Of course, knowing the score tells only part of the story. A good athlete will also analyze performance strengths and weakness that helped determine the score. A competitive swimmer, for example, focuses on stroke form to understand where the next level of improvement might come from. The best swimmers understand the shortcomings of their technique and can also identify their competitors' strengths and flaws. Top athletes know what separates them from a win, and they have a detailed work plan to get there.
Borrowers are in some ways, similar to athletes.
They know the score, or whether they've been able to earn a buck. Our job is to see who performs at the next level-which managers understand what determined the score, and which know how to use that knowledge to craft effective business strategies. Midwest Consulting Group's Evaluating Management Effectiveness shows lenders how to gauge company managers' skill by teaching them to observe and interview management using a three level scale of effectiveness. For example, managers with a Level One understanding of customers can describe them in factual terms-how many, their names, and some demographic information. Level Two managers understand the cause and effect of business success.