Write a business letter to your branch manager informing him or her of the latest improvements you have done, as well as improvements you are planning to bring into effect soon, and how that would bring about great benefits to the business itself.

Dear CEO,

I’ve been reflecting on the recent board meeting. We were all encouraged by the third-quarter revenue numbers and the improving forecast for the year. The stabilization of our gross margin, despite the price cuts, speaks well of your latest cost reduction initiatives. On the whole, I think we can safely assume we’ve weathered the current storm. However, while we can all be grateful for the recent signs of an upturn in our performance, I suspect the next year or two will hold many challenges.

Indeed, the stabilization of our situation offers only a brief reprieve, if any at all. Like many companies these days, we have a workforce that remains fragile after surviving rounds of layoffs. We operate in an industry that still has decidedly too much capacity. And we are embroiled in a market share battle that shows no signs of abating. I’m not sure if anyone really knows which of our competitors started the price war—for all I know, we did—but we’ve only just begun to see the effects on margins and market share. Furthermore, some of our competitors’ recent earnings restatements and their use of “creative” accounting will surely bring more scrutiny to our company in the months ahead. In short, you’ll have your hands full indefinitely.

That is precisely why I’m writing to share some thoughts on a less obvious, but nonetheless critical, issue: your role as the leader of the company during this time of uncertainty. I know I risk sounding like every pundit in America when I raise these issues, but I want to talk to you openly about your role and responsibilities in the future. I think my long service on the board and those years we spent working together on the industry council have earned me that right. Or perhaps, merely your indulgence.