Language can have a profound impact on an organization. Listen to what organizational learning expert Peter Senge has said on the topic: “Words do matter. Language is messy by nature, which is why we must be careful in how we use it. As leaders, after all, we have little else to work with. We typically don’t use hammers and saws, heavy equipment, or even computers to do our real work. The essence of leadership—what we do with 98% of our time—is communication. To master any management practice, we must start by bringing discipline to the domain in which we spend most of our time, the domain of words.”¹ This is particularly relevant in a world dominated by knowledge workers, one in which success is derived primarily from the transformation of intangible assets. Never has communication been so vital to the prospects of organizations, and of course, words are at the core of communication.

This is far more than a philosophical difference. Consider the ramifications when my client begins to communicate these terms to a broader audience. The vast majority will understand mission to be the core purpose of the organization, but one small pocket, those reached by the person holding a contrary opinion, will understand core purpose to mean vision. Undoubtedly, these employees will speak to one another, and of course we want people talking about these terms. But in this case, they’ll be using different words to convey the meanings of two fundamental principles. I can hear the conversations now:

As the dialog demonstrates, confusion will surely reign. Equally discouraging, the leaders of the Scorecard initiative will undoubtedly lose credibility in the eyes of the employee base, the very group they must win over if they hope to achieve success on the initiative.

You won’t be surprised to read that I recommend you use the definitions and connotations in this book. However, in the end it really doesn’t matter what you call the concepts—remember Shakespeare’s admonition: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” The key is using your chosen terms with unwavering consistency throughout the organization. If you’ve deliberated with your team on the concepts of vision and mission and as a group feel your raison d’être is best described as a vision, then so be it. Just ensure there is true consensus on the point and the term is communicated clearly to all stakeholders.

The activity will be completed in two phases over the course of a week or two, depending on the current demands and pressures you face. Phase one is an individual exercise while phase two draws the entire team together. Begin by circulating to your Balanced Scorecard team a simple template that contains the Performance Management and Balanced Scorecard-related terms you use, or plan to use, in your organization. Advise the group they each have one week (or whatever timeframe you designate) to complete the template and return it to the Scorecard champion. Exhibit A.1 contains an excerpt from such a template. Once all templates have been returned, the Scorecard champion will prepare a document compiling all definitions supplied for each term.

In addition to the terms displayed in Exhibit A.1, I would suggest you consider including the following: Performance Management, Balanced Scorecard, Strategy Map, objective, measure, target, initiative, Budget, Stakeholder, Public Input, Performance Measurement, and Business Plan. Of course, you should add terms that are germane to your situation. For example, a local government organization will most likely include the term “General Plan.” But, and this is a big but, don’t overload the request with dozens of terms. It can prove to be a taxing exercise for those completing the templates and may take hours, if not days, to come to consensus on definitions in the group setting that follows. Focus on the key terms you will be using and attempt to keep it under 15.

To facilitate the discussion of terms at the Scorecard meeting that follows, I would suggest you use a combination of high-tech and low-tech devices. For example, capture the definitions for each term in either an MS Word or PowerPoint document, then display the document on a screen from a computer so that everyone can easily view what has been shared. Also distribute paper copies of the definitions, and have a flip chart and markers at your disposal.

The facilitator will begin the meeting by thanking everyone for their submissions and reiterating the importance of reaching consensus on Performance Management and Balanced Scorecard terms. He or she will then display the first term on the screen, read a portion of the definitions and examples provided, and invite comments. You can record any changes to your terms “live” using your computer, or on the flip charts you’ve stationed around the room. The range of discussion you can expect will depend almost entirely on the amount of consensus reflected in the definitions you’ve received from the participants. If everyone agrees in principle, it will simply be a matter of “wordsmithing” to concoct a formal definition with which all can concur. I can see the eye-rolling of readers everywhere as they read that last sentence. Yes, wordsmithing can prove to be an onerous chore of its own, I admit. To alleviate the pain it can bring, try instituting a time limit for each term. If you cannot develop an adequate definition that meets everyone’s requirements within ten minutes, assign an individual or smaller group to work on it “offline,” and move on to the next term.

As a consultant, I’ve had the opportunity to facilitate a number of these terminology sessions and I’m always pleasantly surprised at the amount of dialog and learning that results. The learning comes in a variety of forms. First and foremost, the team will have reached agreement on specifically what they mean by the terms that form their Performance Management and Balanced Scorecard lexicon. They’ve also constructed a solid foundation from which to launch both their Scorecard-building efforts and educational initiatives throughout the organization. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this exercise gives team members an insight into the unique perspectives held by their colleagues. Exploring the perceptions of others, freely exchanging ideas, and being open to new points of view will all lead to a stronger team.