Scorekeeping

It's 1-1 in the World Series.  We are a nation of scorekeepers.  And I love the statistics.  If you haven't read Money Ball it is on the Best Seller list for Statisticians who love Baseball.  Just look at the back of a baseball card - its full of the numbers of success.  But how do you define success in Baseball? in Business? in LIfe?  What set of numbers taken together equal success?

I'm re-reading "When the Game is Over ..   It all goes back in the Box" by John Ortberg.  Chapter 3 talks about Ways to Keep Score.  I loved the part ---   "But nobody sells major league father cards with key statistics on the back (Had a great season in 2005: set career highs in unforced expressions of affection and averaged 87 minutes of quality time per day). 

And who are your most important scorekeepers?  - Parents, Teachers, Coaches, Bosses.  Is it half-time yet?  What's the score?

Trouble is, I don't know the answers to these questions. And I struggle with abandoning all forms of scorekeeping. But like the worry box - as I get older a high score or a winning score is less important to me.  But it is still important for me to strive for a score -  it's just the measure has changed.

As I've always said in business - you get what you measure.  So get the measure right and the score will follow.