You want to make decisions that align with your company's goals. How can you do it?

If the company made a point to properly communicate the top-level values AND hired people aligned with organizational CORE VALUES, independent/unsupervised decision-making could be easy. However, it is the sole responsibility of the management team to communicate the strategic goals and initiatives to employees, to allow the informed decision-making to happen.

Before the goals, ask yourself what is the ultimate vision for the company. What do I want it to look like in 5-10 years? Whenever a goal is set you have to intentionally ask how will this help you get closer to the ultimate vision. If it doesn't, it shouldn't be on the goals list. Goals are too often randomly set based on today; they don't necessarily mean anything to you, but you feel they were thrust upon you and that's why follow-through often fails. Everyone in the company should be working toward those goals so the vision and the goals must be clearly communicated; the steps they take may differ, but it should be a common goal.

Understanding your company's goals is like knowing the destination of a journey. It's important to know where your company is headed and how your role fits into that bigger picture. You can find this information in documents like the company's vision and mission statements, or by talking to your manager or coworkers. Knowing these goals helps you understand what's important to the company and what you should focus on in your work. It also helps you see how your decisions can impact the company's success. By keeping these goals in mind, you can make decisions that align with what the company wants to achieve, which can lead to better outcomes for everyone involved.

Understand Company Goals: Familiarize yourself with the overarching objectives and priorities of the organization. This means reviewing strategic plans, and other company documents. Communicate with Leadership regularly to have a constant macro perspective and also Evaluate Options when faced with a decision, assess how each option aligns with the company's overarching goals. Consider the potential impact on key performance indicators (KPIs) and long-term objectives.

Alignment and linkage. If you can link team members' skills, to projects or priorities, that link to an short-term milestone, that's part of a years larger goal, that's part of a 5 - 10 year plan, then everyone's aligned and the leader's job is to continually give support, development and resources to support everyone on that journey.

To me it is more important that a plan is created and used as a guide to help the team meet the goals. I have found transferring the plan to a project management tool works best to keep everyone on track and in the loop. Decide how the goals will be measured and who will be responsible for which tasks. Include timelines. It also allows you a place to track the data as to what was tried, what worked, why it didn't work, etc...which will then lead you to better decision-making.

Effective communication involves more than just stating your decision; it's about storytelling with data. For instance, when presenting a new marketing strategy, rather than simply listing actions, narrate how this strategy aligns with the company's goal to increase market share by showcasing data on potential reach and engagement. Tools like Slack for daily updates or Trello for tracking progress can facilitate ongoing communication and keep everyone aligned with the decision's objectives.

Getting feedback is similar to a sports team reviewing the plays and watching the replay of the game. It allows you to improve, even on things that are going well. It also alerts you to what you may need to get help on. You don't have to do everything on your own; it does take a team.

You have to remember that plans and the tasks to achieve your goals and vision should be flexible. Not everything will work; the important thing is to maintain and analyze the data when making the decisions to adapt. Run what-if scenarios. Get buy-in from your team and consider their input. One problem I have found in today's world is not giving things long enough time to work. Overnight success claims or immediate gratification desires falsely lead you to believe things won't work so you give up before giving things a chance. This can lead to loss of focus, context switching, and even longer delays in reaching your goals. Watch the data and look for progress.

Celebrating decisions can range from acknowledging individual contributions in team meetings to hosting team lunches after the successful completion of a project. It's about recognizing both the big wins and the small steps that lead to them. For instance, after a successful product launch, a company could share a behind-the-scenes look at the launch process in a company-wide meeting, highlighting the efforts of every department involved.

Navigating ethical dilemmas involves establishing clear ethical guidelines that align with your company's values. For instance, when faced with a decision that could compromise customer privacy, refer to these guidelines to ensure actions are both legally compliant and ethically sound. Staying informed about industry trends can involve subscribing to leading industry publications and attending webinars and conferences. This proactive approach ensures your decisions are informed by the latest insights and innovations.