Tom Critchlow

Good dashboards anticipate followups. A good dashboard says, "This dip, right here, which I know sticks out immediately? It was caused by our pricing change." A bad dashboard leaves the user wondering, "What happened then?" A good dashboard makes rates of change — week-over-week, year-over-year — immediately apparent. A bad dashboard leaves the... See more

I'm convinced that because Joy knew every part of our business as well or better than almost anyone running them, she was one of those rare CFO's that can play offense in addition to defense. Almost every other CFO I've met hews close to the stereotype; always reigning in spending, urging more fiscal conservatism, casting a skeptical eye on any... See more

Amazon argues that it’s not enough to know your output metrics. In fact, they go even further, and say that you shouldn’t pay much attention to your output metrics; you should pay attention to the controllable input metrics that you know will affect those output metrics. It is a very different thing when, say, your customer support team knows that... See more

End users don’t ask for a dashboard because they really use them. They ask for them out of the need for a safety blanket that gives them the (incorrect) belief they will know everything they need to about their business. The noise of a dashboard can be comforting, but it can cause issues when it’s not truly needed (ask doctors about iatrogenic... See more

After companies adopt business intelligence tools, before they know it, they're swimming through endless seas of dashboard charts. On the surface it might look like these companies are "data-driven," but the data is difficult to act on.Flat metrics dashboards conflate leading and lagging indicators. They don't distinguish between controllable input... See more

I don’t know the industry you work in. But what I do know is that your industry needs your voice. More people than those in the room with you each day deserve to see your take on things that matter. Especially if you find yourself complaining the “thought leaders” are the same tired faces getting all of the notice.