The Balanced Scorecard is a strategic planning and management system used to align business activities to the organization's vision and strategy, improve internal and external communications, and monitor performance against strategic goals. It balances financial and non-financial metrics in four key areas: financial, customer, internal business processes, and learning and growth. Implementing a Balanced Scorecard requires executive sponsorship, involvement of leaders and employees in development, choosing a champion, and viewing it as a continual process rather than a short-term project.