If you have laid a firm foundation by developing your organization’s Why in 8 Words or Less, Future Facts, Manifesto, and SMARTgoals, then you clearly know where you are going. It’s time to build a ScoreBoard to track your team’s progress.
A good ScoreBoard is:
1. Performance-oriented. Include measurable data that shows how you have allocated your scarce and precious resources. It should mark your performance in key areas such as amount in sales, amount in expenses, percentage of expenses from sales, sales dollars divided by number of clients, or any markers that indicate how the organization is performing from a big-picture perspective.
2. Visual. Team members should be able to quickly and easily read the information to get a sense of the big picture. Save the large matrix of numbers for something else. The simpler, the better. Use color and other graphics to help communicate the message in a clear and memorable way.
3. Relevant. Provide the big picture to get everybody on the same page and seeing how their roles on the team affect and are affected by others. But also show meaningful subcategories that allow team members to see the information that especially applies to their areas.
4. Current. Provide timely information. Make sure the data is constantly updated to reflect the metrics you are focusing on as a team. Whereas last quarter the number of new customers mattered most, maybe this quarter the focus is on customer satisfaction measurements.
5. Accessible. Keep the information constantly in front of your team. Web distribution is ideal, especially if you can pull current data while maintaining necessary internet security. If you can’t publish in real time to the web in a way that is easy to maintain and update, post on websites or blogs.
6. Understandable. Everyone on your team should be able to comprehend yourScoreBoard. The purpose is to share information that provides feedback on performance so you can celebrate wins, adjust for losses, and pursue success.
Choosing which metrics to include in the ScoreBoard is critical because what gets measured generally will be what gets done. You should be highly selective in determining which metrics earn a spot on your ScoreBoard.