Using different dashboards for different audiences boosts tailored information delivery.

Outline:

• Hook: A relatable problem—one dashboard for everyone isn’t always enough.

• Core idea: Different dashboards for different audiences = tailored information delivery.

• How Smartsheet helps: dashboards with widgets, data sources, filters, and permissions; examples for executives, project teams, and sponsors.

• Practical design approach: identify audiences, define decisions, pick metrics, build separate dashboards, set permissions, iterate.

• Pitfalls to avoid: clutter, outdated data, inconsistent metrics, security slips.

• Real-world analogy: dashboards as cockpit instruments; different pilots need different gauges.

• Quick how-to: a simple blueprint to get started.

• Wrap-up: the benefits and a gentle nudge to try it in your workspace.

Article:

Let me ask you something: have you ever tried to cram every piece of project news into one dashboard and watched it turn into a tangled web? It happens more often than we’d like. On the surface, a single pane of glass seems efficient, but when the audience changes—from executives who want a clean snapshot to team members who need the nitty-gritty—the same dashboard can feel like it’s speaking a language you don’t understand. That’s where the idea of different dashboards for different audience types shines. It’s not about more screens; it’s about smarter information delivery—putting the right data in front of the right people at the right time.

Why this approach matters

Every stakeholder sees the project through a different lens. Executives are looking for a concise, high-level view—milestones, risks, and overall progress at a glance. Project teams want detail—task lists, owners, due dates, and blockers so they can move work forward. Sponsors or clients might focus on budget health and deliverable timelines. When you tailor dashboards to these distinct needs, you reduce the cognitive load. People don’t have to chase irrelevant data; they find what matters quickly, which keeps momentum going and decisions sharp.

Smartsheet makes this tailoring practical

Smartsheet isn’t limited to a single, one-size-fits-all dashboard. You can create multiple dashboards, each built from the same data sources but organized to spotlight different stories. Here’s how it tends to play out in real life:

• Widgets that fit the purpose: A dashboard can combine charts, scorecards, task lists, and images in a way that mirrors the audience’s mental model. Executives might see a few big charts plus a risk indicator. Team members might get a detailed task table with owner and due date columns. Sponsors may get a financial view with burn rate and forecast to completion.

• Data sources that travel together: Dashboards pull from Sheets, Reports, and Forms, all connected so updates flow through in real time. That means you don’t duplicate data in separate places; you simply curate what’s shown to each audience.

• Filters and scopes that matter: You can filter dashboards so each page presents the right slice of data. Executives see a horizon view; teams see a sprint-by-sprint breakdown.

• Permissions that protect focus and security: You control who can see which dashboard. It’s not about hiding information; it’s about showing the right information to the right people. When people aren’t staring at irrelevant details, they’re more engaged and more confident in what they’re reading.

A practical design approach you can adopt

If you’re starting from scratch or tidying up an existing setup, here’s a simple blueprint that tends to work well:

• Step 1: Identify who will look at the dashboards. Think executives, delivery teams, finance or sponsors, and external partners. Write down what decisions each group needs to support.

• Step 2: Decide the decision points. What questions are pivotal for each audience? For executives: Is the project on track? Are risks rising? For teams: What actions are due next? Who’s blocked? For sponsors: Is the budget healthy? Are milestones slipping?

• Step 3: Choose the right metrics and visuals. Pick a handful of core indicators for each audience. Use scorecards for status, charts for trends, and task lists for actionable items.

• Step 4: Build separate dashboards. Use the same data backbone, but arrange it so the most relevant pieces surface first for each audience. Don’t be shy about a dedicated dashboard for each group.

• Step 5: Set permissions and test with real users. Share drafts with a sample from each audience, gather quick feedback, and tweak. It’s amazing how small changes—ordering, color, or a single metric name—can make a dashboard feel much clearer.

• Step 6: Iterate. Dashboards aren’t one-and-done. As goals shift or new data points appear, refresh the layout so it stays aligned with what matters now.

Common traps—and how to dodge them

Every design choice comes with a risk. Here are a few that pop up, along with simple fixes:

• Clutter overload: When a page tries to show too much, people tune out. Fix by prioritizing only 5–7 key indicators per dashboard and using drill-downs for deeper detail.

• Inconsistent metrics: One team measures progress with days to complete; another talks in percent complete. Create a shared metric dictionary, so terms and definitions line up across dashboards.

• Stale data: If numbers aren’t updated, trust erodes. Use live connections where possible, and set refresh cadences that fit the decision cycle.

• Security gaps: Sensitive data slipping into the wrong hands can be costly. Use per-audience access controls and keep sensitive sections locked to the appropriate viewers.

• Ignoring the audience’s workflow: Dashboards should feel like natural extensions of how people work, not extra steps. Test with real users and watch how they navigate during a routine check-in.

A cockpit analogy that might click

Think of dashboards as the cockpit instruments for a project. In a cockpit, different pilots rely on different gauges:

• The captain wants a quick read of altitude, speed, and fuel—the big picture at a glance.

• The navigator needs a detailed map of flight path, weather updates, and waypoints.

• The maintenance crew keeps an eye on system health and wear indicators.

In a project, the same principle applies. Each audience benefits from instruments tailored to their tasks. When the dashboard design speaks the audience’s language, decisions come faster and with clearer confidence. It’s not about clever widgets for their own sake; it’s about meaningful signals that drive action.

A quick how-to you can apply today

If you’re itching to put this into practice, here’s a compact, actionable plan:

• List your audiences: executive, team, sponsor, client, and any others who touch the project.

• For each audience, pick 3–5 must-have items that answer their top questions.

• Create a dedicated dashboard for each audience, keeping the layout clean and the focus tight.

• Use live data connections and set refresh intervals that match how often decisions get made.

• Share with a sample audience, collect feedback, and refine. Rinse and repeat.

Why this approach pays off

When dashboards are tailored, the value shows up in three ways:

• Clearer understanding: People see what they need without wading through unrelated details.

• Smoother decisions: Faster, more relevant data means quicker, better choices.

• Increased engagement: Stakeholders feel seen and empowered when information is directly useful to them.

A final thought about balance

It’s tempting to chase perfection with the perfect dashboard. In reality, the strongest dashboards stay purpose-driven and simple enough to be immediately useful. You’ll likely end up with a small fleet of dashboards rather than a single, oversized page. And that’s a good thing. It mirrors how teams actually work: in pockets, with shared language, all aimed at the same goal.

If you’re curious to experiment, start by carving out a separate dashboard for one audience and compare the response to your current single-view setup. You’ll probably notice two things right away: the new dashboard communicates faster, and the audience feels more confident in what they’re seeing. It’s not about complexity; it’s about clarity.

As you move forward, remember that the right dashboards aren’t a luxury—they’re a practical tool for keeping people aligned, informed, and ready to act. Give each audience what they need, and you’ll notice the flow of information becoming more natural, more actionable, and, frankly, more human. After all, the point isn’t to flood everyone with data; it’s to deliver the exact signals that help them lead, contribute, and succeed.

If you’d like, I can help sketch a quick blueprint for your current workspace—mapping audiences to dashboard structures and picking the initial metrics that matter most. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes makes all the difference in turning a good idea into a genuinely useful setup.