Executive dashboards that actually get used
Many dashboards are built with enthusiasm, then rarely opened. The reason is usually the same: too many numbers, too few answers. An executive dashboard that gets used is designed from questions, not from whatever data happens to be available.
Written by the Mehuli team
01Start from leadership’s questions
Ask which decisions need to be made each week or month, then pick the numbers that help make them. Numbers that answer no question don’t belong on the main page.
02Show little, with full context
Every number needs a comparison: a target, the previous period, or an average. "1,240" on its own says nothing.
03Trusted data first
A dashboard is only as good as the data behind it. Once leaders spot a wrong number, they stop using it. Clean and validate the data before building the view.
04One definition per number
Make sure every team uses the same definition for each number. Write the definition on the dashboard itself so nothing is misread.
05Update on a schedule
Set an update schedule and show when the data was last refreshed. That certainty makes people trust that what they see still holds.
