How would you handle a situation where project KPIs conflict with company KPIs

Question

We are dealing with a situation where the project's key performance indicators (KPIs) are not fully aligned with the company's overarching KPIs. How can we navigate this conflict to ensure both project and organizational goals are met effectively?

Answer 1

If the project KPIs don't align with the overall company KPIs, here's my approach to relating this to achieving both objectives:

1. Assessing and understanding both KPIs is my first action: get a complete understanding of both the project and company KPIs, evaluate where these gaps are, and determine how the project's current KPIs might not align with the broader organizational objectives.
2. Bridge the Gap: Once you understand the gap, you will adjust the project KPIs to be better aligned with company goals. This can involve changing or adding metrics to reflect both priorities, the company's and the project's.
3. Collaborate with Stakeholders: Discuss the issue of alignment with the relevant stakeholders both on the project side and the organizational side. A collaborative approach in setting up ensures everyone's expectations are aligned and changes are done in agreement.
4. Set Clear Priorities: Define which KPIs cannot be compromised, but at the same time, ensure the project's KPIs meet those KPIs in line with its core objectives. There is sometimes a need for compromise between the two.
5. Revisit the Project Scope: If a significant misalignment is found, revisiting the scope of the project may be required to ensure it delivers outcomes that directly support the overall goals of the company. That could mean tightening up deliverables or timelines.