As you’re evaluating your job, considering your career growth, and determining how you want to make an impact this year, it’s important to align your work with company and leadership goals. If the company (and your Principal) are hitting their goals, that’s good for everyone. And, it can be much more rewarding for you when you understand how the work you’re doing impacts the rest of the organization.

Remember, a leader and a Force Multiplier have one important, high-impact role, that takes two people, working on different parts rooted in their strengths, to get it done.

The same concept applies to goals. What will your Principal be responsible for and what will you be responsible for to hit each goal?

Being a high-impact Force Multiplier and strong strategic partner means ensuring that every action you take aligns with the bigger picture. Let’s dive into some ways you can effectively align your day-to-day tasks with the company and leadership goals.

Understand the Bigger Picture

Know the Vision and Mission

First things first – understand your company’s vision and mission. Take time to familiarize yourself with them and reflect on how your role as an Executive Assistant or Force Multiplier fits into this framework. Really get clear on what your company does, who it serves, and why. From there, you can drill down to see how the work you do on a daily basis contributes to the overall vision.

Know Your Leader’s Goals

Next, you need to get extreme clarity on your leader’s goals. Your Principal’s goals are usually a microcosm of the company’s larger objectives. If you are not clear on what your Principal’s goals are, take time to ask about their goals in your next 1:1 or schedule a separate meeting to get clear on what they want to focus on this year. Finding out what their goals are is a great place to start, but to really get into alignment and make the most impact, you need to dig deeper.

Here are a few questions you’ll want answered:

• What is their goal?
• Why is it important? And why this year?
• How will they (and you) know that it has been achieved?
• What are they measuring and how often do they want updates or reports on that metric?
• What is their specific responsibility in helping to achieve said goal? What will they personally be doing to contribute to the result?
• How much time and energy are they willing to commit to the goal each week/each month?

Once you’ve collected as much of this information as possible, it’s time to think about the specific contributions you’ll make to support them in achieving these goals.

Start with Why

Before diving into a new project or the most recent urgent request, take a strategic pause and consider how each task contributes to the larger goal. For example, scheduling a meeting isn’t just about filling a slot on the calendar, it’s about creating space for strategic discussions that drive the company forward.

By just taking a second to understand the “why”, you’re honing your strategic thinking skills. Furthermore, it will help you prioritize what is truly important based on company and leadership goals. Not to mention that understanding the bigger picture and tying your work back to these objectives will make your work feel more meaningful – because it is!

Align Your Goals

Now that you have your leader’s specific goals outlined, it’s time to map your goals and day-to-day work with theirs. As you look at each of their goals, think through the following questions:

• What information do they need on a daily/weekly/monthly basis to ensure they are making the best decisions around X goal?
• What part of X goal could I take off their plate? Is there anyone else who could handle parts of this initiative?
• Who do they need to meet with (and when/how often) in order to achieve X goal?
• What resources (staff, technology, capital, etc.) will they need to hit X goal?
• What is the specific deadline for X goal? Can we create milestones to ensure we stay on track?
• How often will we need to meet (and with whom) in order to achieve X goal?
• What might prevent me (or my Principal) from achieving this goal? Are there roadblocks for the project, or in general, around me stepping up to help? Is there a conversation that I need to have?

Depending on the goal, there will be other considerations. Just think, what part (no matter how big or small) can you handle? And then ask that question again for the next goal or project milestone. You’d be surprised just how much force multiplying you can do!

Handling the logistics and research, creating strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, prepping important meeting materials, providing comprehensive follow-up and project management, and much more are all things you can contribute as a Force Multiplier to ensure your work is aligned with your Principal’s goals.

Once you’re thought these these items and determined what needs to happen, you can put a plan in place to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Thinking is step one. But we must move into action. Here are a few examples:

• What information do they need on a daily/weekly/monthly basis to ensure they are making the best decisions around X goal?
  
  ACTION: Create a template for each report, make sure various stakeholders are aware of the expectation and deadline, get all reports sent to you on a specific date, and schedule time for your Principal to review reports each week.

• What part of X goal could I take off their plate? Is there anyone else who could handle parts of this initiative?
  
  ACTION: Meet with other stakeholders and assign projects to the team (or to yourself), set up accountability measures, check in regularly to make sure things are on track.

• Who do they need to meet with (and when/how often) in order to achieve X goal?
  
  ACTION: Schedule standing meetings, prep agendas, identify action items, and follow-up to keep the initiative moving forward.

• What resources (staff, technology, capital, etc.) will they need to hit X goal?
  
  ACTION: Research and present thoroughly analyzed options for a final decision, help with writing job descriptions and sorting through candidates, interview third-party vendors or vet new technology.

• What is the specific deadline for X goal? Can we create milestones to ensure we stay on track?
  
  ACTION: Create a project timeline with specific milestones and deliverables, communicate the plan (often) with team members, make sure everyone is clear on expectations and accountability measures, report back to your Principal as needed.

• How often will we need to meet (and with whom) in order to achieve X goal?
  
  ACTION: Create a comprehensive meeting schedule, handle all the logistics for each meeting, clearly communicate to each stakeholder, create agendas, help stakeholders prep for each meeting, and provide follow-up and feedback as needed.

• What might prevent me (or my Principal) from achieving this goal? Are there roadblocks for the project, or in general, around me stepping up to help? Is there a conversation that I need to have?
  
  ACTION: Have a conversation with your Principal to ensure you are on the same page, communicate your role to other team members if needed, ask for additional access, share why you handling certain projects make sense for them and the organization.

Communicate and Collaborate

Finally, don’t forget to communicate what you’re doing and why, and continue to build relationships with other leaders and team members throughout the organization. It’s up to you to make sure your work is visible and that the team understands how valuable it is. And building cross-functional relationships and fostering collaboration is just good for business (and your career!).

Check out these articles for more information about how you can effectively communicate and collaborate to ensure your work is aligned with leadership and company goals:

• How to Increase the Visibility of the Executive Assistant
• The Force Multiplier Mindset: How to Think Like a CEO (No Matter Your Title)
• 8 Ways to Build Your Personal Brand and Position Yourself as a Thought Leader
• Communicating Your Role to Your Colleagues & Leadership Team
• How to Measure Success as an Executive Assistant or Chief of Staff
• 7 Strategies to Lead Through Influence
• How to Start Difficult Conversations with Your Boss or Co-Workers

Aligning your work as a Force Multiplier with your company’s and leader’s goals isn’t just about being efficient – it’s about being effective. By understanding the bigger picture, prioritizing strategically, and communicating effectively, you can be a key player in driving your organization’s success.