When you play golf, do you keep score? When your favorite football team lines up against another opponent, do you care if they keep score or are you content just to see the boys having a good time? I think not.

Then why is it inappropriate to keep score in business? Why do so many believers feel that keeping financial scorecards is somehow wrong? Do we track how many acts of good sportsmanship we see on the field of play in a football game? Of course, we admire good sportsmanship and should always exhibit that, but it is not the goal. Winning is.

Until you know it is okay to win in business and you make plans to do so AND you track the right scorecards, you won’t win in business. Financial scorecards are NOT the only important scorecards in business, but they are imperative nonetheless. Don’t back away from those. Know your revenues. Know your margins. Strive for profit. The other things like great service and ethical behavior are no less important and should be a top priority because they, in fact, are the very kinds of things that actually generate profit - over the long term. How can one be a good steward over finances without tracking them and improving their performance?

More next time.