Every organization we work with has a strong desire to do well. However, as the year progresses, sometimes a dramatic improvement in capability early in the year evolves into a lot of activity without a corresponding improvement in results. Businesses can degenerate into lower level tactics from more powerful, higher level, strategic game changers.

At the same time, teams can lose the focus, purpose and theme of what they are doing. In other words, the bloom is off the rose and their hearts are not in the game any longer.

In order to identify “the next big leap” and to “feed the hearts” of a leadership team, it is important to step back and review the status of things in a variety of areas. Having leadership teams rate each area from 1-10 and then discussing why they rated it as they did is valuable.

The next step is having your team brainstorm possible options to improve the scores. Also ask “what would it take to get us to a 10?”.

Once you have 15-20 possible solutions, as a group, choose the two best solutions the team will commit to doing. By the way, it may not always be the best solution. It is much more valuable to get an 80% solution with the team committed instead of having a perfect solution where there is not true buy-in and a difficult implementation plan.

We did this in our organization using the categories of Strategic Planning, Leadership, Teamwork, Culture and Processes. This approach led to the addition of The Leadership Forum in our menu for clients. It has improved us internally, caused increased marketing and sales capability, deepened our entire program (not just the leadership piece) and been a lot of fun. In the course of this, we will soon be adding two additional forums at other locations.

This methodology is valuable for organizations as well as for individuals and families.

Below is a version of The CIB Check-Up Scorecard that we use with audiences that have both the organization and their family in mind when refocusing. What is most important about the scorecard is not your score, but The Scorecard Action Plan on page 2.

If you don’t take action, you have wasted your time. Investing 30 minutes could help you dramatically change the game in 2013, especially if you do this with your team or your family members.

In fact, we believe so strongly in the strength of this process, we will offer the 1^st 6 of you that return the scorecards from yourself and at least 4 other team members a free 2 hour Exploration Session with your leadership team! You must return all of the scorecards to us by January 9^th at 5:00pm!

Remember for 2013: Practice as if you are the worst; perform as if you are the best!