I'm going to ask you a question with an obvious answer.

When is the best time to check the score during any game?

Answer: While you're in the game.

Checking the score helps us know if we're winning and gives us cues to adjust when we aren't.

One of the foundational tools I teach leadership teams is how to build a Scoreboard.

Here are six tips that will help you clarify yours. 

1. Start measuring and reviewing on a weekly basis (in your Weekly Sync).
2. Clear owner—updates scoreboard and drives the outcomes.
3. Tied back to the KPIs of the core functions in your Org Chart.
4. 1 metric tied to the long-term goals or Destination.
5. 1 metric tied to what drives your company's economic engine.
6. Remember, great metrics tell us what will happen, not what happened.

—benj