What is Your Scorecard?
By Steve Gahagen
My wife, Jane, and I have four children - two girls and two boys, all about two years apart. They are all adults now, but when they were younger, I would sometimes take them all to Minnesota Twins baseball games at the Metrodome while Jane was at work (she is a nurse).
Keeping the kids interested in the game was a major feat. I remember one time after the first inning, my youngest son, Micah, asked if we could go home. It’s interesting which moments we remember. I wanted to say, “You’ve got to be kidding me!”, but I think he was only five at the time.
I developed a scheme to keep them engaged. We created a family scorecard. Each of the kids got to choose a few players and when those players got a hit, scored a run, or had a RBI, they got points. Whoever had had the most points at the end of game got to buy something at the souvenir stand on the way out. It didn’t last forever, but it worked for a few years.
Many businesses create scorecards for leaders and staff, which track activity that, if completed, will move the organization forward. Scorecards help people keep focused.
We all should probably have a scorecard that is in some way tracking our progress in attaining or enjoying the things we value. What’s your scorecard? What are the things you value? We may have big dreams, but can we articulate the weekly tasks needed to get us there? We all want a close family at the end of the day, but how many times each week do we sit down for dinner? We are successful one day at a time as we stay focused on our overall mission.
Questions to Consider:
What are some items on your weekly scorecard?
Do you have a family scorecard? What items would help you to track progress toward your ultimate goal? Some items might be somewhat intangible.
How can you leverage your strengths to consistently complete your scorecard?