A (Basic) Guide to Managing Dashboards

7 Cups makes use of google sheets dashboards to manage our many projects across domains. This is a very simple guide for dashboard makers and users alike.

Appearance
Keep it simple: Don't overload your dashboards with too much information.

Make the dash accessible: Use a light background color like light grey, off-white or soft yellow to reduce contrast, and dark text on a light background like black or dark grey to improve readability

Use visuals! Charts, graphs, and other visuals can help you to quickly identify trends and patterns.

Data
Clearly define the purpose of each dashboard: What information do you need to see at a glance to understand how your project is performing?

Some basics: a team roster (list of everyone added and their role), a quota tracker (to count their numbers for fulfilling their role), and project stats, also known as…

Metrics! Metrics are measurements for tracking progress. You can count them, like website visitors or sales made. Here are some examples from existing projects to give you an idea of what 7 Cups metrics and goals look like:

• Verified Listener Team: Number of requests received, number of requests taken, number of listeners who passed/failed
  

• Listener Coaching Team: Number of requests, number of requests picked up (and by which coaches) + monthly quota for each coach

By tracking metrics, we can make important decisions about where to invest time and resources and it helps us to create a clear picture of where we’re at so we can figure out where we’re going. By seeing the numbers, you know if things are improving, staying the same, or declining.

Management
Check your team roster regularly (monthly is recommended as badges tied to quotas refresh at the beginning of each month) to make sure it’s up-to-date.

Remove team members that have been inactive for a while. For example, if someone has been inactive for 2+ months and hasn’t been in touch with you, it’s safe to assume they’re not active. Life happens and that’s okay because they can always reapply. The same goes for users who have stepped down or deactivated. It can be demotivating to see those folks cluttering up the dash (and a little sad for those who are missing them!). A clean, vibrant dashboard makes for a happier team!

Remember, these are just the basic pointers to get you oriented and hopefully give you a better sense of how dashboards aid our work on 7 Cups!

Do you have other tips and tricks? Drop them below and I’ll add them to this post!

For those experienced dashboard users, if you wish to write more in-depth guides, feel free!

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Some helpful resources:
Self-Care Break Protocol and Guidelines for Badge Reapplication

Oldie but goodie to reference: Community Dashboard template