How do you align your problem-solving with your company's mission?

1 Understand your company's mission

The first step to align your CPS with your company's mission is to understand what it is and why it matters. Your company's mission is its core purpose, its reason for being, and its impact on the world. Consequently, it should guide your decisions, actions, and behaviors as an employee and a problem-solver. To gain insight into your company's mission, you can read its official statement, website, and annual reports; talk to your leaders, managers, and colleagues; observe how it is reflected in products, services, and policies; and ask yourself how your role contributes to it.

2 Identify the problem and its relevance

In order to align your CPS with your company's mission, you should start by identifying the problem you want to solve and its relevance to your company's goals. A problem is a gap between the current and desired state of a situation, which can be identified by asking the 5W+H questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how. Additionally, it is important to gather data from multiple sources and perspectives, define the problem statement in a clear and concise manner, check if it aligns with your company's mission, vision, and values, and prioritize it based on its urgency, importance, and feasibility.

3 Generate and evaluate solutions

The third step to align your CPS with your company's mission is to generate and evaluate possible solutions to the problem. A solution is a way to close the gap between the current and the desired state of a situation. To come up with the best ideas, you can use brainstorming, mind mapping, SCAMPER, or other creative techniques. It's also important to apply criteria such as effectiveness, efficiency, feasibility, sustainability, and alignment with your company's mission when evaluating and selecting ideas. Additionally, you should test and refine your ideas through prototyping, feedback, and experimentation. Lastly, don't forget to communicate and present your solutions to stakeholders and decision-makers.

4 Implement and monitor solutions

The final step to align your CPS with your company's mission is to implement and monitor the chosen solutions to the problem. This involves creating an action plan with SMART goals, tasks, resources, timelines, and responsibilities. It is also important to coordinate and collaborate with your team, partners, and customers to execute the plan. Measuring and assessing the results and impacts of your solutions can be done by using indicators, metrics, and feedback to track and evaluate progress. Celebrating successes and learning from failures are also important parts of this process. Following these steps will help you align your CPS with your company's mission and create value for your organization and customers.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?