Most dashboards answer one question:
What happened?
Unfortunately, leaders need answers to three more.
Why did it happen?
What will happen next?
What should we do about it?
Many organisations are drowning in data while starving for insight.
Reports become collections of numbers.
Percentages.
Graphs.
Charts.
Traffic lights.
Yet very little changes.
Why?
Because information does not create value.
Better decisions create value.
A useful dashboard should help leaders make decisions.
It should identify trends.
Highlight risks.
Reveal opportunities.
Prompt action.
The best reporting focuses on causes as well as outcomes.
Lead indicators as well as lag indicators.
Future performance as well as historical performance.
The purpose of reporting is not administration.
It is decision-making.
Good dashboards tell you where you have been.
Great dashboards help you decide where to go next.