Aligning Priorities Across Teams in a Large, Distributed Company
Introduction In a large, distributed company, aligning teams is challenging. With different objectives, inefficiencies and conflicts can arise. OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), and metrics help guide decisions, but they can also create competition, leading to unintended prioritization due to lack of alignment. These conflicts can lead to disengagement, frustration, and inefficiencies without a structured decision-making framework. OKRs define ambitious goals with measurable outcomes, ensuring alignment on high-level objectives. KPIs track ongoing performance in key areas, providing insight into operational success. Metrics offer data-driven insights but can lead to siloed thinking if not appropriately contextualized. Used effectively, these tools create clarity and drive better decisions. However, when misaligned, they can generate conflicting priorities, leading to a cycle of accidental decision-making: the Chaos Cycle composed of 6 stages: ...