The 2026 Resolution Most Executive Teams Get Wrong

When executives and analysts aren’t on the same page, good decisions become a lot harder. Spotting and fixing this early saves headaches down the road.

Author

Glenda Carnate
January 01, 2026

Read time: 2.5 minutes

Executives and analysts often think they want the same things, but that’s not always true. Executives want to feel confident in decisions, while analysts value getting the details right. Both sides mean well, but their goals can pull them in different directions. Quick meetings and more dashboards might speed things up, but trust suffers if nobody takes time to clarify assumptions and work together on what success really looks like.

When outcomes disappoint, it’s rarely because people aren’t working hard or aren’t smart enough. Usually, it’s because misunderstandings pile up. We end up moving fast and churning out work, but lose sight of what actually matters.

2026 Clarity Principles for Executives and Analysts:

  • Align on what “success” actually means.
    Executives want to make decisions they trust, and analysts want their logic to hold up. If you don’t agree on what success means from the start, it’s no wonder things get fuzzy later.

  • Optimize for understanding, not speed.
    Fast answers are only helpful if they still make sense when you look closer. If you cut corners on clarity, trust goes out the window.

  • Agree on the question before the work begins.
    You can’t make good decisions without first asking the right questions. Most do-overs happen because nobody nailed down what they were trying to solve at the start.

  • Treat complexity as a cost.
    If you can’t explain something simply, it’s going to be tough for anyone to use. Overcomplicating things just makes life harder for everyone.

  • Respect each other’s constraints.
    Executives have to keep projects moving and answer for results. Analysts have to deal with messy data and make sure things add up. Respecting what each side is up against is the only way to get results that last.

  • Make performance everyone’s responsibility.
    When things stall, trust takes a hit. Making sure work gets done on time is part of doing it well... and not just an afterthought.

  • Define “done” before you start.
    Executives want clear calls to action, and analysts need solid reasoning behind them. You can’t have one without the other.

  • Design for humans, not systems.
    People think in stories; systems work in rules and frameworks. The best results come when you connect the two.

  • Reduce noise before adding features.
    Cranking out more work doesn’t mean you’re learning more. Keeping things simple is what helps teams grow.

  • Measure impact, not activity.
    A few great decisions and lessons you can use again beat a pile of dashboards any day.

💡Key Takeaway: 

In 2026, the best teams won’t win by just going faster or doing more. They’ll win by thinking clearly together. When executives and analysts put clarity and trust first, everything else falls into place: teams move faster for longer, decisions hold up, and results last.

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