Align teams towards a True North, or risk your business going south

A well-crafted strategy is only as good as its ability to get executed. The alignment of goals and incentives within an organization is crucial for its success. Without this alignment, teams may find themselves pursuing divergent or even conflicting objectives, leading to inefficiency and a lack of unity. Establishing a cohesive direction is vital for all departments to effectively work towards the common objectives of the company.

At Weedmaps, a lack of alignment in goals among different teams led to internal tension and hampered cohesive execution. A case in point was the marketing team's focus on driving traffic, their primary metric. They leaned towards using low-cost, low-engagement channels, which, while successful in fulfilling their individual goals, inadvertently impacted the product and orders teams negatively. These teams, measured on conversion and order volumes, found the marketing strategy counterproductive to their objectives, as it made user conversion more challenging.

This issue arose from each team operating with different 'north star' metrics, leading to a disconnect in their efforts. An ideal solution would have been for the management team to establish a singular, overarching north star metric that resonated with all teams. Such a unified metric would align the efforts and incentives of different departments, ensuring that every team contributes towards a shared company objective.

Aligning goals and incentives across various departments is not just a managerial task; it's a strategic imperative. By ensuring that all teams are working towards a common 'north star' metric, organizations can enhance overall execution and improve key performance indicators. This unified approach fosters unity and effectiveness, propelling the organization towards its common business goals with every team 'rowing in the same direction'.