I work in an Enterprise PMO where Smartsheet is our project and portfolio management (PPM) tool. It was custom built for our organisation, and the Enterprise PMO maintains it (controls the templates, building reports, fixing issues, and supporting users), while project teams update their own project data.
Over the years, our EPMO has produced a lot of strong reports and dashboards, but adoption is not always consistent because portfolio reporting still occurs outside the PPM tool in some areas
Over time, I realised something important: executives rarely need “more reporting”. They need one clear answer to one clear question, with just enough context to make a decision quickly. That is where dashboard storytelling matters.
In practical terms, I focus on turning complex portfolio data into simple, decision-ready dashboards that leaders can understand quickly and act on with confidence. If you ever find yourself thinking, “This report is accurate but it is not landing,” the solution is often to reshape the story so the key insight stands out.
A practical tip: use an AI tool to critique the dashboard design and wording. I take a screenshot of my dashboard and ask Copilot for specific feedback (for example, clarity of headings, visual hierarchy, and what decision the dashboard enables).
