Warming Up to Performance Dashboards (Business Finance, June 2006)
The June issue of Business Finance Magazine offers sound advice in the inherent challenges of adopting executive dashboards. Specifically, resistance is to be expected as familiar comfort zones of managers get disrupted. âUnfortunately, project leaders often focus only on the technology side of the equation. They may buy the latest, greatest product without regard to how the tool will be used or whether the organization is ready for itâ, the author wrote.
This harks back to The Intranet Maturity Framework developed by Avenue A | Razorfish, where intranets are evaluated across 8 dimensions through 6 stages. In a specific example given in Business Finance Magazine, communication about the initiative was recognized as the critical success factor. The dashboard should be presented as an enabler for meeting specific goals, empowering managerial leadership and ownership. The balanced scorecard was aptly recommended to give a holistic assessment measure. The user-centered approach to dashboard designs makes the learning process easy for managers. âMore challenging than mastering the software… was ramping up their ability to handle their new responsibilitiesâ, the article concluded.
âDashboard Phobiaâ however, can be overcome. Some of the recommendations were:
1. Clearly explain how the dashboards will improve an employee’s job
2. Create a team of key stakeholders (usually no more than 5)
3. Give end users a hand; solicit their input in the design process
4. Customize the dashboards
5. Get the dashboard up and running quickly
6. Start small by piloting the dashboard
