Measuring Impact from the Top-Down
Measuring Impact from the Top-Down — Warning: Acronyms Ahead
Successful businesses don’t just happen—they’re built from the top down, starting with a bold, visionary foundation. A Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) is at the core, driven by a meaningful mission and anchored by values that guide behavior and decision-making.
From this foundation—Vision, Mission, and Values (VMV)—leaders shape inspirational Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) that drive measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Together, these guide individual roles, responsibilities, and performance metrics.
It sounds simple in theory. In practice, the challenge lies in aligning, integrating, and executing these processes. The following questions are designed to provoke action and reflection at every organizational level.
Vision, Mission, and Values
What are our VMVs—and how do we align with them daily?
Are we evolving our mission in step with shifting markets and technologies?
How are customer insights helping shape and refine our VMV?
OKRs, KPIs, and Performance Metrics (PMs)
Are our OKRs aligned with our VMV? Are KPIs aligned with OKRs? Are performance metrics aligned with both?
Where do we see misalignment—and how do we fix it?
How tightly are performance goals connected to compensation, promotion, and recognition?
Training, Education, and Upskilling
Do our people have the tools, knowledge, and training to achieve their goals?
How are we actively upskilling and future-proofing our workforce?
Are we empowering our teams to develop strategic, customer-focused, empathetic, communication-forward soft skills that drive long-term success?
Regardless of your title or role, these questions are applicable:
Which of these questions can I help answer or influence?
What are the implications as the company evolves?
In a top-down strategy, everyone plays a part. The top may set the tone, but execution happens everywhere.
Schedule a 15-minute call to share *your* best practices for top-down alignment of goals.
Request templates for integrating VMVs, OKRs, KPIs, and PMs.
Share how you make measurements from the bottom-up - from performance management to job descriptions, from KPIs through OKRs, in alignment with VMVs.
Tell me how this top-down business strategy is helping you navigate challenges and opportunities in an unpredictable world!