Can the Balanced Scorecard help your organization achieve its goals?

Take the following quiz to find out. For each statement choose the option that reflects
how much you agree.
1. Our company has invested in Total Quality Management
(TQM) and other improvement initiatives but we have not
seen a corresponding increase in financial results.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

2. If we did not produce our current Performance Reports

for a month nobody would notice.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

3. We create significant value from intangible assets such as

employee knowledge and innovation, customer relationships,
and a strong culture.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

4. We have a strategy (or have had strategies in the past) but

have a hard time successfully implementing.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

5. We rarely review our performance measures and make

suggestions for new and innovative indicators.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

6. Our senior management team spends the majority of their

Strongly Agree

time together discussing variances from plan and other

financial issues.

Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

7. Budgeting at our organization is very political and based

largely on historical trends.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

8. Our employees do not have a solid understanding of our

vision and strategy.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

9. Our employees do not know how their day to day actions

contribute to the organizations success.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

10. Nobody owns the performance measurement process at

our organization.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

11. We have numerous initiatives taking place at our

organization, and its possible that not all are truly strategic
in nature.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

12. We have a unique value proposition for customers ( for

example cost, technical superiority, customer intimacy) but
are not sure its generating positive customer results.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

13. Our processes do not support our strategies for satisfying

customers and generating positive financial returns.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

14. Our employees have difficulty accessing the critical

information they need to serve customers.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

15. Priorities at our organization are often dictated by

current necessity or fire-fighting.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

16. Employees at our organization tend to work best within

their own silo or functional home.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

17. There is little accountability for results at our

organization.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree

Strongly Disagree
18. We do not have clearly defined performance targets for
both financial and non-financial indicators.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

19. We cannot clearly articulate our strategy in a one page

document or map.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

20. We sometimes make decisions that are beneficial in the

short-term but may harm long-term value
creation.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

Thank you for filling out this form.

Your Score is 58
Scoring Key:
20-40: If your score fell in this range you most likely have a strong performance
measurement discipline in place. The program has been cascaded throughout your
organization to ensure all employees are contributing to your success, and is linked to key
management processes.
41-60: You may have a performance measurement system in place but are not experiencing
the benefits you anticipated or need to succeed. Using the Balanced Scorecard as a
Strategic Management System would be of benefit to you.
61-100: Scores in this range suggest difficulty in successfully executing your strategy, and
staying ahead of your competition. A Balanced Scorecard system is strongly recommended
to help you focus on the implementation of strategy and align your organization with
overall goals.

This test was developed by Paul R. Niven based on experience with a wide variety of
organizations including Fortune 1000, public sector, and not-for-profits. Paul is the author
of the highly acclaimed new book, Balanced Scorecard Step by Step: Maximizing
Performance and Maintaining Results