Two important infrastructure events happen at least monthly and sometimes more frequently within high-performance businesses that require scrutiny on projects linked to the objectives. One is, of course, the S&OP process. The other is the project review process. Of a more global nature, these high-performance organizations conduct yearly strategic planning reviews to calibrate and adjust their vision, as described earlier in this chapter.

These habits of follow-through force organizations to see the strengths or weaknesses in plans even as the plans are being made. It s a similar thought process to owning something. Ownership makes you more cognizant of risks and potential gains. The ability to prioritize the objectives in a reasonable order is a powerful competitive advantage. There is no foolproof process of prioritization, only business savvy and intelligent leaders. One method that has proven to be helpful in many businesses is documented in The Balanced Scorecard (Kaplan and Norton, Harvard Business School Press, 1996).