Balanced Scorecard Diagnostics

The complete guide to analyzing and maximizing a company's balanced scorecard
Presenting the next step for balanced scorecard implementation, Balanced Scorecard Diagnostics provides a step-by-step methodology for analyzing the effectiveness of a company's balanced scorecard and the tools to reevaluate balanced scorecard measures to drive maximum performance. CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, vice presidents, department managers, and business consultants will find all the essential tools for analyzing a balanced scorecard methodology to determine if it's running at maximum performance and for seamlessly implementing changes into the scorecard.
Paul R. Niven (San Marcos, CA) is President of the Senalosa Group, a consulting firm exclusively dedicated to helping businesses get best-in-class performance. He is the author of two successful books, Balanced Scorecard Step-by-Step (0-471-07872-7) and Balanced Scorecard Step-by-Step for Government and Nonprofit Agencies (0-471-42328-9), both from Wiley.

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xvii

Chapter 1 The Current State of the Balanced Scorecard 1

The Road Ahead 1

Why the Balanced Scorecard Has Risen to Prominence 2

The Balanced Scorecard 12

Is the Balanced Scorecard Here to Stay? 17

Chapter 2 First Things First 23

Why Balanced Scorecard and Why Now? 23

Who Owns the Balanced Scorecard?: Exploring Executive Sponsorship 30

Self-Assessment Questions 38

Chapter 3 Before You Measure 41

Your Balanced Scorecard Team 41

Balanced Scorecard Training 48

Getting the Word Out: Communication Planning 50

Terminology and the Balanced Scorecard 55

Your Balanced Scorecard Implementation Plan 57

Chapter 4 Strategy Maps 63

Developing the Strategy Map 65

Personalizing Your Strategy Map 86

Chapter 5 Measures, Targets, and Initiatives 93

Performance Measures 93

Adding Meaning to Measurement through the Use of Targets 110

Mapping and Prioritizing Organizational Initiatives 116

Chapter 6 Cascading the Balanced Scorecard to Drive Organizational Alignment 127

Developing Implementation Principles for Cascading Success 129

Understanding the Highest-Level Balanced Scorecard 130

Cascading Is Based on Influence 131

Reviewing Cascaded Balanced Scorecards 135

Chapter 7 Key Balanced Scorecard Process Linkages: Budgeting, Compensation, and Corporate Governance 139

Strategic Resource Allocation:The Balanced Scorecard and Budgeting 139

Linking Pay with Performance:The Balanced Scorecard and Compensation 147

The Balanced Scorecard and Corporate Governance 155

Chapter 8 Sharing Balanced Scorecard Results: Reporting and Strategy-Centered Management Meetings 165

Reporting Balanced Scorecard Results 166

The Strategy-Centered Management Meeting 171

Appendix 8A: Choosing Balanced Scorecard Software 176

Chapter 9 Building the Balanced Scorecard at Aliant, Inc. 185

Pouring a Foundation for Balanced Scorecard Success 186

Aliant’s Strategy Map, Performance Measures, Targets, and Initiatives 191

Cascading the Balanced Scorecard to Build Organizational Alignment 195

Reporting Balanced Scorecard Results 197

Everybody Wins: Linking the Balanced Scorecard to Incentive Compensation 198

Aliant’s Balanced Scorecard Results 200

Index 201

PAUL R. NIVEN is President of the Senalosa Group, a consulting firm exclusively dedicated to helping businesses reach breakthrough results using the Balanced Scorecard. In addition to publishing articles on performance management in Journal of Cost Management and Journal of Strategic Performance Measurement, he is the author of the highly successful books, Balanced Scorecard Step-by-Step: Maximizing Performance and Maintaining Results and Balanced Scorecard Step-by-Step for Government and Nonprofit Agencies, both published by Wiley. He may be reached through his Web site at senalosa.com. The Balanced Scorecard system is a robust framework, capable of helping organizations successfully navigate the uncertainties of competition and changing dynamics. However, as many as half of all Balanced Scorecard users aren't achieving the results they hoped for and a significant number of users rate their performance measurement systems as "adequate." Balanced Scorecard expert Paul Niven believes that these organizations aren't reaching the full potential of the Balanced Scorecard due to inadequate methods of implementation. And this book is his remedy.

Balanced Scorecard Diagnostics is a single-source guide to accurately analyzing the effectiveness of an organization's Balanced Scorecard, complete with the latest tools and know-how to implement corrective changes, ensuring your Balanced Scorecard is operating at maximum performance. Throughout this step-by-step guide, self-assessment questions help readers focus company discussions to critically examine their implementation efforts and propel Scorecard initiatives forward.

Balanced Scorecard Diagnostics features real-world case studies and practical tools that help you get started right away. It also:

• Examines the fundamental elements for effectively employing the Balanced Scorecard, including the executive sponsorship critical to implementing a Scorecard initiative
• Offers guidelines for effectively examining your Balanced Scorecard team, training and education regimen, and communication planning
• Provides advice on how to "personalize"your Strategy Map to evoke user acceptance, supplies diagnostics for reviewing the number of objectives on your map, and examines the cause and effect linkages that tell your strategic story
• Features expert coverage on testing your current performance measures by questioning the number of measures comprising your Scorecard and the vital concept of using measure results to learn, as well as helpful guidance on target setting and sources of target information. It also demonstrates how initiatives may be mapped to Scorecard objectives, ensuring your human and financial resources are directed towards the execution of strategy
• Provides cascading principles and tools to gauge the degree of alignment among Scorecards throughout your organization
• Examines the connection between the Balanced Scorecard and budgeting, compensation, and corporate governance and offers proven techniques for effectively forging these linkages
• Outlines various reporting mechanisms, including software and low-tech methods, and investigates how the Balanced Scorecard can be used as a centerpiece of your management review process

Balanced Scorecard Diagnostics is a must-read for everyone who wants to get the most out of the Balanced Scorecard in use at their organizations.

"Whether you are an existing company already reaping the significant benefits of the Balanced Scorecard as a strategic management, communication, and measurement tool; or are a company evaluating the many advantages of the Balanced Scorecard, this book offers tremendous insight and value."
—Bob Whip President Horizon Fitness

"In this excellent book, Paul Niven captures the most commonly cited issues derailing Balanced Scorecard implementation—the pitfalls, the potential roadblocks, and the showstopping challenges. Through proven tools and techniques for areas like choosing and training the team, securing CEO buy-in, and getting the word out, he addresses the 'practical realities' of organizational change initiatives. If you want your Balanced Scorecard initiative to succeed, read this book!"
—Rob Fuller Director of Entrepreneurial Programs Beyster Institute Rady School of Management

University of California, San Diego

"Paul Niven has developed another easy-to-read guide to the Balanced Scorecard that shares his knowledge and experience. This book will bring benefits to both the uninitiated and the initiated of this systematic measurement and communication tool. A good read that helps practitioners achieve a greater degree of success in achieving corporate goals through measurement of the right variables."
—Paul G. Rodier Director, Consulting Services Management Consulting CGI - NCR

"Experience has demonstrated that building a Balanced Scorecard in a public sector organization can either be a rewarding and productive experience, or a frustrating waste of time. Following the tenets laid down in Niven's latest book is very likely to produce the former and avoid the latter."
—Gerald Barkdoll Founder/Facilitator Balanced Scorecard Interest Group