"We need to move the needle" — What It Really Means

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"We need to move the needle"

What they really mean

Nothing is working and I'm out of ideas

"These incremental improvements aren't cutting it. We need to move the needle this quarter or we're in trouble."

"I've been saying this in meetings for six months. The needle has not moved. I don't even know where the needle is."

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I'm hoping you forget about this entirely

I don't want to do this and I'm not going to

Nobody agrees on anything and we've been arguing for months

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