We are struggling with our weekly Scorecard because the numbers we track are lagging indicators that tell us what happened last week, which leaves us no time to fix things. How do we transition our Scorecard to forward-looking, leading indicators that give us true operational control?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A scorecard filled with lagging indicators is like trying to drive a car by only looking in the rearview mirror. If you are only tracking closed sales or monthly revenue, you are looking at historical data when it is already too late to change the outcome. To gain true operational control, your Scorecard must track leading indicators, which are activity-based numbers that predict future success. To find these metrics, look at each seat on your Accountability Chart and ask what weekly activity must be performed to guarantee the desired outcome. For example, instead of tracking signed contracts, track the number of face-to-face meetings scheduled. Instead of tracking total monthly support hours, track the response time on support tickets during the first twenty-four hours. When you track these leading activities, your weekly Level 10 Meeting™ becomes a proactive tool. If a leading indicator is off track, you have time to adjust your operational efforts and fix the root cause before it impacts your bottom line or your enterprise value.