If you’re not managing for the win, it’s hard to get a winning outcome.
In competitive sports like baseball or football, it is clear what winning looks like. When it comes to strategy execution, the definition of winning can be more ambiguous. Does it mean growth, profitability, market share, or some other metric of success?
Many companies fail to establish clarity about what winning looks like and how you measure it, and if you don’t know what the definition of winning is, it can be very hard to manage for the win.
Companies that manage for the win establish clear goals and metrics that define winning for them. They then identify leading indicators that predict or lead directly to success. These leading indicators define what it means to win on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This gives managers the ability to monitor progress, take quick corrective action when needed, and improve their probability of achieving their overall goals.
