Stop Budgeting Like It’s 1999

Budget season.

The most painful “team-building” exercise in business.

You build a model. The team nods along.

Then 11 months go by, and no one talks about it again until next year.

Sound familiar?

Your team doesn’t hate budgeting because it's hard. They hate it because it feels pointless.

When was the last time your budget actually guided real decisions? How many projects got funded despite never showing up in the annual budget.

Budgeting is a thinking exercise. Humans spend and invest based upon emotions.

This is a big sticking point for the CEOs I coach. Budgeting isn’t a genius talent for most CEOs, and needs to be delegated.

Interested in finding your genius talent?

With budgeting, you lock in a number, then act surprised when priorities shift, expenses change, or the market punches you in the teeth.

What if instead of annual torture, we treated budgeting like a regular conversation about where money actually needs to go?

“Money goes to where it’s needed most and stays where it is treated best.”

This idea puts budgeting into a more useful perspective.

Turn Budgeting Into A Game

Gamified budgeting creates urgency, engagement, and accountability.

Not because it’s easier, but because it’s actually fun.

It gives your team a scorecard they can track, adjust, and win.

This is how I’d set it up:

1. Set a Live Scoreboard

Don’t bury your budget in a spreadsheet only the CFO understands.

Make it visible and dynamic. Simplify and limit the metrics that each team should track.

After all, depreciation and EDITDA are not line items that anyone needs to concern themselves with.

Create dashboards that show budget vs. actuals in real time.

Treat it like a game. When teams can see the score, they start playing to win.

2. Create Challenge-Based Targets

Your budget is a strategic bet. 

Set targets that feel like a stretch, and are still achievable.

Let teams pick one or two line items where they believe they can beat the target, then challenge them to prove it. This is especially fun with revenue targets, as everyone wins with additional revenue.

3. Celebrate the Wins

Most budgets celebrate cost-cutting.

That’s a race to the bottom. 

Pro Tip: Create a physical, symbolic prize when people create a win. A small, plastic trophy works great.

A kid’s plastic “olympic gold medal” does the trick. In the end, it’s all about recognition and gamification. The rest of the team will want to earn a worthless medal once they see someone else did.

Reward teams for resourcefulness, creativity, and efficiency.

Build a culture where smart use of capital is a source of pride and not just approval.

4. Revisit Monthly, Not Annually

Annual budgets are dead the day after you present them.

Smart CEOs treat budgeting like a strategic rhythm.

Meet monthly. Track the game. Adjust where needed.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about strategic planning. Is Your Strategic Plan Doomed to Fail? Find out.

Watch Performance Take Off

When your budget becomes a game everyone’s playing, you get more ownership, better decisions, and fewer surprises.

Is your team playing to win?

Or just filling in numbers and hoping no one asks questions?

When you’re ready to discover your genius, here’s how I can help you:

1. 1:1 CEO Coaching. Schedule a no obligation first session to find your superpower, connect with your highest ROI activities, and succeed with less effort and stress.

2. 3:1 CEO Coaching. Embark on a transformative journey toward realizing your limitless capabilities, partnering with two other CEOs. Learn and grow together.

Go forth and scale,

— John Hittler