Hello, new world. Well, new world to me, at least. For many of you involved in performance and strategy management, you've been part of this orbit for years. So I'll be blunt: I'm hoping to learn a thing or two from you.

My name is Angie Mareino and I'm the marketing manager at Ascendant. My employment began just a little over two weeks ago and, to be perfectly candid, before Ascendant, I had never even heard of the Balanced Scorecard method. (I must be a pretty good interview, right?)

My role at Ascendant isn't a consultant. So while I absolutely expect to get a handle of this so-called Balanced Scorecard methodology (what exactly is the difference between Initiatives and Objectives, anyway?), I'm much more interested in hearing from YOU. Yes YOU, reader.

That's because my top priority is to understand how your mission-driven organization functions. Not just how you'd like it to run, but what are the in's and out's on a daily basis. What issues do you face that get in the way of achieving your strategy, your mission, your raison d'être? I'd wager more than a pretty penny that the mission is actually what drew you to your organization. But do you feel like you are constantly working toward that mission, or more or less treading water?

In other words, what I'm searching for is my own little corner in this new world of strategy and performance management. That corner is located somewhere between what you do to work toward your organization's mission and what we do here at Ascendant to help you get there. If we don't understand you, how can we expect you to understand us? It's just as important to me that I'm working toward Ascendant's ultimate achievement – our reason for being – which is to help mission-driven organizations live their mission, each and every day. But I need your help. Working with purpose is our shared goal.

I hope you'll introduce yourself, connect with me, and think of me as Ascendant's suggestion box and sounding board all in one. I'm ready to hear your success stories, your stuck-in-the-mud stories, and your best practices. And, of course, let me know where to find you and what matters most in your daily role and long-term vision. I'm new here, after all.

Yours, Angie

[email protected]

866-568-0590

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