Balanced Scorecard Evolution: A Dynamic Approach to Strategy Execution

CHAPTER 8 Let Everyone Demonstrate Their Contribution by Cascading the Balanced Scorecard

THERE IS A CHARMING STORY, perhaps apocryphal, about former President Lyndon B. Johnson touring Cape Canaveral during the space race to the moon. During his visit, the President came across a man mopping the floor, and asked him, “What's your position here?” The gentleman looked up from his pail and proudly replied, “I'm helping to send a man to the moon, Mr. President.” Such is the power of alignment, when every person, regardless of role or rank, possesses a clear line of sight between their job and the organization's loftiest goals.

You may not be sending a man to the moon, or maybe you are. Whatever you're working towards requires the total commitment and alignment of all your people. This chapter discusses how the Balanced Scorecard framework can be used to drive organizational alignment from top to bottom through the process of cascading. We'll explore what the concept is all about, why it's critical to both employees and the organization, and examine techniques you can use to develop aligned Scorecards at your company.

WHAT IS CASCADING?

In a poll conducted by Harris Interactive of 23,000 U.S. residents employed full time, only 37 percent said they have a clear understanding of what their organization is trying to achieve and why. The same study discovered that only 9 percent believe their work teams had clear, measurable goals.¹ Another report, performed by consulting firm Watson ...