The Anti-Dashboard Strategy for Workers’ Comp Leaders

Most workers’ comp programs don’t fail because they lack data.

They fail because they have too much of it.

Pages of metrics.
Color-coded dashboards.
Reserve charts.
Medical breakdowns.
Litigation summaries.

And no one can explain what any of it means.

This is the classic problem:

Drowning in data. Starving for meaning.

The Problem With Over-Monitoring

When you track everything, you focus on nothing.

Leaders become overwhelmed.
Supervisors disengage.
Meetings drift into the weeds.

And worst of all — the financial story gets lost.

Workers’ comp becomes “a cost of doing business” again.

The Russian Doll Approach

Instead of 25 metrics, start with one:

Cost per FTE.

This is the top-level financial indicator that normalizes for growth and allows apples-to-apples comparison.

Once leadership understands cost per FTE, you move down one level:

• Frequency (claims rate)

• Severity (cost per claim)

Only then do you drill into:

• Lag time

• Lost-time rate

• Litigation rate

• Large-loss percentage

You don’t start in the weeds.

You earn your way there.

One Metric at a Time

Here’s the anti-dashboard strategy:

1. Define your goal.

2. Identify your audience.

3. Choose one focus metric.

If your problem is frequency → focus on claims rate.
If your problem is severity → focus on lag time and lost-time rate.

Ignore everything else for now.

That discipline prevents analysis paralysis.

Why This Works

Metrics are not for collecting information.

They are for driving action.

When teams see 15 metrics, they don’t know where to start.

When they see one focus metric, they move.

Clarity creates momentum.

Momentum creates results.

The Meeting That Works

The most effective workers’ comp meetings follow this order:

1. Cost per FTE trend

2. Net cost impact

3. Identify lever (frequency or severity)

4. Drill into one driver

That’s it.

If you need to go deeper, you go one level down — not five.

The Bottom Line

More data does not equal better management.

Better management equals:

• Clear goals

• Clear metrics

• Clear focus

• Clear accountability

If your dashboard is overwhelming your team, simplify.

Start at the top.

Pull one lever.

Tell one story.

That’s how you turn workers’ comp metrics from noise into leadership power.

Michael Stack, CEO of Amaxx LLC, is an expert in workers’ compensation cost containment systems and provides education, training, and consulting to help employers reduce their workers’ compensation costs by 20% to 50%. He is co-author of the #1 selling comprehensive training guide “Your Ultimate Guide to Mastering Workers’ Comp Costs: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%.” Stack is the creator of Injury Management Results (IMR) software and founder of Amaxx Workers’ Comp Training Center. WC Mastery Training teaching injury management best practices such as return to work, communication, claims best practices, medical management, and working with vendors. IMR software simplifies the implementation of these best practices for employers and ties results to a Critical Metrics Dashboard.

Contact: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

Workers’ Comp Roundup Blog: http://blog.reduceyourworkerscomp.com/

Injury Management Results (IMR) Software: https://imrsoftware.com/

©2025 Amaxx LLC. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker, attorney, or qualified professional.