Our business is highly seasonal, with sales and service demand doubling in the summer and dropping significantly in the winter. How do we manage weekly Scorecard targets for a seasonal business without constantly rewriting our metrics?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

If your business experiences significant seasonal swings, setting static weekly Scorecard targets will lead to frustration. Your team will look at a wall of red numbers during the slow season and a wall of green numbers during the peak season, neither of which gives you an accurate picture of operational health.

To solve this, do not change the metrics themselves. Keep the same weekly measurables so you maintain historical continuity. Instead, adjust the targets systematically throughout the year.

There are two highly effective ways to handle seasonal targets. The first is to set quarterly targets during your Focus Day or quarterly planning sessions. For example, your target for weekly sales calls might be fifty in the busy summer months but twenty in the slower winter months. This allows you to evaluate your team against a realistic baseline for that specific time of year.

The second method is to use a rolling average target based on the previous year's seasonal data. This works particularly well if you have integrated clean historical data into your planning.

Whichever method you choose, ensure the targets are agreed upon in advance. Never allow team members to adjust their targets mid-quarter just to avoid a red number. Keep the targets objective, transparent, and aligned with your overall quarterly financial forecast.