Rating: 
Summary: The best strategy book this year
Review: At first, I was afraid that this book was going to go down the same path that it seems every business book is treading these days: innovate, empower, repeat. However, while the authors of this outstanding work may occasionally sound like their guru colleagues, their book is far more intellectually sound, vastly more detailed, and ultimately far more useful than the flimsy writing that dominates the business shelves.Kaplan and Norton have done their homework. For every suggestion, they provide a wealth of examples, and they are intellectually honest enough to discuss all the evidence, including that which may run against them. As a result, I have great faith in the soundness of their conclusions. Absolutely a must-read for anyone interested in the evolution of business strategy.
Rating:
Summary: The Strategy-Focused Organization
Review: Having studied strategy management during my MBA and more specifically how the Balanced Scorecard could be used as a performance measurement tool, the book gives practical advice on building Strategy Maps, Aligning the organization and Managing Change.
Rating: 
Summary: Overblown and impractical
Review: Having used the BSc a few times in my work, I expected this to be a hepful addition to my knowledge base in the area. I found that it added little to the author's other published tomes and to his articles in journals like HBR. Although the basic concept is sound, the implementation challenges are dealt with as you'd expect from an ivory tower-based profesoor and are several steps removed from the challenges that most of my real-world, and smaller company clients, need to address. I truly felt as though I didn't get my money's worth with this purchase and I should have stuck with the materials I already had by the author that was available in other forms. I would have saved time, money and a degree of frustration.
Rating:
Summary: If only
Review: I had read this book 2 years ago. The information presented is invaluable, information which had I known about, and implemented, would have saved my company from my tragic choices and strategic mistakes. The fate of over 150 employees, resting ultimately on my shoulders, would have turned out for the better,instead of collecting unemployment checks they'd be pulling in 6 figure salaries doing what they loved. Live and try to learn.
Rating:
Summary: A "Must Read" for Executives!
Review: If you are an executive don't fail to read this. Kaplan and Norton's Balanced Scorecard approach has had a tremendous impact on thinking in the executive suite. Buy and read a copy today. I have bought copies for all of my clients. Michael Beitler
Author of "Strategic Organizational Change"
Rating:
Summary: The Perilous "Journey" to Breakthrough Performance
Review: If you have not already read Kaplan and Norton's The Balanced Scoreboard, I presume to suggest that you do so prior to reading this book. However, this sequel is so thoughtful and well-written that it can certainly be of substantial value to decision-makers in any organization (regardless of size or nature) which is determined to "thrive in the new business environment." Research data suggest that only 5% of the workforce understand their company's strategy, that only 25% of managers have incentives linked to strategy, that 60% of organizations don't link budgets to strategy, and 85% of executive teams spend less than one hour per month discussing strategy. These and other research findings help to explain why Kaplan and Norton believe so strongly in the power of the Balanced Scorecard. As they suggest, it provides "the central organizing framework for important managerial processes such as individual and team goal setting, compensation, resource allocation, budgeting and planning, and strategic feedback and learning." After rigorous and extensive research of their own, obtained while working closely with several dozen different organizations, Kaplan and Norton observed five common principles of a Strategy-Focused Organization: 1. Translate the strategy to operational terms 2. Align the organization to the strategy 3. Make strategy everyone's job 4. Make strategy a continual process 5. Mobilize change through executive leadership The first four principles focus on the the Balanced Scorecard tool, framework, and supporting resources; the importance of the fifth principle is self-evident. "With a Balanced Scorecard that tells the story of the strategy, we now have a reliable foundation for the design of a management system to create Strategy-Focused Organizations." After two introductory chapters, the material is carefully organized and developed within five Parts, each of which examines in detail one of the aforementioned "common principles": Translating the Strategy to Operational Terms, Aligning the Organization to Create Synergies, Making Strategy Everyone's Job, Making Strategy a Continual Process, and finally, Mobilizing Change Through Executive Leadership. Kaplan and Norton then provide a "Frequently Asked Questions" section which some readers may wish to consult first. There are many pitfalls to be avoided when designing, launching, and implementing the program which Kaplan and Norton present. These pitfalls include lack of senior management commitment, too few individuals involved [or including inappropriate individuals at the outset], keeping the scoreboard at the top, too long a development process (when, in fact, the Balanced Scorecard is a one-time measurement process), treating the Balanced Scorecard as an [isolated] systems project, hiring consultants lacking sufficient experience with a Balanced Scorecard, and introducing the Balanced Scorecard only for compensation. When organizations experience one or more of these pitfalls, their key executives can soon become impatient, confused, frustrated, and ultimately, opposed to Balanced Scorecard initiatives. It is imperative to understand both what the Balanced Scorecard must be (e.g. cohesive and comprehensive) and what it must not be (e.g. fragmented and episodic). Kaplan and Norton correctly note that the journey they propose "is not easy or short. It requires commitment and perseverance. It requires teamwork and integration across traditional organizational boundaries and roles. The message must be reinforced often and in many ways." Those who are determined to achieve organization-wide breakthrough performance are fortunate to have Kaplan and Norton as companions every step of the way during what is indeed a perilous "journey."
Rating:
Summary: A must have to summarize safe "old" economy principles :-)
Review: If you only could spend half an hour reading, it can be helpful for modeling any services company value chain (p.91), down to strategy maps (p.110), mission deployment (p.73), shared services units alignment (p.193-195) through scorecards (p.164)
Rating: 
Summary: A must have tool for business improvement
Review: If you're attempting to improve the way you do business, this book is a must have. It is a little dry so you have to be committed to using the concepts presented. If you can manage to stick with it, you will reap the benefits of the BSC. Good Luck!
Rating:
Summary: Overblown and impractical
Review: In my opinion, a much better publication than their first work. While an understanding of 'the balanced scorecard' is going to be needed to make sense of this work I would suggest you find that in other than the authors' previous work. There are a number of other better introductions.
Using the balanced scorecard to drive business strategy is the impetus for this book and, giving plenty of examples, the sheer strength of this approach is something everyone should consider.
Using this approach you can't help but to implement your strategy: now if there was only a way to guarantee we'd chosen the right strategy!!
Rating:
Summary: strategically focused work
Review: In my opinion, a much better publication than their first work. While an understanding of 'the balanced scorecard' is going to be needed to make sense of this work I would suggest you find that in other than the authors' previous work. There are a number of other better introductions.
Using the balanced scorecard to drive business strategy is the impetus for this book and, giving plenty of examples, the sheer strength of this approach is something everyone should consider.
Using this approach you can't help but to implement your strategy: now if there was only a way to guarantee we'd chosen the right strategy!!
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