Essentials of Balanced Scorecard (Essentials Series)

Rating:
Summary: Cuts to the chase - practical approach
Review: I've read a number of BSC books, from Kaplan & Norton's original classic, to later works, and this is one of the very few that goes into practical implementation and management of a balanced scorecard.

What makes this book better than the others I've read is the way the author points out the pitfalls as well as the advantages of implementing and using this tool. He is objective and, more importantly, experienced, which is evidenced by how he places the BSC in context. This context is shown in the gap he uncovers between strategic themes, mission/vision/values, competencies, and purpose, and initiatives, objectives, measures and targets. The BSC fills that gap - if properly done and all of the key factors are understood.

I liked the way this book uncovers subtle key factors, such as the differences between strategy and operational effectiveness (often mistakenly viewed as the same thing), and what you should and should not be measuring. I also liked the way strategic themes were defined as a concept, as well as the use of tool called a paradox map to verify the alignment of tasks to strategy.

The bulk (and value) of this book is the implementation plan, which is governed by six critical success factors necessary to implement a BSC. It is here that the book shines because the implementation is laid out as a project (in fact, one of the six CSFs is to treat the implementation as a project), and is achievable with no non-value added steps.

If you want to gain an objective view of balanced scorecards and their value, and a pragmatic approach to implementing one, this book is the one I recommend.

Rating:
Summary: Cuts to the chase - practical approach
Review: I've read a number of BSC books, from Kaplan & Norton's original classic, to later works, and this is one of the very few that goes into practical implementation and management of a balanced scorecard.

What makes this book better than the others I've read is the way the author points out the pitfalls as well as the advantages of implementing and using this tool. He is objective and, more importantly, experienced, which is evidenced by how he places the BSC in context. This context is shown in the gap he uncovers between strategic themes, mission/vision/values, competencies, and purpose, and initiatives, objectives, measures and targets. The BSC fills that gap - if properly done and all of the key factors are understood.

I liked the way this book uncovers subtle key factors, such as the differences between strategy and operational effectiveness (often mistakenly viewed as the same thing), and what you should and should not be measuring. I also liked the way strategic themes were defined as a concept, as well as the use of tool called a paradox map to verify the alignment of tasks to strategy.

The bulk (and value) of this book is the implementation plan, which is governed by six critical success factors necessary to implement a BSC. It is here that the book shines because the implementation is laid out as a project (in fact, one of the six CSFs is to treat the implementation as a project), and is achievable with no non-value added steps.

If you want to gain an objective view of balanced scorecards and their value, and a pragmatic approach to implementing one, this book is the one I recommend.