You Can’t Win the Game if You’re Not Keeping Score
Imagine this: You paid $56,330 for 2 tickets to the upcoming Super Bowl of the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. These tickets put you 15 rows from the field on the 30 yard line right behind the LA Rams bench. (Yes, those are real numbers per Seat Geek the morning of 1/31/22 as I’m writing this.) You show up excited to watch these two teams battle it out at SoFi Stadium in California, so one of them can proclaim they are the world champions. The energy in the stadium is electric and you’ve never been so excited to be part of a sporting event in YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!
Just before the game starts and they introduce the teams, the announcer comes on and says, “Good evening everyone! Welcome to Super Bowl 56! We’re excited to announce that this evening we will NOT be keeping score. Both teams have decided they just want to play for fun and that everyone is a winner.”
Wait, What?! You just paid $56k for a backyard football game?!
Imagine your frustration. Imagine how ill you are because you dropped that kind of money and there would be no winner. You put skin in the game to be there and watch it, but these teams decided they were going to play for shits and giggles instead of a championship. WTF?!?!
Now, think about how you might be doing the same thing with your time and resources when it comes to your business. Ouch!
Are you keeping score when it comes to managing your day or your business? Many business owners operate from a senselessness of a “to-do list.” If that’s you, how do you know if you’re winning your own game every day versus just dabbling in the minors?
Thats what this weeks blog is all about - keeping score so you can evaluate progress, make adjustments along the way and win! Just like any good team or star athlete would do.
Here’s a 3 step process to get you going. I will use a lot of information and technique from the book Scrum by Jeff Sutherland, which I highly recommend reading, as well as my own personal experiences and adaptions.
Step 1: You gotta have a score board to keep score on
First, let’s establish that you need a score board in order to keep score. Personally I like something that is visible and in my face and/or my team’s face every day. This is where a big white board comes in super handy. There are also digital apps out there such as Trello which I also use; however, the downside is that its another tab to open on your screen or another app to install on your phone. Maybe I’m a little old school in a sense but I love the visibility aspect of a white board and ability to gather the team around the board and view our progress as a whole.
The walls in my office are covered with white boards. What we write down and see everyday, becomes reality.
The rules:
Make sure everyone has access the board
It can be updated with ease and in real time
As the leader, you actually USE it
Just like any game, it must be limited by a certain amount of time (more on this in the next section)
You must be able to measure progress
Step 2: Divide the board into 3 sections
Separate your scoreboard into 3 separate vertical columns. If you’re using a white board just draw 2 vertical lines separating your board into 3 even columns. If you’re using Trello this is super easy to do because each section is already divided into separate columns for you.
You’re going to name your columns as follows:
Back Log
In progress
Completed
The Back Log: This is a list of items to be completed that will directly influence our main goal. This board MUST also be time bound. We don’t just put anything and everything into the back log. The back log contains ONLY items that will help us get to our goal. I will suggest you make these 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks goals.
Let’s say you want to increase your leads into your business by 60% this month. That means you have 4 weeks to get it done - write this date at the top of your board: “Completed by [date].”
What are the specific items you would put on this list that will directly influence your ability to increase leads? If you’re using a whiteboard, write them on sticky notes and put them in the back log column.
You can also write the name of the persons they are assigned to on them. If that’s you, write your name it. If its your social media person, write their name on it. If takes 2 or a certain team, put them on it. This keeps each person accountable to their duties.
If you’re using Trello you add cards to each vertical column and you can “tag” people on each card so they know they are responsible for delivering this item. They can also add comments to each card to update in real time.
*Expert level - put your most challenging/import tasks at the top and your easier/mundane ones at the bottom. Complete the challenging tasks first.
In Progress: Move your sticky note or drag your Trello card to the “in progress” column when each item is being worked on. You can conduct quick 10-15 min “update meetings” each morning to find out where everyone is in their process and what they may need from leadership in order to make things happen.
If you have employees, it is YOUR job to remove any roadblocks that would prevent your teams from completing an in progress task. If you’re a solo-preneur, ask yourself what you need to remove from your day to help you get these items accomplished. Remember, its not how much you get done that matters - it’s the significance of the things you get done that matters. Always ask yourself, “What can I get done today that will make everything tomorrow either unnecessary or easier?”
Completed: ONLY when you have completed a in progress task can it then be moved to the completed column. DO NOT say to yourself, “Well that’s pretty much done. As soon as I get the email response we will be good to go.” NO! Don’t cheat. The task must be all the way completed before it can be moved to the “completed column.”
Step 3: Interpreting your results
At the end of your time period (in this case 4 weeks) you will go back and assess what got done and what didn't. You will ask yourself a few questions:
What was the end result of the items that got completed? Celebrate those because they undoubtedly had or will have a profound affect on your business.
What didn’t get done and why? This is not so you can bring the hammer down on yourself or your team for what they didn't accomplish. This is a time to either give coaching or seek it out. It could even be a leadership issue due to roadblocks that weren’t removed. Identify and discuss.
What are you/your team going to do in the next 4 weeks to make adjustments so your goals are met?
Conclusion
Just like any good sport you either play or watch, it is important to know your goals, track your progress, make adjustments as you go and celebrate your wins.
Having a visible scoreboard allows you to do all of these things. Winging it and hoping for the best will not.
This is the difference between playing to win and just having a fun family game of toss in the back yard.
Go and create structure in your scoreboards, follow the process, and watch as your goals and visions come to life.
*Be sure to join us in the Edgy Entrepreneur FB Group every Friday at 1230 EST as we go live and discuss the aspects of each blog on a much deeper level!
Stay Edgy -
Coach Daniel Tribby, ATC, CNP
Co-Founder, The Edgy Entrepreneur
© Edgy Entrepreneur, LLC. • 51 E. Jefferson St. #3292, Orlando, FL 32802 • www.edgyentrepreneurs.com
