An illustrative management meeting shows how to investigate an exception. Compare equivalent periods and give follow-up work an owner and a review date.
The spoken explanation, organised by chapter.
This accompanies our article on management dashboards. An unusual indicator raises a question; it does not establish the cause or appropriate response.
A fictional team discusses whether requests finish on time. An unfavourable trend appears to suggest more capacity. Selection rules, missing dates or different work could change that interpretation.
Select unique requests completed in the chosen month, excluding cancellations. For the proportion, include only requests with both a completion date and an agreed deadline for completion.
Compare closed months using the same definition. Show closure and processing dates. An incomplete month, revised definition or late correction needs an explicit note beside the comparison.
Keep missing dates and open work as separate context. Without eligible requests, display no percentage. Missing data or an incomplete period does not establish whether the target was achieved.
Review counts, composition and known changes behind the trend. Discuss which explanations need testing. The dashboard does not change capacity; authorised participants remain responsible for deciding the response.
If investigation is needed, record the question, owner, reporting period and review date in the action register. The next meeting must connect findings with the original discussion point.
Rehearse a meeting with shared filters and definitions. Can participants explain the indicator? Does the discussion end with investigation, a decision or deliberate postponement, including a clear follow-up arrangement?
Our source article on management dashboards explains definitions, comparable periods, limitations and follow-up, helping people make decisions rather than simply collect charts.
1:51An illustrative worklist shows how a dashboard leads back to source records. Check definitions, filters, freshness and the difference between zero and missing data.
Source articleDashboard development with verifiable figures
1:54Three fictional AI ideas receive different next steps. See how sources, ownership and dependencies create an actionable sequence without invented ROI claims.
Source articleAI strategy
2:00An illustrative recovery question separates missing evidence from a demonstrated defect. Make scope, impact, follow-up action and verification clear in an audit.
Source articleSoftware audit