One of the simplest but most powerful tools is a visibility map. It's a living document or dashboard that tracks operations to keep sight of the status in the midst of their busy days. Putting a lens on cross-functional projects, early risks, shifts in customer centricity, and strategic initiatives that are stuck in a bottleneck.
Simple visibility format:
| Area of focus | Signal | Owner | Date signaled | Status | Next update |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Morale | Burnout risk | Eng Director | Jan 20 | Rising stress | Feb 3 |
| Pipeline | Weekly lead growth | Ops | Jan 24 | On track | March 24 |
| Product Roadmap | Feature freeze checkpoint | PM Lead | Jan 22 | Slipping | Feb 22 |
| Customer Health | Top accounts | CX Lead | Jan 18 | Positive | Feb 18 |
| Market Watch | ABC product launch | EA | Jan 25 | Monitored | Weekly |
Visibility maps can also be dashboards, or workflow trackers often used to flag decisions. These tools help keep leadership clear on what’s been decided, what’s still pending and what’s blocked.
| Item | Status | Owner | Due Date | Summary | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 Scope Approval | Pending | CTO | May 30 | Timeline at risk | Approve with guardrails |
| M&A Term Sheet Review | Needs Input | CEO | May 27 | Legal signed off | Approve with edits |
| Offsite Venue Choice | Complete | COO | May 20 | Budget approved | Decision logged |
These forms of data create a layer of operational awareness that allows executives to be informed leaders. Surface what matters, filter the noise and drive forward momentum naturally unfolds operational excellence. This is what it means to be built to empower.
<aside> ⚠️
Disclaimer:
The sample content and data provided in this template are published by EA Insights for demonstration purposes only. They are not based on actual organizational data and are intended to illustrate what is possible in modern, strategic EA practices. Use these examples as inspiration and adapt them to fit your unique context and goals.
</aside>