“What you don’t measure, you can’t improve.” – Dan Martell
Let me paint a picture.
It’s Sunday afternoon. You’re watching the Detroit Lions. The game’s going strong – but something feels… well, off.
- No scoreboard.
- No stats.
- No score updates.
- No metrics to help tell the players apart on the field
Just a bunch of dudes hitting each other, running plays, and everyone hoping it all means something.
Most likely, you’d probably not stay engaged watching for too long.
What’s the point of playing a game if no one knows the score?
And yet – most organizations run exactly like that. Teams show up, do the work, go home… but no one really knows if it was a win or a loss.
FULL DISCLOSURE… This is an area where I’ll be the first to admit – I haven’t always done the best job.
One of my personal core values is that I “assume the best.” I believe people want to win. They all want to be great.
But sometimes… assuming the best without showing the scoreboard? That just turns into confusion, frustration, and underperformance. It’s not leadership – it’s wishful thinking. It’s operating strictly on hope and prayer!
WHAT GETS MEASURED GETS IMPROVED
Keeping score doesn’t mean micromanaging. It means giving your team the gift of clarity.
People crave progress. They want to know what “great” looks like. And most of all — they want to know if they’re actually hitting it.
“You can’t grow what you don’t track.”
(3) TAKEAWAYS ON KEEPING SCORE
1. Scoreboards Create Ownership
When your team can see the goal and track the outcome, they stop blaming and start owning.
Whether it’s revenue, job completion time, client feedback, retention, call-backs, etc. – make the score known and visible.
2. Metrics Build Momentum
Ever noticed how players light up when they know they’re close to breaking a record?
Same goes for our team. If they know they’re close to the target, they’ll push harder to hit it.
3. Tracking Brings Truth
Numbers don’t lie. They reveal strengths, expose gaps, and create coaching moments.
Without metrics, you’re just guessing — and usually guessing wrong.Your team isn’t any different.
“People do what people see. If they see no score, they assume it doesn’t matter.” – John Maxwell
If the Detroit Lions waited until Week 17 to turn the scoreboard on, fans would not be fans too long and players would check out.
If you want to build a high-performing culture, one that wins consistently and grows people – Start keeping score.
1) Make it visual.
2) Make it simple.
3) Make it matter.
If your team showed up tomorrow and gave it everything they had, would they even know if they won? Or… Lost?
Hope isn’t a strategy. Trust me on this one!
“Hope is not a metric.”