Programme steering series (2/7): The most important KPI does not originate in Excel

The dashboard is ready. 27 metrics are green, amber or red. Only one question remains: What should we decide now?

Before the first KPI is defined, one sentence needs to be clear: What decision should this dashboard enable?

Most programmes reverse the sequence. First the tool, then the metrics, then – perhaps – the question of what it is all for.

The right sequence looks like this:

1. Steering question: What decision must the Steering Committee be able to make?

2. Objects of steering: Which programme elements actually influence this decision?

3. Metrics: Which number shows change in those elements?

4. Dashboard: How do I present this so that the need for a decision is clear within 30 seconds?

A good dashboard is the result of clear management logic – not its starting point.

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