One of the most common challenges I see with leadership teams implementing EOS® is the Data Component. Most leaders understand that gathering key data is important but determining what to measure—and how to measure it—can feel surprisingly elusive.
Even more common is the confusion between two foundational EOS tools: Scorecards and Measurables.
While they are related, they serve very different purposes.
Scorecards Measure the Health of the Business
At a high level, a Scorecard measures the health and performance of a company, department, or team. It answers the question:
“Are we winning?”
Think about going to a baseball game.
Here in New England, that means heading to Fenway Park, finding your seat, and looking up at the Green Monster where the scoreboard lives. Within seconds, you know the most important information of the game: who’s winning and who’s losing.
(And if the Yankees are losing, that’s valuable information too.)
The players check the scoreboard. The coaches check the scoreboard. The fans check the scoreboard. Everyone wants to know where they stand.
Now imagine asking a team to play an entire game without a scoreboard.
Would it impact their motivation?
Would they know whether they were ahead or behind?
Would it be as engaging?
Of course not.
That’s exactly why your business needs a Scorecard. It provides objective visibility into performance and creates clarity around whether the business is on track.
Measurables Measure Individual Performance
Now let’s add another layer.
While the scoreboard tells us whether the team is winning, it doesn’t tell us what each individual player needs to do to contribute to that outcome.
The pitcher has a job.
The catcher has a different job.
The shortstop has another.
The outfielder has another still.
Each player’s responsibilities look different, but together they influence the final score.
That’s where Measurables come in.
Measurables are tied to a specific person or position. They help individuals understand what success looks like in their role and provide accountability for the activities that drive results. They MAY be a number on a Scorecard, but there can be some added nuance to really help drive an individual’s performance. Read on!
How Scorecards and Measurables Work Together
Let’s use a sales team as an example.
Suppose your team has a Scorecard target of $3,000,000 in monthly sales.
That’s a company or department metric. It belongs on the Scorecard because it measures the health and performance of the team as a whole.
Now imagine that three salespeople—John, Kim, and Bill—are responsible for achieving that goal.
Each person has an individual sales target of $1,000,000 per month.
Those individual targets are Measurables.
The team Scorecard tells us whether we’re winning. The Measurables tell each player what they need to do to contribute to that win.
Not Every Measurable Belongs on a Scorecard
Here’s where many leaders get tripped up.
Not every important behavior belongs on a company Scorecard.
Let’s say you have an employee named George.
George is great at his job, but he has what we might call a “perpetually grumpy face.” It’s not intentional—it’s just the way he naturally looks. Unfortunately, clients sometimes interpret his expression as unfriendly.
As George’s manager, you know improving client interactions would have a positive impact.
So you create a measurable:
“Smile and shake the hand of every client you meet.”
This doesn’t belong on the company Scorecard. It doesn’t tell us whether the business is winning or losing.
But it does help George improve an important aspect of his performance.
Now imagine George driving home on Friday afternoon wondering whether he had a successful week.
He reflects and thinks:
“I smiled and shook the hand of every client I met.”
“I did what I set out to do.”
“I had a good week.”
That’s the power of a measurable.
So if not on a Scorecard, where do you and George track that measurable?
It depends.
Perhaps it’s something that George keeps track of on his own and as the manager, you bring it up at a Quarterly Conversation, noting what you’ve observed and allowing George to reflect on how he’s doing.
Or, maybe George has a whiteboard in his office and he makes a note there to remind him daily about his measurable.
In some cases, it may be a quick touchpoint daily or weekly, “How are you doing with that measurable, George?”
Figure out the best method for you and George and take it from there.
Don’t Set It and Forget It
One of the biggest misconceptions about Scorecards and Measurables is that once they’re established, they should remain unchanged.
In reality, both should evolve alongside your business.
Every 13 weeks, as you review your progress and set new Rocks, it’s a great opportunity to evaluate whether your Scorecard and Measurables are still driving the right results. Business cycles change. Seasonal fluctuations occur. Priorities shift. New challenges emerge.
Perhaps your sales targets need to increase because demand is growing. Maybe customer service metrics need more attention during a busy season. Or perhaps you’ve noticed a behavior within your team that, if improved, would have a meaningful impact on performance.
Just like George’s measurable around greeting clients, sometimes the most important improvement isn’t reflected in a company-wide metric—it’s a behavior that helps an individual become more effective in their role.
The beauty of EOS is that nothing is permanently locked in. Every quarter gives you the opportunity to refine what you’re measuring, adjust targets, and ensure your Scorecard and Measurables continue to reflect what matters most right now.
The goal isn’t to create perfect metrics. The goal is to create visibility, accountability, and focus—and to continuously improve them as your business grows.
The Bottom Line
Scorecards and Measurables are both critical, but they answer different questions:
Scorecards ask: Are we winning?
Measurables ask: Am I doing what I need to do to help us win?
When leadership teams clearly understand the distinction, accountability improves, clarity increases, and data becomes a much more powerful tool for driving results.
If you’re struggling to determine what should be on your Scorecard versus what should be measured at the individual level, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common hurdles organizations face as they strengthen the Data Component.
For a deeper dive into building effective Scorecards and Measurables, I highly recommend the book Data by Mark O’Donnell, Mark Stanley, and Angela Kalemis, part of the EOS library. It’s an excellent resource for helping leaders gain clarity and confidence around measuring what matters.