Some important measures aren't levers at all. Utilization, cash in the bank and the share of revenue from your largest clients each have a healthy range, and both ends are a problem. Too little utilization wastes payroll; too much burns people out. We call these Vital Signs, and we track seven.
Is your trend too slow, too fast, or just right for where the Visionary wants to be? If it's just right, you may not need to pull anything.
You can't pull a Vital Sign. It moves because the levers do.
Are we growing at the pace we want?
How much of our team's time goes to work that generates revenue?
How fast are people leaving?
Do we have enough work coming next quarter, without more than we can deliver?
How many months could we cover our costs with the cash in the bank?
How much of our revenue comes from our largest clients?
How much of our ideal market do we already serve?
Each range on these pages is a starting point. Your own history sets the real one. If growth was healthy when Utilization ran at 78% and stalled when it reached 88%, your ceiling is probably closer to 85% than 90%.
Like the levers, the Vital Signs are measured every day. The goal is different: keep the trend inside its healthy range, not push it up or down.
Each one will spike or dip at times. What matters is how often, how far and for how long.
If a Vital Sign's normal day-to-day swing is wider than its healthy range, it can't stay in range on its own. That's when a lever has to be pulled to steady it.
Start with the Growth Benchmark to see how you compare. Or get the free guide to the 15 Growth Levers and the 7 Vital Signs.