Our weekly Scorecard has grown to over thirty different metrics, and the meetings are taking too long. How do we trim the Scorecard down to the numbers that actually matter?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

If your Scorecard has thirty metrics, you are running a financial report, not an EOS® Scorecard. A great Scorecard is a weekly pulse of your business, containing only five to fifteen high-level, activity-based leading indicators.

Identifying Leading vs. Lagging Indicators

To trim your Scorecard, schedule a strategic pause with your leadership team. Go through every single line item and ask: Does this number predict future results, or does it merely report on past history?

You want leading indicators, not lagging ones.

• Lagging indicators report on historical data. You cannot change them once they happen. For example, "closed sales" is a lagging indicator.
• Leading indicators predict future performance. If these numbers drop this week, you know a future outcome will be affected. Examples include:
• Outbound phone calls
• Scheduled demos
• Sent proposals

If your "outbound phone calls" decrease this week, you can anticipate a drop in sales in a few weeks. This allows you to take corrective action proactively.

Ensuring Ownership and Alignment

Every metric on the Scorecard must have a clear goal and one owner. This aligns with the concept of Accountability Chart where every seat has clear responsibilities [how many hats can one person wear](/qa/how-many-hats-can-one-person-wear-eos). If you have numbers that do not directly drive your 1-Year Plan or your quarterly Rocks, remove them. These elements are crucial for ensuring that every activity contributes to your strategic objectives [owner sitting in four seats context switching](/qa/owner-four-seats-context-switching).

Keep the Scorecard simple, clean, and predictive. A well-designed Scorecard ensures that every member of the team knows what they are responsible for and how their work contributes to the bigger picture, preventing issues like operational bottlenecks or confusion over roles [integrator disengaged visionary letting go vine](/qa/integrator-disengaged-visionary-letting-go-vine).

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