We started our Level 10 Meeting™ with twelve scorecard metrics, but now we have thirty-five numbers on the list, and just reviewing them takes up half the meeting. How do we trim this scorecard down to a true leading-indicator pulse?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A scorecard with thirty-five metrics is not a scorecard; it is an administrative report. When you track everything, you track nothing. A bloated scorecard dilutes your focus, wastes valuable Level 10 Meeting™ time, and obscures the actual health of your business.

You must ruthlessly cut your leadership team scorecard down to between five and fifteen high-level, leading-indicator metrics. These numbers must represent the absolute vital signs of your business, giving you a clear picture of where the company will be in thirty days.

To prune your list, look at each metric and ask, "If this number goes red, does it require the attention of the entire leadership team?" If the answer is no, that metric does not belong on the leadership scorecard. It belongs on a departmental scorecard.

Every metric must have one owner who is accountable for its performance. If a number is just nice to know, delete it entirely. Your leadership scorecard should be a lean dashboard that you can review in less than five minutes. Keep the detailed tactical numbers in the departmental meetings where they belong, and keep the leadership pulse focused purely on the metrics that drive the entire business forward.