One of our core weekly Scorecard metrics has been red for six consecutive weeks, but the seat owner insists it is a temporary blip that will self-correct next month. At what point do we stop trusting their word and force this onto the Issues List for IDS?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

You stop trusting their word after the second consecutive red week. A weekly Scorecard is designed to be an early warning system, not a historical archive. If a number is red for two weeks in a row, it is no longer a temporary blip. It is a trend, and it must be dropped down to the Issues List during your Level 10 Meeting. Allowing a team member to defend a red number for six weeks without taking action violates the core discipline of running on data. It breeds complacency and teaches the rest of the team that targets do not actually matter. When a number goes red, the owner should not apologize or promise to work harder. They must simply say red and move on during the review. If it is red for two weeks, it automatically becomes an issue for IDS. During the IDS portion of your meeting, the team will help the owner identify the root cause of the issue. Often, the owner is too close to the problem to see the solution. By bringing it to the leadership team, you might discover that the target is unrealistic, the process is broken, or the seat owner lacks the capacity to hit the number. Do not let fear of conflict prevent you from addressing repeated red numbers. The sooner you get the issue on the table, the faster you can solve it. This keeps your business healthy and ensures your weekly numbers remain a tool for growth, not a source of weekly frustration.