What's the best way to share performance insights?

1 Know your audience

The first step to share performance insights is to understand who you are sharing them with. Different audiences have different needs, expectations, and preferences when it comes to performance reporting. For example, a senior executive might only want to see the high-level summary and the key takeaways, while a technical team member might want to see the detailed data and the methodology. Therefore, you need to tailor your performance report to your audience by focusing on the most relevant and important information, using the appropriate language and tone, and choosing the best format and channel.

2 Define your goals and metrics

The next step to share performance insights is to define what you are trying to achieve and how you are going to measure it. Without clear goals and metrics, your performance report will lack direction and meaning. You need to align your goals and metrics with your audience's objectives and expectations, as well as with your own strategy and plan. You also need to make sure that your goals and metrics are SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This will help you track your progress, evaluate your results, and identify areas for improvement.

3 Collect and analyze your data

The third step to share performance insights is to collect and analyze your data. Data is the foundation of your performance report, so you need to ensure that it is accurate, reliable, and complete. You need to use the right tools and methods to gather, store, and process your data, such as surveys, analytics platforms, databases, or spreadsheets. You also need to apply the appropriate techniques and models to analyze your data, such as descriptive, inferential, or predictive statistics, or data visualization. You need to look for patterns, trends, correlations, and anomalies in your data that can help you answer your questions and support your arguments.

4 Interpret and communicate your findings

The fourth step to share performance insights is to interpret and communicate your findings. This is where you turn your data into insights that can inform decisions and actions. You need to explain what your data means, how it relates to your goals and metrics, and what implications and recommendations it has for your audience. You need to use clear, concise, and compelling language to convey your message, and avoid jargon, ambiguity, and bias. You also need to use the right visual aids to enhance your communication, such as charts, graphs, tables, or dashboards.

5 Solicit and incorporate feedback

The fifth step to share performance insights is to solicit and incorporate feedback. Feedback is essential for improving your performance reporting skills and ensuring that your insights are useful and relevant for your audience. You need to ask for feedback from your audience, as well as from your peers, mentors, or experts, and listen to their opinions, suggestions, and questions. You need to be open-minded, respectful, and constructive when receiving and giving feedback, and avoid defensiveness, arrogance, or criticism. You also need to act on the feedback that you receive, and make the necessary adjustments to your performance report or your future reports.

6 Review and update your performance report

The sixth and final step to share performance insights is to review and update your performance report. Performance reporting is not a one-time activity, but a continuous process that requires regular monitoring and evaluation. You need to review your performance report periodically and check if it is still accurate, relevant, and effective. You need to update your performance report whenever there are changes in your data, goals, metrics, or audience. You also need to keep track of your performance trends and changes over time, and compare your results with your benchmarks and expectations.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?