DASHBOARDS

A useful dashboard answers “what needs attention?” before it answers “what exists?”

A simple, reusable operating tool for teams that want clearer handoffs and less status chasing.

Use this on one real workflow

The Checklist

What decision is this dashboard supposed to support?
What qualifies as normal work?
Which age/threshold changes an item into an exception?
Which readiness gates matter?
What risk or financial exposure should surface?
Who owns each exception?
What next action/date must be visible?
What can leadership safely ignore?
What trends require weekly review?
What drill-down link takes the manager to the source record?

Design notes

Keep It Honest

Do not make every KPI red/yellow/green without a defined threshold.
Avoid duplicating data entry just to feed a dashboard.
Every exception should point to an actionable source record.

How to use it

Do not complete this from memory in a conference room. Pull up one active or recently completed record and test the checklist against what actually happened. Any item that repeatedly needs a text, a side spreadsheet, or an owner stepping in is a candidate for workflow redesign.