Objective

Create a high-level Growth Dashboard that an executive team (CEO, CFO, CMO, etc.) could use to monitor marketing and sales performance.

Instructions

1. Determine the Audience and Use-Case

For this exercise, assume it's for the executive leadership to review monthly progress toward quarterly growth goals. They want a quick snapshot: "Are we on track to hit our numbers? Where are the bottlenecks?"

2. Select Key Metrics (KPIs)

As a group, brainstorm all the metrics you could include, then narrow down to the vital few. Focus on metrics that reflect growth and revenue health. Examples include:

• Pipeline Created (in $ or number of deals)
• New Customers acquired
• Revenue (MRR/ARR or quarterly revenue to date vs. target)
• Lead Volume (MQLs or SQLs vs target)
• Conversion Rates at critical stages (MQL→SQL, SQL→Closed Deal)
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
• Lifetime Value (LTV) or LTV:CAC ratio
• Churn/Retention Rate

Pick ~5–7 metrics that together give a comprehensive view.

3. Visualize Each Metric

Decide the best way to present each chosen metric:

• Simple KPI number with trend (e.g., 100 MQLs [▲20% vs last month])
• Bar chart or line chart showing performance over time
• Gauge showing % of target achieved
• Funnel diagram showing stage drop-offs

Simplicity is key—an executive should grasp the story within seconds.

4. Design the Layout

Sketch the dashboard on paper or a whiteboard. Typically, an executive dashboard might be one page with a 2×2 grid of charts or a few sections. For instance:

• Top-left: Big number showing revenue-to-date vs target
• Top-right: Funnel conversion graphic
• Bottom-left: Chart of pipeline generation trend
• Bottom-right: Table of key OKR metrics vs targets

Ensure it's not cluttered—lots of white space is fine.

5. Include Annotations/Insights

On your dashboard, include a few brief notes or callouts that tell the reader what they should notice. For example: "Pipeline is at 45% of Q3 target (vs 50% expected by mid-quarter – slightly behind pace)." These annotations can be small text boxes near the visuals or a short bullet list summary at the bottom.

6. Present to the "Executive Team"

Have one or two team members play the role of executives, and another team member present the dashboard to them as if in a meeting. The presenter should walk through each section, highlighting the key points. The execs (role-playing) can ask questions.

Outcome

The final output is a prototype of an executive growth dashboard—either drawn or in slide form—featuring the most pertinent metrics for tracking progress. This exercise should result in a deeper understanding of what matters most to executives and how to report your growth results in a compelling way.