first mode, then immediately cut spending that conflicts with that choice. Kill the sales hires, branch openings, and trade shows that don't fit the track you picked.
You stand up in front of your leadership team and you say the number and you say what track it puts you on. And you say what that means for the next 4 quarters out loud in a room with a number on the wall. If you're on the growth track, say it, fund it, and go. If you're on the fix it first track, say that too. And then, then do the hard part. Go through the current year's spending commitments and stop the ones that are inconsistent with it. The sales headcounts requisitions, the sales headcount requisitions, the new branch, the trade show budget for a segment you're about to exit, the channel expansion— stop all those. You don't need it.
