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

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

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

What do you do if you feel caught between the gaps?Find the overlaps.

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.