The Balanced Scorecard is a strategic planning and management system that monitors organizational performance against strategic goals. It was developed in the 1990s to provide a more balanced view of organizational performance than traditional financial measures. The Balanced Scorecard approach uses four perspectives - financial, customer, internal business processes, and learning and growth - to align business activities with an organization's strategic vision. Key to successful implementation is executive commitment, involvement of managers and employees, effective communication, and viewing it as a long-term change rather than a short-term project.