Our business is launching a brand-new, high-risk product line that is completely different from our core offering. How do we set realistic weekly targets on our scorecard for this unproven division without corrupting our overall leadership team scorecard data?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Launching a new product line is exciting, but trying to fit unproven, highly volatile metrics onto your core leadership scorecard is a recipe for confusion and frustration. If you mix your stable, predictable core business metrics with unpredictable new product data, you will corrupt your overall scorecard health. To handle this, you must isolate the new product line's data. First, do not put the raw activity metrics of the new product line on your main leadership scorecard immediately. Keep your leadership scorecard focused on the core engine of your business. Instead, create a separate departmental scorecard specifically for the new product line. This allows the team running the launch to track their daily and weekly progress without cluttering the leadership team's view. On the leadership team scorecard, track only one or two high-level, lagging metrics related to the launch, such as total revenue generated or key milestone dates met. Second, accept that targets for the new product line will change frequently. For the first few weeks, use the data to establish a baseline rather than setting rigid goals. By keeping this separation, you protect the integrity of your core business data while giving the new venture the freedom to find its rhythm.