Leading vs Lagging Signals
The signal that prevents the miss.
Lagging indicators tell you what happened. Leading indicators give you time to act before it shows in the P&L. GAIN pairs every lagging KPI with a leading signal that fires 4–8 weeks earlier — providing the intervention window that a reporting-only system never offers.
Lagging indicators · what already happened
Detected 8–12 weeks after cause
Revenue miss
Reported in quarterly P&L — corrective window has closed
EBITDA deterioration
Visible in monthly financials — causes are months old
Attrition spike
Headcount report shows departures — culture signal was 3 months earlier
Client churn
Lost renewal shows in ARR — NPS drop was the real signal
Leading indicators · what is about to happen
4–8 weeks of intervention window
Pipeline velocity deceleration
Conversion rate trend dropping — revenue will miss in 6–8 weeks
Wage bill creep vs guardrail
Contractor costs trending above plan — margin compression in next period
Engagement score decline
Pulse below threshold 3 periods — attrition will spike in 6–8 weeks
NPS trend below baseline
Satisfaction declining 2+ periods — renewal risk materialising
Action Governance · Decision Architecture
Decisions pre-agreed. Not improvised.
Three tiers of response, each with a defined variance threshold, a named decision owner, and a response window. When a signal fires, the organisation knows exactly who decides, what options exist, and how long they have.
Tier 1 · Watch
5–10%
Variance from plan
Monitor closely. Weekly ops review. No structural change yet. Document cause and trajectory — if trend continues, escalate within 2 weeks.
Functional lead
Tier 2 · Act
10–20%
Variance from plan
Activate pre-designed tactical response. Monthly performance review. Function lead presents root cause and corrective action plan within 5 working days.
COO + functional lead
Tier 3 · Escalate
>20%
Variance from plan
Strategic reset review triggered. CEO + CFO convened within 48 hours. LRP assumptions reviewed. Board notified if ambition itself is at risk.
CEO + CFO + Board
Governance Rhythm · Review cadence
Signals escalate at the right speed.
Four cadences, each with a distinct purpose, defined inputs, and named outputs. The rhythm ensures no signal sits unreviewed and no decision is made at the wrong level.
Embedded source: gain-mos-governance-rhythm.html
Execution Velocity · Q2 FY26
Not just whether targets are hit. Whether they can still be hit on time.
Velocity measures the pace of progress against what is needed to reach the target by the deadline. A decelerating KPI that is still above target today is a leading risk — velocity catches it weeks before a status dashboard would.
Sales
102%
↑ Ahead of pace
Acquisition on track — redirect energy to revenue-per-account uplift
Finance
71%
→ Slowing
EBITDA and FCF decelerating — margin intervention required this month
HR & People
44%
↓ Stalled
Attrition reduction has not moved 2 periods — retention programme must activate
Operations
67%
→ Slowing
Delivery on track · cost reduction pace at 38% of required rate
"The ambition set in Stage 01 is only as durable as the operating system built here to protect it."
Stage 05 closes the loop · variance triggers a review · the LRP is reaffirmed or reset
Back to Stage 01 · Long-Range Planning →