Fluff Metrics and Graphs to Avoid: Keep Your Dashboards Simple and Effective

I’ve seen it time and time again—companies diving headfirst into analytics, armed with the enthusiasm of “more is better,” thinking if they can just cram enough graphs and numbers into a dashboard, they’ll discover some game-changing insight.

It rarely works that way. In fact, it often backfires.

Let me paint the scene: a new analytics project kicks off, and before you know it, there’s a dashboard in place that includes everything. Revenue, forecast, budget, revenue per employee, per asset, per hour, perhaps even per coffee cup (okay, maybe not that last one—but you get the idea).

You scroll, you click, and you’re lost in a labyrinth of charts. The intentions are good. More data should mean more understanding, right?

The Overstuffed Dashboard: Why More is Less

Here’s the real issue: when you try to cram all of this data in, it creates noise. The story gets muddy, and no one has time to decipher what it all means. And let’s be honest, we’ve all seen dashboards that seem like they’re just there to show off: “Look how much I know; look at all these cool graphs I can create!”

But that doesn’t help anyone make better decisions. It just leads to a meeting where half the people are staring at the screen, nodding politely, while they’re mentally back in their spreadsheets anyway, trying to find something that makes sense. At that point, all that fancy dashboarding delivers no real value.

Dashboards Are Conversation Starters, Not Encyclopedias

A dashboard should spark a conversation. It should help everyone understand what’s happening, align on the next steps, and move forward with a clear understanding. The goal isn’t to look smart—it’s to make the business smarter.

A good dashboard should be the starting point for discussions: a snapshot that everyone can grasp at a glance. Imagine you’re in a meeting with your team, and you pull up a dashboard. You want that dashboard to guide the conversation, not derail it into side discussions about conflicting numbers or unclear metrics.

How to Spot Fluff Metrics (and Ditch Them)

So, how do you know what’s fluff? The truth is, it varies depending on the audience and what they need. But here are a few common culprits:

The “Just In Case” Metrics: These are the charts someone adds just in case someone else might ask. If the metric isn’t key to understanding performance or driving decisions, leave it out. Less is more.

The Vanity Graphs: Metrics that make you feel good but don’t drive action—like endless views of “total followers” or “total downloads.” The number may be impressive, but unless you’re taking action because of it, it’s fluff.

Overlapping Metrics: Different versions of the same idea—revenue, revenue per employee, revenue per customer—it can be too much. Pick the one that tells the clearest story for the audience you’re working with.

Confusing Comparisons: Budget vs. forecast vs. last year's vs. target... if your dashboard looks like an analytics spaghetti mess, it’s time to simplify. Focus on the comparison that matters for the decision at hand.

Focus on the Story You’re Telling

The best dashboards tell a story at a glance. Are sales up or down? Are we meeting our targets? Where is performance diverging from expectations?

A simplified, focused dashboard means everyone understands what’s happening without a lengthy explanation. And when everyone understands, you make better decisions—faster. That’s how you deliver value, both in the meeting room and in the business overall.

So, next time you’re building or reviewing a dashboard, ask yourself: does each metric add clarity? If it doesn’t, it’s fluff. And no one has time for fluff when they’re trying to move the business forward.

Let’s Wrap This Up

I’d love to hear from you: what’s the fluffiest metric you’ve seen on a dashboard? Or maybe you’ve got a story about a time simplifying data led to a breakthrough. Drop your thoughts below—let’s make dashboards better together.

Cheers,

Jake