We are struggling to find weekly Scorecard metrics that are predictive rather than historical. How do we build a Scorecard that actually warns us of trouble before it happens?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Most businesses fill their weekly Scorecard with lagging indicators. These are historical metrics like monthly revenue or closed sales. While important, lagging indicators only tell you what has already happened, meaning you are driving the business by looking in the rearview mirror.

To build a truly predictive Scorecard, you must focus on leading indicators. These are activity-based metrics that measure the work being done today that will produce results weeks or months down the line.

To find these metrics, ask yourself: What specific activities must happen this week to guarantee our monthly revenue goal is met?

- If your goal is closed sales, track the number of discovery calls made this week.
- If your goal is project delivery, track weekly milestone completions.
- If your goal is customer retention, track weekly support ticket response times.

By monitoring these front-end activities, your Scorecard will warn you of performance drops long before they affect your financial statements, giving you time to correct course.