The due diligence process is starting to consume all my leadership team's time, and our weekly operational metrics are beginning to slip. How do we protect our daily performance and keep our Level 10 Meeting™ focused on hitting our quarterly numbers while managing the intense demands of the sale?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The friction of a sale process can easily derail your daily operations, which is exactly what you cannot afford. If your financial performance dips during due diligence, the buyer will use it as an opportunity to re-trade and lower the purchase price. You must build a structural firewall between the transaction and your daily business operations.

To do this, divide your leadership team into two distinct groups. Assign the transaction responsibilities to a transaction committee, which should ideally consist of you, your CFO, and an external advisory team. The rest of your leadership team must remain focused entirely on running the business. Their primary objective is to keep the operational machine running smoothly.

In your weekly Level 10 Meeting™, enforce a strict rule that transaction updates are kept out of the general agenda. Use a strategic pause at the beginning of the meeting to realign everyone on their quarterly Rocks and scorecard metrics. Keep the focus entirely on identifying, discussing, and solving operational issues.

If transaction-related questions arise that require input from the broader team, schedule a separate, dedicated meeting for that purpose. By preserving the integrity of your weekly operational cadence, you maintain the focus needed to hit your targets and protect your company's valuation.