What in the World Does the World Cup have to do With Evaluation?

Was anybody else as excited about the 2014 World Cup as we were? We’ve pretty much spent the last month doing lots of cheering every time our favorite teams scored a goal or advanced into the next round! Watching all those goals scored got us thinking about goal setting (shocking, right?) and since it’s coincidentally the beginning of a new fiscal year – we thought it would be the perfect time to talk a little about this subject.

Every year at this time, the EVALCORP team is busy assisting our clients with fiscal year planning, work plan development, and kicking-off new initiatives.  As we strategize on how to best set and accomplish new goals, we adhere to the “SMART” concept (i.e., setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-sensitive) and the following key “plays” for goal achievement:  

(1) developing tools and tracking mechanisms to ensure our clients are headed down the field in the most strategic manner;  

(2) reinforcing  the need for ongoing communication with the client team and within the EVALCORP team; and

(3) like the winning team of a soccer match, making sure to celebrate the wins!

And, similar to teams studying game footage in order to adjust their strategies and formations for ongoing improvement, we also measure progress throughout the year – noting what has been accomplished, identifying challenges encountered and determining ways to overcome roadblocks and to get the ball in the net, so to speak!

Send us an email at info@evalcorp.com if you’d like to talk through goal setting/planning – we are happy to discuss how we can set you up to accomplish your goals. 

Lastly because we LOVE data at EVALCORP, we wanted to wrap up this post with some fun facts about the 2014 World Cup:  

·      A total of 64 matches were played.

·      Soccer matches were held in stadiums across 12 cities throughout Brazil.

·      Brazil has won the World Cup title 5 times.

·      The Maracana Stadium, where the final game took place, seats nearly 75,000 people. 

·      USA goalkeeper, Tim Howard, set a record for most saves in a single World Cup game (i.e., total of 16 saves). 

·      This is the 4^th World Cup Title for the 2014 World Cup Champions, Germany 

·      Germany is the first European country to win the title in a Latin American host country.

Congratulations to the 2014 World Cup Champions – Germany!