Our business is highly seasonal, with massive spikes in summer and quiet winter months. How do we set weekly scorecard targets that account for this seasonality without constantly changing our targets every week?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Constant adjustment of scorecard targets ruins historical data and weakens accountability. If your team can simply lower their targets during a slow week, the scorecard loses its power as an early warning system.

To handle high seasonality, you must set targets that reflect your historical seasonal baselines rather than a flat annual average. Instead of changing your scorecard targets every week, establish seasonal target blocks.

For example, you can create a summer target block and a winter target block. Your weekly target for outbound sales calls or service delivery might be fifty during your peak season, but twenty-five during your off-season. These seasonal targets are locked in during your quarterly planning sessions, not changed on the fly during your weekly Level 10 Meeting™.

Another approach is to track a rolling average alongside your weekly actuals. This helps smooth out the weekly spikes and valleys, giving you a clearer picture of your long-term trajectory.

The key is that your targets must always represent what a great week looks like for that specific time of year. By planning your seasonal adjustments in advance and keeping them consistent, you maintain a reliable baseline of data that helps you predict cash flow and staffing needs throughout the entire year.