4.3Dashboards & indicators (KPI)
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Few KPI, but the right ones: 5 to 8, each tied to a goal.
- Result (what we get) + steering (actionable upstream levers).
- Reflex: at each review, decide ONE improvement action — otherwise the dashboard is useless.
Running mini-case — Salim tracks 3 KPI on the whiteboard
Salim is tired of reports nobody reads. He hangs a whiteboard in the office and tracks only 3 KPI on it: average handling time, complaints of the week, quotes pending. Every Monday, 15 minutes: where are we, and what single action this week? We will build this dashboard with him.
This same case returns in the course, the diagram, the script and the 48h challenge.
1. Few indicators, but the right ones
"We only steer well what we measure." A dashboard gathers the key performance indicators (KPI) that let a manager track activity and decide fast.
The trap is measuring too many things (or the wrong ones): a good dashboard tracks few indicators, but the right ones — those tied to goals. Analogy: a car dashboard does not show 40 dials, but speed, fuel and alerts — just enough to drive.
2. Choosing KPI
Choosing KPI is an art: they must be relevant (tied to a goal), reliable, actionable (we can act on them) and readable. We tell result indicators (what was achieved) apart from steering indicators (the levers explaining it).
A clear dashboard turns data into decisions. Alert thresholds usefully help react in time. Salim thus combines time (steering) and complaints (result): he sees where he stands AND what to act on.
🔎 Concrete example — Result + steering (Salim's case)
Result: revenue, satisfaction (observe, often late).
Steering: quotes count, handling time (anticipate, actionable).
→ at each review, decide ONE improvement action.Result: we know where we stand AND what to act on.
Lesson: limit to 5-8 KPI so the essentials are not drowned.
Section vocabulary reinforced definitions
- KPI (key performance indicator)
- Measure tied to a goal, used to track performance and decide.
Simple example: average handling time tied to the goal "customers served in under 24h".
What it is not: a figure tracked "because we always tracked it".
Reflex: for each KPI, name the goal it measures.
- Dashboard
- Synthetic view of key KPI to steer at a glance and decide fast.
Simple example: Salim's whiteboard: 3 figures, 3 colors, 15 min Monday.
What it is not: a 20-page monthly report nobody opens.
Reflex: readable in 1 minute by someone outside the team.
- Result / steering indicator
- Result: what was achieved. Steering: actionable levers explaining it.
Simple example: complaints (result) vs handling time (steering).
What it is not: two names for the same thing — one observes, the other anticipates.
Reflex: match each result with at least one action lever.
- Alert threshold
- Value triggering watchfulness or action when an indicator crosses it.
Simple example: average time beyond 48h = immediate team meeting.
What it is not: a disguised goal (alert warns, goal aims).
Reflex: define in advance who does what when the threshold is crossed.
In practice — Building a steering dashboard
- Start from your goals: match each goal with 1-2 KPI truly measuring its achievement.
- Tell result indicators (what we get) apart from steering indicators (levers to act on).
- Gather 5 to 8 key KPI max in a readable dashboard; set alert thresholds.
- Set a regular reading ritual and, at each review, decide ONE improvement action.
Ready-to-say script — launching the 15-min Monday ritual (2 min)
"Every Monday, 15 minutes in front of this board. Three figures: average time, complaints, quotes pending. Green: we continue. Orange: we watch. Red: we jointly decide one single action for the week, with an owner. Who notes this week's action?"
Hold timing ruthlessly: a short ritual that lasts beats a monthly high mass that fizzles out.
Copy-paste template — 1-page dashboard
DASHBOARD — TEAM [name] — WEEK OF [date]
KPI 1 (result): [e.g. complaints: 4] — threshold: [< 3] — trend: [up/down]
KPI 2 (steering): [e.g. average time: 30h] — threshold: [< 24h] — trend: [up/down]
KPI 3 (steering): [e.g. quotes pending: 6] — threshold: [< 5] — trend: [up/down]
SINGLE ACTION OF THE WEEK: [what] — OWNER: [name] — DUE: [date]Micro-business (2-3 people)
3 KPI on a whiteboard or pinned message. 10-minute review, one action, that is all.
Remote / hybrid
Dashboard shared online, figures updated before video; the meeting only decides the action.
Algerian SME
Add a KPI suited to local realities (e.g. customer payment times, seasonal peaks) rather than an imported indicator.
Intercultural
Explain what green/orange/red concretely triggers: colors alone steer nobody.
✓ Best practices
- Tie each KPI to a goal.
- Combine result and steering indicators.
- Limit to 5-8 KPI and set alert thresholds.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Measuring too many things (we no longer know what to watch).
- Tracking non-actionable "vanity metrics".
- Reading the dashboard without deciding action.
Key takeaways
- We only steer well what we measure.
- Few indicators, but the right ones (tied to goals).
- Tell result and steering indicators apart.
- A clear dashboard turns data into decisions.
48h challenge — apply tomorrow
Pick 3 KPI (1 result + 2 steering), display them somewhere visible, and hold your first 15-minute review with 1 decided action. 20 minutes is enough.
- I tell result and steering indicators apart.
- My dashboard fits on 1 page with alert thresholds.
- I did the 48h challenge or scheduled its date.
Frequently asked questions
How many indicators to track in a dashboard?
Few: 5 to 8 KPI truly tied to your goals is enough. Too many indicators drown the essentials and paralyze decisions. Better to track a few actionable metrics — knowing which action to trigger when they move — than gaze at 40 unused figures.
What is the difference between a result and a steering indicator?
Result measures what was achieved (revenue, satisfaction): it observes, often too late. Steering measures an upstream, actionable lever (quotes issued, handling time): it lets you anticipate. A good dashboard combines both: where we stand, and what to act on.
Salim posts 12 indicators on the wall. The team no longer looks at them and Mondays drag on with no decision. What must he change first?