Write Your Playbook for Sustainable Decision-Making

Editor’s note: This piece is part of our Columnist Network series, which explores the tactical thoughts and actions from Adweek’s community of high-level experts. Today’s column is the second installment in Jonathan Hanson's series on sustainability. Below, he reflects on internal decision-making as an indicator of long-term brand success. This past week, I’ve been thinking back on a conversation I had with Rita Katona, founder of probiotic juice brand So Good So You, on the business podcast Conquer the Noise. She told me, “Having a philosophy that is people- and planet-first is the right decision for long-term longevity and profitability of a business.” While I fully agree with this statement, it’s not what I want to dig into. What I've been thinking about is how one makes the “right decision” and how leadership can empower their teams to make these decisions on behalf of the brand, creating a sustainable process inside the company. As remote teams have become the norm, independent decision-making is more prevalent as workers find themselves more siloed. I want to focus on ways brand leaders can unite their teams so every decision is made in the spirit of the brand's positioning, values and mission, and teams can grow sustainably in tandem with the brand. A good test is to ask yourself: If we no longer had our core team, could the brand move forward in the same spirit and direction? Why good decisions matter Effective decision-making that is connected and contextualized around the brand positioning, values and mission allows teams to have clarity on potentially vague considerations. Uncertainty can create decision paralysis, so giving teams a guide to make decisions can help them do so more confidently, efficiently and with better outcomes. Decisions are not made in a vacuum—they can ripple through an organization and affect other decisions down the line, compounding the speed at which off-brand moves take root. Why Investing in Women’s Sports Is a ‘Savvy Business Decision’ Bain & Company, a management consulting firm, surveyed executives across 760 companies with at least $1 billion in revenue to see how decision-making and financial performance were connected. They assessed decisions as right or wrong by interviewing stakeholders about the outcome of those decisions, the speed of responses, how well those responses created action and the amount of time or expense they required. The results showed that decision effectiveness and financial success were related: Those who were successful at decision-making averaged out 6% greater returns than those who weren’t. Get the team on the same page Decisions don’t stand on their own. One decision can affect many others down the line, so connecting them on all levels of the organization through a shared system can help keep the best interest of the organization top of mind. Much of the knowledge and values that go into forming a company live in the minds of the founders. As that team grows and the brand develops, institutional knowledge becomes a way of working that leaves the ins and outs known but undocumented. At a certain point, it’s no longer efficient or accurate for informing decisions. In order to live out the values that go into internal decision-making, and that ultimately share the brand story with the world, brands need to create a Brand DNA Book to serve as a source of truth and map a pathway for employees to make informed decisions. A Brand DNA Book goes far beyond fonts or color usage—it is accessible documentation of the brand and why it exists, clearly articulating how team members can be an extension of the brand. It’s important for an organization to be consistent regardless of where their teams are and who their customers are. Prioritize the most important messaging I cannot stress enough how important the end goal is when guiding decision-making. Leading with the most important goals, and the messaging that supports them, with the Brand DNA Book can help set a path to decision-making that ladders directly back to your goals. Goals can focus on brand image, sustainability, customer service or developing an internal culture where employees become the brand's greatest ambassadors. Ultimately, they should support the vision of the company, not just the bottom line. Working for a company can be a “choose your own adventure” story, so when bubbling up the most important pieces of information first, it helps team members choose the next best steps and course-correct when needed. The framework shouldn’t be so rigid that it encourages people to not pivot when presented with new information. When employees follow a clear playbook on what the brand does and doesn't do—one that outlines values and communicates the big picture—it can inform employees on how to make the right decision. Creating a framework does not guarantee accuracy in the decision, but it will help with the speed they are made, build trust and autonomy as well as require a brand to fully think through what they stand for. This approach is a departure from a bureaucratic structure that creates room for self-mastery and job satisfaction. In the end, success looks like an army of brand stewards, empowered by a consistent and clear understanding of how the brand informs internal and external decision-making that is done in a sustainable way. Matthew McConaughey Is #TeamEarth in Salesforce’s Galvanizing Sustainability Campaign