Simple Comms Dashboard Template

What it is

The Simple Comms Dashboard is a one-page visual snapshot of the metrics that matter most to your communications team and organisation. Not exhaustive; intentionally selective. It answers three questions quickly: What are we trying to achieve? Are we on track? What needs attention?

Unlike a detailed analytics report (which shows everything), this dashboard shows signal, not noise. Five to seven carefully chosen metrics beat 50 metrics competing for attention. It’s designed for leaders who have 90 seconds to understand health status, not 30 minutes to dig into data.

This works because it creates weekly or monthly visibility without creating dashboard fatigue. The same metrics in the same format each period makes trends visible. You spot when something changed and investigate the why. It also forces clarity about what you’re actually measuring—many teams track things without knowing why.

The dashboard itself can be static (Excel, Google Sheets, printed) or live (dashboard software like Tableau, Klipboard, or similar). The structure is the same; the medium changes based on your needs.

When to use it

Use this template when:

You need a visual snapshot of communications health for executive briefings
Your team does weekly standups and needs one-page reference point
You’re managing multiple campaigns or initiatives and need to see all at once
You want to track stakeholder sentiment over time in one view
Your leadership asks “how are comms performing” and you need to answer in 90 seconds
You’re trying to measure ROI on communications and need a structured view

Don’t use this template when:

You’re doing deep analytical work (use detailed reports for that)
You need to explain the why behind metrics (dashboards show what, not why)
You’re tracking dozens of metrics that all matter equally (too much data defeats purpose)
You have only one initiative and don’t need portfolio view
You’re doing academic research on communications impact (different purpose)

Inputs needed

List of 5–7 metrics your organisation considers most important
Definition of what each metric means and why it matters
Data sources for each metric (where does this data live)
Weekly or monthly data for last 8–12 weeks (to show trend)
Baseline or target numbers for comparison (is 65% good or bad?)
Context on what’s normal variance vs. meaningful change

The template

Comms Dashboard

Week/Month ending: [Date] Reporting period: [Weekly/Monthly/Quarterly] Prepared by: [Name] Last updated: [Date and time]

Dashboard metrics at a glance

Key performance summary (current period vs previous period):

Metric	Current	Previous	Target	Status	Trend
[Metric 1 name]	[#]	[#]	[#]	[🟢/🟡/🔴]	[↑/→/↓]
[Metric 2 name]	[%]	[%]	[%]	[🟢/🟡/🔴]	[↑/→/↓]
[Metric 3 name]	[#]	[#]	[#]	[🟢/🟡/🔴]	[↑/→/↓]
[Metric 4 name]	[#]	[#]	[#]	[🟢/🟡/🔴]	[↑/→/↓]
[Metric 5 name]	[#]	[#]	[#]	[🟢/🟡/🔴]	[↑/→/↓]
[Metric 6 name]	[%]	[%]	[%]	[🟢/🟡/🔴]	[↑/→/↓]
[Metric 7 name]	[#]	[#]	[#]	[🟢/🟡/🔴]	[↑/→/↓]

Legend:

🟢 On track / good news
🟡 Caution / needs monitoring
🔴 Off track / needs action
↑ Improving / increasing
→ Stable / no change
↓ Declining / decreasing

Metric definitions

Metric	What it measures	Why it matters	Data source	Target/benchmark
[Metric 1]	[What does this measure?]	[Why does comms care?]	[Where does data come from?]	[What’s success?]
[Metric 2]	[What does this measure?]	[Why does comms care?]	[Where does data come from?]	[What’s success?]
[Metric 3]	[What does this measure?]	[Why does comms care?]	[Where does data come from?]	[What’s success?]
[Metric 4]	[What does this measure?]	[Why does comms care?]	[Where does data come from?]	[What’s success?]
[Metric 5]	[What does this measure?]	[Why does comms care?]	[Where does data come from?]	[What’s success?]
[Metric 6]	[What does this measure?]	[Why does comms care?]	[Where does data come from?]	[What’s success?]
[Metric 7]	[What does this measure?]	[Why does comms care?]	[Where does data come from?]	[What’s success?]

Visual trend (8–12 week view)

Metric 1: [Name]

[Line graph showing trend over 8-12 weeks]
Week 1: #
Week 2: #
Week 3: #
...
Week 12: # (current)

Insight: [What’s the trend telling us?]

Metric 2: [Name]

[Line graph showing trend over 8-12 weeks]

Insight: [What’s the trend telling us?]

Metric 3: [Name]

[Line graph showing trend over 8-12 weeks]

Insight: [What’s the trend telling us?]

[Repeat for remaining metrics]

What’s working

[Metric 1]: [Specific insight on why this is succeeding]
[Metric 2]: [Specific insight on why this is succeeding]
[Initiative or campaign]: [Brief explanation of what’s driving success]

What needs attention

Priority	Issue	Root cause	Action	Owner	Deadline
High	[Metric declining/off-track]	[Why is this happening?]	[What will we do?]	[Who owns this]	[When]
Medium	[Metric declining/off-track]	[Why is this happening?]	[What will we do?]	[Who owns this]	[When]
Medium	[Metric declining/off-track]	[Why is this happening?]	[What will we do?]	[Who owns this]	[When]

Stakeholder sentiment snapshot

Stakeholder perception trend (if tracking multiple groups):

Audience	Overall sentiment	Trend	Key concern	Opportunity
[Group 1: e.g., Customers]	Positive / Mixed / Negative	[↑/→/↓]	[What’s concerning this group]	[Where could we gain ground]
[Group 2: e.g., Employees]	Positive / Mixed / Negative	[↑/→/↓]	[What’s concerning this group]	[Where could we gain ground]
[Group 3: e.g., Investors]	Positive / Mixed / Negative	[↑/→/↓]	[What’s concerning this group]	[Where could we gain ground]
[Group 4: e.g., Industry]	Positive / Mixed / Negative	[↑/→/↓]	[What’s concerning this group]	[Where could we gain ground]

Key campaigns/initiatives status

Campaign/Initiative	Status	Engagement	Progress	Next milestone
[Campaign 1 name]	On track / At risk / Off track	[High/Medium/Low]	[Progress %]	[Milestone, date]
[Campaign 2 name]	On track / At risk / Off track	[High/Medium/Low]	[Progress %]	[Milestone, date]
[Campaign 3 name]	On track / At risk / Off track	[High/Medium/Low]	[Progress %]	[Milestone, date]

Upcoming focus areas

Next period priorities:

[What you’ll focus on next]
[What you’ll focus on next]
[What you’ll focus on next]

Assumptions/external factors affecting metrics:

[Factor 1 that could impact results]
[Factor 2 that could impact results]

Data notes

Last updated: [Date/time]
Data refresh cycle: [Weekly/Monthly]
Known gaps or limitations: [Any metrics that are estimated, delayed, or incomplete]
Contact for questions: [Name, email]

AI prompt

Base prompt

Help me design a dashboard that shows the health of our communications at a glance. I'll give you information about what metrics matter most to our business, and I need your help creating a one-page visual that executives can understand in 90 seconds.

Key metrics we care about:
[List your metrics with definitions: e.g., "Brand awareness among target audience (measured quarterly via survey)", "Employee sentiment (measured monthly via pulse survey)"]

Current data:
[Paste your most recent numbers for each metric]

Previous period data:
[Paste numbers from previous week/month for comparison]

Our targets/benchmarks:
[What does success look like for each metric?]

Help me:
1. Organise these metrics logically (which ones go together, which need separate sections)
2. Create visual format that's easy to read (colour coding, trend indicators)
3. Add context: why each metric matters, what the data sources are
4. Suggest what "red flag" thresholds should trigger action
5. Recommend how often this should be updated and who should maintain it

The goal is something that our executive team can understand in under 2 minutes, that also gives our communications team enough detail to guide priorities.

Prompt variations

Variation 1: Campaign portfolio dashboard

I'm managing multiple campaigns simultaneously and need one-page visibility into how they're all performing against objectives.

Campaigns running:
[List: Campaign name, launch date, objective, target audience, budget]

Current metrics for each:
[Paste current performance data for each campaign]

Help me create a dashboard that shows:
1. Each campaign's progress toward its specific objective
2. Comparative view (which campaigns are overperforming, which underperforming relative to plan)
3. Resource allocation vs. results (is ROI distributed fairly)
4. Which campaigns need immediate attention
5. Visual format that's easy to share with executives and team

Make this suitable for a weekly team standup reference.

Variation 2: Stakeholder perception dashboard

I'm tracking perception across multiple stakeholder groups and how they're viewing our organisation/brand over time. I need a dashboard that shows where we stand with each group and how sentiment is trending.

Stakeholder groups:
[List: Customers, employees, investors, industry analysts, etc.]

Current sentiment data:
[What percentage positive/neutral/negative for each group, based on monitoring/surveys]

Key concerns by group:
[What's each group worried about or critical of]

Help me create a dashboard that:
1. Shows sentiment snapshot for each group
2. Displays trend (improving, stable, declining) for each group
3. Identifies biggest perception gaps between groups
4. Flags groups where sentiment is deteriorating
5. Suggests which groups need comms attention and why

Format should be suitable for monthly Board updates.

Variation 3: Real-time monitoring dashboard

I want to shift from weekly reporting to more live monitoring of key comms metrics. I need a dashboard that can be updated in real-time or near-real-time as new data comes in.

Metrics we want to track live:
[List: social mentions, sentiment trend, media impressions, website traffic, employee feedback, etc.]

Current tools/data sources:
[What systems are your metrics housed in?]

Update frequency:
[How often could data be refreshed realistically?]

Help me:
1. Design a dashboard structure that works for live/near-live updates
2. Identify which metrics can realistically be live vs. daily batch update
3. Suggest tools/platforms for displaying live data
4. Create alert thresholds that would flag urgent issues automatically
5. Design for different audiences (team view vs. executive view)

This needs to be something we can pull up in a crisis situation and instantly see status.

Variation 4: Simplified starter dashboard

We haven't been tracking comms metrics formally before. I need to start simple—something that won't overwhelm us but gives visibility into what matters.

Our business objectives:
[List: What does the organisation need comms to achieve?]

Current capability:
[What data can we realistically collect without a huge effort?]

Help me create a starter dashboard with just 4–5 metrics that:
1. Actually matter to business outcomes
2. Are reasonably easy to collect/calculate
3. Can be updated monthly without massive workload
4. Are transparent about limitations/estimates
5. Can be expanded later as we build capability

This needs to be practical—not perfect, just real and honest. What's the minimum viable dashboard?

Variation 5: Issue-specific dashboard

We're in the middle of managing a specific communications challenge (crisis, product launch, transition, etc.) and need a focused dashboard just for this initiative.

The situation:
[Describe what's happening and what success looks like]

Success metrics:
[What would tell us this is going well vs. going badly?]

Key audiences:
[Who needs to perceive success for this to actually be successful?]

Timeline:
[How long is this likely to run?]

Help me create a focused dashboard for this specific challenge that:
1. Tracks only metrics relevant to success
2. Shows daily or weekly status (assuming this is high-intensity)
3. Indicates what would trigger escalation or adjustment
4. Can be updated quickly (daily updates, not complex analytics)
5. Is suitable for daily standups with the team managing this

This is like a "war room" dashboard for the duration of this challenge.

Human review checklist

Example output

Comms Dashboard Week ending: 30 January 2026 Reporting period: Weekly Prepared by: Communications team Last updated: 30 Jan 2026, 3pm

Dashboard metrics at a glance

Metric	Current	Previous	Target	Status	Trend
Brand awareness (target audience)	47%	45%	50%	🟡	↑
Positive sentiment (social media)	64%	61%	70%	🟡	↑
Employee engagement score	7.2/10	7.1/10	7.5/10	🟡	↑
Media mentions (week)	34	28	30	🟢	↑
Website traffic (monthly)	18,400	16,200	18,000	🟢	↑
Customer recommendation score	72%	71%	75%	🟡	→
Crisis/urgent issues logged	1	0	<2	🟢	↑

What’s working

Media mentions: +21% this week (above target); New product launch generating strong press interest
Website traffic: Consistently growing; messaging update contributed to better engagement
Employee engagement: Steady improvement; internal communications refresh resonating with staff

What needs attention

Priority	Issue	Root cause	Action	Owner	Deadline
High	Positive sentiment stalled at 64%, target 70%	Recent supply chain criticism on social (unresolved)	Publish response point on supply chain mitigations	Comms lead	2 Feb
Medium	Brand awareness growth slowing (47% vs 50% target)	Awareness campaign ending; no new campaign planned	Brief campaign pipeline for Q1 campaign launch	Marketing	9 Feb
Medium	Customer recommendation score flat at 72%	Customer service issues affecting experience	Coordinate with customer service on messaging for resolutions	Comms + CS leads	6 Feb

Stakeholder sentiment snapshot

Audience	Overall sentiment	Trend	Key concern	Opportunity
Customers	Positive	↑	Delivery speed concerns	Transparent communication on logistics improvements
Employees	Positive	↑	Career development clarity	Highlight promotion/learning pathways
Investors	Mixed	→	Supply chain resilience	Case study on supply chain investment
Industry	Positive	↑	Sustainability credentials	Thought leadership on sector trends

Key campaigns/initiatives status

Campaign/Initiative	Status	Engagement	Progress	Next milestone
New product launch	On track	High	75%	Product review embargo lift (5 Feb)
Thought leadership series	On track	Medium	3 of 6 articles live	Next article publish (8 Feb)
Internal values campaign	At risk	Medium	50%	Engagement declining; needs refresh

Upcoming focus areas

Next period priorities:

Launch “supply chain transparency” response campaign (address sentiment gap)
Prepare Q1 brand awareness campaign (sustain growth momentum)
Refresh employee engagement content (values campaign needs boost)

Assumptions/external factors:

Supply chain criticism may ease after Feb 2 response
Q1 campaign spend approved pending audit (should confirm by 31 Jan)
Industry conference speaking opportunity confirmed; high visibility impact expected

Weekly Monitoring Brief – Data source for many dashboard metrics
Issue Log Tracker – Where crisis/urgent issues feed into dashboard status
Insights to Actions Template – When dashboard shows problem, use this to decide what to do
Monthly Stakeholder Update – Narrative interpretation of dashboard data for executive briefing
Campaign Planning Template – Campaigns being tracked on dashboard need detailed planning

Tips for success

Less is more in metric selection You’ll be tempted to track 15 metrics. Resist. Seven metrics consistently tracked beats 15 tracked sporadically. Focus on metrics that actually change monthly/weekly and matter to business. Things that never move aren’t worth dashboard space.

Set realistic targets A target of 100% positive sentiment is fiction. A target of 75%+ positive with 15–20% neutral is realistic. Talk to business what “good” actually looks like for each metric, then make targets challenging but achievable. Re-set targets annually.

Use colours consistently 🟢 = within 5% of target or above. 🟡 = 5–15% below target. 🔴 = >15% below target. Write down your logic so whoever updates the dashboard applies it the same way. Inconsistent colour coding loses trust in the dashboard.

Spot trends, not just snapshots A single data point is misleading. One week down doesn’t mean crisis; two weeks trending down does. Your dashboard should show 8–12 weeks minimum so trends are visible. Week-to-week variance is noise; sustained trends are signal.

Schedule regular review cadence Set a standing meeting when the dashboard gets reviewed with the team. “Every Monday morning, 30 min, dashboard review” creates accountability. Without scheduled review, you update data but nobody acts on it. The dashboard only matters if it drives decisions.

Common pitfalls

Metric drift—adding/removing metrics ad hoc You started tracking “media impressions” but then added “influencer mentions” the next week. Now week 4, you’ve swapped metrics completely. You can’t spot trends if the metric changes every week. Decide your core 5–7 metrics, commit to them for 12 weeks minimum, then review and adjust.

Using vanity metrics instead of business metrics “Facebook likes” is a vanity metric (looks good, doesn’t drive business). “Customer recommendation likelihood” is business metric (actually correlates to repeat purchase). Track metrics that matter to revenue, employee retention, brand health—not ones that look impressive in a chart.

Setting targets that don’t mean anything “We want 100 media mentions this month” without context is meaningless. What were we getting before? Are these quality mentions or volume mentions? Is 100 ambitious or trivial? Targets should be informed by historical performance and business need, not random numbers.

Updating the dashboard and not acting on it You update data showing customer sentiment declined 8%, and then… nothing. No one investigates why, no action plan, just log it for next week. Dashboards only matter if the data triggers investigation and action. If you’re not acting on red flags, you’ve built a distraction.

Too much narrative in a dashboard “Sentiment declined because of supply chain issue and the CEO made a comment on Twitter” is narrative, not dashboard. The dashboard should be data; the narrative comes in a separate section or briefing. Keep dashboard clean: data, status, trend. Reserve explanation for narrative/briefing.

Simple Comms Dashboard

What it is

When to use it

Inputs needed

The template

Comms Dashboard

Dashboard metrics at a glance

Metric definitions

Visual trend (8–12 week view)

What’s working

What needs attention

Stakeholder sentiment snapshot

Key campaigns/initiatives status

Upcoming focus areas

Data notes

AI prompt

Base prompt

Prompt variations

Human review checklist

Example output

Dashboard metrics at a glance

What’s working

What needs attention

Stakeholder sentiment snapshot

Key campaigns/initiatives status

Upcoming focus areas

Tips for success

Common pitfalls

Related templates

Monthly Stakeholder Update

Simple Comms Dashboard

Weekly Monitoring Brief

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