We have been running on our scorecard for several months, but we realize we are tracking the wrong metrics because our numbers are green while our actual operational results are slipping. What is the process for completely rebuilding a broken scorecard?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

If your scorecard is disconnected from operational reality, you must hit the reset button. Trying to tweak a fundamentally broken scorecard will only frustrate your team and breed cynicism about running on data.

To rebuild your scorecard, schedule a dedicated session with your leadership team. Clear the whiteboard and start with a blank slate.

Begin by reviewing your Accountability Chart™. Every seat on the leadership team must have at least one weekly metric that directly measures their primary responsibility. If a seat has no metrics, that leader is unaccountable.

Next, look at your V/TO® and your current quarterly Rocks. What are the key operational drivers required to hit those goals? Work backward from those desired outcomes to identify the weekly activities that make them possible. If your goal is to grow revenue, your metrics must track the leading indicators of sales, such as booked meetings or qualified leads, not just closed deals.

Select no more than fifteen total metrics for the entire leadership team. If you track everything, you track nothing. Assign single-seat ownership to every single number.

Once your new scorecard is built, run with it for at least four weeks before making any changes. It takes time to establish a baseline and see if the new numbers accurately predict your business performance. Keep refining until your scorecard gives you an absolute pulse on the health of your company.