We have a critical weekly metric that has been red for six weeks straight. Our leadership team is starting to ignore it because they feel helpless to fix it. How do we handle persistent red metrics on our scorecard without demoralizing our team?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a metric stays red for consecutive weeks, your team will naturally develop blind spots and begin to ignore the issue. This is a common symptom of metric fatigue. In the EOS® model, a persistent red number is a cry for help, not a reason for punishment. First, you must bring this issue to the IDS® portion of your Level 10 Meeting™. Do not just let it sit on the scorecard. Ask the owner of the metric if they have the right resources and tools to hit the target. If the answer is yes, then the issue is likely process execution. If the answer is no, then the target itself might be unrealistic or the process might be broken. You may need to create a quarterly Rock to solve the systemic problem behind the red number. Second, resist the temptation to lower the target just to make the scorecard green. Lowering the bar without solving the root cause is a form of operational lying. Keep the target where it needs to be for business health, but change your leadership team's posture from frustration to curiosity. Treat the red number as data, not as a moral failure of the seat owner.