How to Align Team Goals with Company Objectives

Your employees aren’t just performing tasks; they’re living stories. However, do they comprehend the broader narrative? What if I told you that 87% of employees don’t fully understand how their day-to-day work impacts the larger goals of their organization? (That’s according to a Gallup study that still rings true today.) I recently sat down with a high-performing team at a company that’s crushing it in revenue—but struggling with internal engagement. And when I asked a simple question—“How does your role help this organization win?”—I was met with blank stares. Not because they didn’t care. Because no one had ever connected the dots for them. That’s the conflict: You’ve got talented people, but they’re stuck in silos, checking boxes instead of owning outcomes. They’re processing tasks, not purpose. Here’s why it matters: When people can clearly see how their work fits into the bigger picture, productivity increases by up to 25%. Retention improves. Morale skyrockets. You stop leading projects—and start leading people. So here’s what I do (and what you can do today): I use a 3-step framework I call the “Storyline Shift”: 1. Map the Mission – Translate the company vision into practical, personal terms. 2. Define the Thread – Help each team member draw a direct line from their work to measurable goals. 3. Tell the Story Back – Have them articulate it in their own words. That’s when ownership is born. Instead of “I manage spreadsheets,” someone says, “I deliver real-time data to drive confident decisions.” Big difference, right? One sounds like a task. The other sounds like a mission. If you’re a leader, manager, or executive looking to increase alignment and accountability in the next 30 days, this is where to start. No software needed. Just better conversations and intentional leadership. Want a simple worksheet to run this with your team in 15 minutes? Drop “ALIGN” in the comments or DM me. Let’s help your people stop doing a job—and start owning their impact. ♻️ I hope you found this valuable, please share with your network. 📌 Click "Follow" and 🔔 #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #OrganizationalAlignment

If you can commit to clarity for your team, you'll be amazed at the results. Here’s what my HR team trained supeevisors and revamped our organizational approach and how you can take similar action: 1. Clarify Roles: Ensure everyone understands their responsibilities. Regularly update job descriptions to reflect the current expectations and eliminate ambiguity. (We had impact descriptions made for every employee by their supervisors and trained supervisors on creating them effectively) 2. Create SMART KPIs: Develop Key Performance Indicators that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, instead of saying, "Improve customer satisfaction," specify, "Increase customer satisfaction scores by 15% within the next quarter." This gives your team a clear target to aim for. 3. Provide Specific Feedback: Regularly offer constructive feedback and openly praise behaviors you want to encourage. This not only reinforces positive actions but also sets a standard for the entire team. 4. Set Clear Expectations: By establishing clear performance metrics, you allow team members to see how their contributions directly impact organizational goals. This clarity reduces confusion and fosters collaboration. 5. Review and Adapt: Implement a system for reviewing KPIs and job descriptions every six months. This ensures they remain relevant and aligned with business objectives. 6. Transform Performance Reviews: Shift to narrative-based evaluations that include not just performance metrics, but also recommendations for development and a list of stakeholders for collaboration. By embracing clarity and structured performance metrics, you empower your team to excel, reduce frustration, and foster a truly collaborative environment. Commit to this approach and watch your team thrive! #TeamCulture #Leadership #PerformanceManagement #PeopleOfficer #HRInsights #SMARTGoals

🎯 Taking Steps for B2B 2025 Success: Aligning Teams with Long-Term Company Goals In complex B2B marketing, it’s easy to get lost in short-term deliverables and lose efforts alignment with long-term company goals. Many end-up being overloaded, missing deadlines, addressing last-minute requests, and not achieving their full potential. To drive meaningful growth and personal development, teams need more than tasks. They need ownership and alignment with a clear roadmap. When team members have clear objectives tied to the company’s strategic goals, and build plans 6-12 months ahead, they can better manage distractions and focus on what truly matters. This isn’t about limiting agility; it’s about aligning efforts with long-term objectives, and enabling teams to exceed expectations. In my experience, giving marketing teams clarity on strategic objectives and having forward-thinking plans have enabled them to: 1.      Prepare in advance and avoid any delays by anticipating what’s needed 2.      Prioritize effectively what needs to be done, focusing on high-impact activities 3.      Be more innovative for initiatives, and deliver better-quality outcomes 4.      Collaborate and align better with cross-functional stakeholders 5.      Protect bandwidth for meaningful work, while responding appropriately to unexpected requests A well-thought-out marketing plan lies at the heart of this. Start by crafting plans that extend 6-12 months ahead, detailing key activities, resources, and measurable outcomes. These plans act as a compass, helping teams evaluate opportunities, estimate the impact of last-minute requests, and stay focused every day. As a leader, I prioritize regular check-ins to adjust these plans as markets evolve while ensuring that every team member understands how their efforts contribute to overarching goals. With a clear roadmap in place, teams can confidently align with the company’s vision and long-term impact. In addition, I also implement custom real time dashboards for each team member, aggregating data from multiple systems, so each team member can track their contributions and progress 📊. As we plan for 2025, let’s focus on equipping our teams with the tools, trust, and forward-looking abilities to align their daily efforts with long-term goals. The payoff? Sustainable growth, stronger teams, and meaningful impact 🚀. What additional approaches would you implement to balance short-term execution with long-term strategy? #Leadership #B2BMarketing #TeamEmpowerment

I’m a big believer in OKRs (objective, key result) OKRs are an effective tool for driving alignment across levels within an organization and for establishing a more standard approach to performance management In several of my past companies, I’ve been part of the core team responsible for scaling OKR management from company level to leader to departmental to manager to IC A few tips: 1) max of 3-5 OKRs OKRs are not meant to measure everything you do; just the key intiatives to drive impact and focus 2) have clear company OKRs so that leaders can tie their OKRs to company for thread of alignment 3) implement a regular cadence (I recommend monthly) for reviewing progress to OKRs and challenges and plan to close gap. I would have a monthly team meeting where would review mine and my directs to see where trending 4) Establish what good looks like (generally OKRs should be aspirational so an 85% achievement is good across the board. 100% could suggest you had too easy OKRs or perhaps burnt out teams) 5) Link performance management to OKRs. This helps with having a standard for what good performance looks like across disparate teams. For example, in past companies where we had bonus tied to non quota achievement OKR achievement generally informed about 85%+of bonus with discretion from manager for things outside of it 6) Review OKRs to make sure OKRs link to core objectives of an org. Example, if you are in a CS org where retention is the name of the game, a large majority of your OKR should link to effective renewals management. Your function determines the focus. 7) A mix of outcome and process OKRs is fine, but ensure at least 50/50 are outcome focused (aka you impacted X metric - outcome, vs you did Y thing or delivered z) 8) implement calibrations across teams with leaders present to balance the different approaches and potential bias leaders have to rating teams Anything else you’d add? #okrs #performancemanagement

Most teams don’t fail because of a lack of skill - they fail because of a lack of alignment, trust, and accountability. That’s the difference between a group of employees and a high-performing team. And after 20+ years of leadership, I’ve learned this: if you don’t build the foundation, your team will crumble under pressure. So, how do you create a team that drives results, trusts each other, & takes ownership? Early in my career, I led a team that struggled with missed deadlines, finger-pointing, & disengagement. No matter how much I pushed, performance didn’t improve. Then it hit me - I was managing a group of individuals, not leading a team. I realized that high-performing teams don’t happen by accident. They are built with intent. That’s when I changed my approach. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻: Most teams fail not because they lack talent, but because they lack alignment, trust, and accountability. → Missed goals because priorities aren’t clear. → Low trust because there’s no shared purpose. → Blame culture because accountability isn’t embedded. → Lack of engagement because people don’t feel valued. When these problems stack up, performance stalls, and frustration rises. So, what causes this breakdown? 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲: The biggest reason teams struggle is lack of intentional leadership. → Leaders assume alignment instead of creating it. → Trust is expected, but not actively built. → Accountability is enforced top-down instead of embedded in culture. → Individual success is prioritized over collective team success. The solution? Shift from managing to building. 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲: If you want a high-performing team, you need these 5 key steps: 1. Align Goals → Make sure every team member knows what success looks like and how their role contributes. 2. Foster Trust → Build psychological safety where people feel safe to challenge, innovate, and collaborate. 3. Drive Accountability → Make expectations clear, measure progress, and ensure accountability is team-driven, not just top-down. 4. Enable Ownership → Give your team autonomy and empower them to solve problems without micromanagement. 5. Recognize & Reinforce → Celebrate wins - big and small - to reinforce positive behaviors and sustain momentum. When you intentionally build these 5 elements, you turn a group of individuals into a true team. 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀: Leaders who implement these steps see measurable results: → 20% increase in productivity due to better alignment. → Stronger retention because employees feel valued and empowered. → Higher engagement from a culture of trust and ownership. → More innovation because people feel safe to take risks and contribute ideas. When teams thrive, organizations succeed. "A leader doesn’t build the team alone - the team is built by the leader’s ability to align, empower, and inspire." 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺?

If you work for me, you will often hear me say: "I'm not looking for your agreement; I am looking for your alignment." It's like saying, "Let's all head in the same direction, even if we don't agree on every detail." It's a cool way of acknowledging that we can have different views but still work together toward a common goal. In the workplace, we often find ourselves drawn together by a common purpose. As leaders, it's crucial to remind our teams of this collective objective. Aligning our efforts toward a shared goal doesn't necessitate complete agreement on every detail. So, how can we do this? 1️⃣ Clearly Define the Objective: Start by crystalizing the purpose or objective. Be explicit about what the team is working towards. Ambiguity is the enemy of alignment. 2️⃣ Open Communication Channels: Foster an environment where ideas flow freely. Encourage team members to express their thoughts, concerns, and ideas. Different perspectives can enrich the overall strategy. It's about finding the synergy amid the diversity. Don’t confuse open communication and brainstorming with “everyone will be happy with the decision that gets made.” Leaders have to be decisive after hearing facts and opinions. This inevitably means that someone will be disappointed. That is ok. 3️⃣ Emphasize the "Why": People align more readily when they understand the reasons behind a decision. Clearly communicate the 'why' of the objective. Connect it to the bigger picture and the impact on both the team and the organization. 4️⃣ Empower Ownership: Give team members ownership of their roles within the broader objective. When people feel their contributions matter, they're more likely to align willingly. 5️⃣ Expect Commitment: Once a decision is made, it’s the job of a leader to expect commitment to the purpose or objective. Lead from your commitments- not from your emotion. Commitments lead to alignment. Insist on both. Want to dive into this even further with me? Join my email community at the link below for candid reflections and tips, or reach out at the same link to work directly with me. https://lnkd.in/g_Wf9dBp #leadership #CEO #alignment #accountability #mission #companyvalues #organizationalpurpose #teammotivation

One of the Most Important, yet Most Neglected responsibilities of a new Manager: Setting Expectations. Clear. Aligned. Well-Structured. Co-Created. Expectations Here is a Step-By-Step guide on how I set proper expectations. Along with an attached Video to support a template that can help make this clear. - Message me for the template if You would like to use it or modify it for Your use. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 1: 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - Manager clearly shares the overall company Vision and Goals, along with any departmental or position-specific goals - Manager and Team Member discuss Objectives and/or Projects that the Team Member will take on to support the Company and Departmental goals for their role - Team Member is assigned to document all agreed upon goals and expectations 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 2: 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 - Ensure goals have measures and timelines - I suggest SMART or SMARTER framework for goals - Write up what meeting expectation would look like based on discussion 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 3: 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 - 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 & 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 - Manager and Team Member review the draft together - Manager should recoginze strong effort where there is agreeance, and question anything that needs strengthening or clarification - This may require another review if it is the first time for either the Manager or Team Member - Finalize and "Publish" the expectations into a shared location for You and Your Team Member or via email 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 4: 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - Suggest reviewing once every quarter at a minimum. This allows for further alignment if this is the first time reviewing - Both the Team Member and Manager should evaluate before discussion and then record all scores in the same place - This is POWERFUL. Your Team Member is able to clearly communicate why they scored themselves where they did, and if there are any discrepancies between Manager and Team Member, now is the time to get better aligned. Clear Expectations lead to: - Better Alignment - Stronger Buy-In - Greater Success! I walk through an Example of Expectation in the attached Video. ✍️ Share your best tips on setting Expectations below. P.S. Sorry for the Video quality - New to this. Let me know if you have any tips or feedback! P.P.S. Happy to share the exact workbook you see in the video. Message me "Template" and I will send it your way!!

“Set it and Forget it!” Ron Popeil, an Infomercial Inventor, remains my favorite pitchman. The guy was a legend. “Set it and forget it,” might have been great for working parents and the Showtime Rotisserie. But, it doesn’t work in leadership. Leadership and strategy are iterative. I’ve been watching Executive Leadership Teams (ELTs) struggle recently at crucial inflection points. Three common needs: 1️⃣ Talent density - need more intellectual horsepower ✌️ Upgrade communication structures - yelling across the room doesn’t work anymore 3️⃣ Resourcing - too many coaches still “doing the doing” I’m giving this topic a lot of mindshare because what got us here won’t get us there. From a practical perspective, I think, the job of the ELT is to drive “5 A’s” for the company: 1. ALIGN on the strategic direction. This means everyone is clear on the written strategy and their role with clear objectives. The plan should live in a Project Management tool. Specifically ask: 🫵 What problem needs to be solved? Align on the kink in the hose stopping throughput 🧐 What do we expect to happen and by when? Algin on the result 🤔 What are the alternatives? Align on options and priorities ☑️ What must be true for this to be successful? Align on the order of operations. 2. ACT boldly and decisively within your functional area of responsibility. This means your team is aligned on the objectives and has the Tools, Time, Training, Talent and Tenacity to achieve them. 3. Cultivate an ACCOUNTABLE performance-driven culture where your team executes and achieves the company’s goals, metrics, and KPIs. 4. ASSESS the individual, departmental, and executive performance. Ruthlessly determine what is working, what isn’t, and, most importantly, why. 5. ADJUST the strategic plan every 90 days. Re-create alignment and communicate the strategy and objectives. Go again. Love to know what subject is keeping you off the Dean’s List? 🎓 (Seriously - it’ll help upgrade my thinking on this topic) PS - This process is true even if you’re a company or department of one. 🚀 #leadership #strategicplanning #teamalignment

This is the EXACT bonus plan I've used running companies for the last 20+ years... It's one of the most powerful tools to align incentives across your team. This post (and the link in the comments) has every detail so that you can implement it TODAY at your own company. But if you're wondering how I came up with this before diving in... I first drew inspiration from a number of private and public companies that I respected. Then I molded the structure to align with my "less is more" philosophy of leadership with a heavy heavy focus on alignment around top priorities. As you'll notice, this plan completely breaks conventional wisdom from the OKR diehards who say you should never tie compensation to individual goals. I always thought that was a bunch of crap, and still do. So I designed a bonus structure (and an entire goal system) to tightly align compensation directly to BOTH company and individual goals. This split incentivizes people to care about team results AND their own results. It also ensures that top performers don't get lost when others aren't pulling their weight. If you've been looking for a way to force alignment against top priorities, OR, maybe you have a bonus structure that hasn't been working... this post is for you. Pitch it to your board. I'd be SHOCKED if they turned it down. And if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out directly. Nothing is more important than an alignment of incentives. And this does exactly that. 💪

How do we create alignment in our organization towards our goals? I've seen too many teams struggle to translate high-level strategy into their daily work. The disconnect between executives' strategic vision and the teams building the products is a common pitfall. This is what I call “The missing middle”. I developed the Product Strategy Canvas to help teams hone in on the middle, and figure out how to connect the dots. This canvas is designed to help teams and executives align on the 'why', 'what', and 'how' of their product strategy. It's a visual and collaborative tool that breaks down the overarching strategy into actionable components. By using this canvas, teams can ensure that every feature, every sprint, and every release is a step towards the strategic goals of the company. Here's how it helps: 1. Clarity: It provides a clear framework for discussing and defining the key elements of your product strategy. 2. Alignment: It aligns cross-functional teams around a common understanding of the product vision, goals, and initiatives. 3. Focus: It helps prioritize efforts by making it evident what contributes to the strategy and what doesn't. 4. Communication: It serves as a communication tool that can be used to keep stakeholders informed and engaged. The Product Strategy Canvas is more than just a document; it's a catalyst for strategic thinking and a beacon for product development. It's about making sure that every team member, from engineers to marketers, understands the part they play in the company's success. 🌟 Have you used the Product Strategy Canvas? Share your experiences and insights in the comments, I’d love to hear them. You can also learn more about he Strategy Canvas in our Product Foundations course at productinstitute.com. 🚀 Already familiar with it? ‘Product Operations’ explains what data is necessary to help determine each one of these levels and how ProductOps can help you get it: Grab my new book with Denise Tilles here: https://a.co/d/8biyITB #StrategyCanvas #BusinessInnovation #ValueCreation #CompetitiveStrategy #BusinessGrowth #VisualMapping #StrategicPlanning #Leadership #ProductStrategy