How do you communicate and report your performance results to different audiences and stakeholders?

1 Know your audience

Before you design and deliver your performance report, you need to understand who your audience is, what they care about, and how they prefer to receive information. For example, senior leaders may want a high-level summary of the key outcomes and impacts, while operational managers may need more details on the processes and activities. Similarly, internal stakeholders may be familiar with your terminology and framework, while external stakeholders may require more explanation and context. To know your audience, you can use tools such as stakeholder analysis, audience segmentation, and communication planning.

2 Choose your format

Depending on your audience and purpose, you may need to use different formats and channels to communicate and report your performance results. For example, you may use a dashboard, a scorecard, a report, a presentation, or a video. Each format has its own advantages and disadvantages, and you need to consider factors such as the amount and complexity of data, the level of interactivity, the frequency and timeliness of updates, and the accessibility and availability of the medium. To choose your format, you can use tools such as data visualization, storytelling, and design thinking.

4 Engage your audience

To make your communication and reporting more effective and persuasive, you need to engage your audience and invite their feedback and input. This means that you need to make your performance results interesting and appealing, use stories and examples to illustrate your points, and invite questions and comments. You also need to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions and achievements of your team and partners, and celebrate the successes and learnings. To engage your audience, you can use tools such as gamification, surveys, and recognition.

5 Follow up and improve

Finally, after you communicate and report your performance results, you need to follow up and improve your communication and reporting process. This means that you need to monitor and evaluate the impact and outcomes of your communication and reporting, collect and analyze feedback from your audience and stakeholders, and identify and implement areas for improvement. You also need to update and revise your performance results as needed, and communicate any changes or progress. To follow up and improve, you can use tools such as KPIs, feedback loops, and PDCA cycles.