If our leadership team sets an unrealistic Scorecard target or external conditions change dramatically, should we adjust the weekly target mid-quarter or leave the row red?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Do not change Scorecard targets mid-quarter. Moving the goalposts when a number goes red destroys organizational discipline and breeds a culture of excuse making.

When a measurable misses its target, it turns red. That red cell is not a moral failure or an indictment of the seat owner. It is simply objective operational data signaling that an expectation was not met. Your job in the weekly Level 10 Meeting™ is to drop that number down to the Issues List and IDS® it.

During IDS®, ask two questions:

- Is the root cause execution? If the team failed to perform the required activities, the target is correct and the execution must improve.
- Is the target fundamentally broken? If you set an impossible goal based on faulty assumptions, or if a structural shift occurred, acknowledge it openly. But leave the target unchanged on the Scorecard for the remainder of the quarter.

Changing targets mid-quarter confuses your front-line employees and distorts historical trends. A red row on your Scorecard serves as an honest, weekly visual reminder that a problem exists. You adjust targets during your Quarterly Pulsing™ session when you reset your 90-day Rocks and evaluate company performance. Until then, let the red be red, address the operational drivers, and maintain absolute integrity in your data.