What We Feel: Employees want. Customers want. Investors want. Board members want. Family wants. Keeping everyone aligned is hard. Keeping everyone happy is daunting.

In the beginning of your entrepreneurial venture, there are many competing priorities. Your employees, vendors, customers, and investors also have different interests, and it is common to have these interests in competition at all stages of the business.

Your inclination, and certainly mine, was to conclude that it was unnecessary and time consuming—and probably impossible—to establish an overarching procedure for making decisions. However, if you don’t make what seems obvious to you (making decisions based on what’s best for the business) clear to all, you may find your team and the other resources you interact with, developing an unhealthy sense of entitlement as your organization grows and your market presence increases. Don’t assume everyone is on the same page.

Your Change in Perspective: The only criteria for making decisions is what is in the best interest of the business. By establishing this principle, you set criteria for decision-making that everyone understands, and is expected to share. This will serve you well in a variety of situations, including employee compensation, vendor negotiations, or internal conflicts—whether it’s a disagreement between employees, a necessary disciplinary action, or an employee complaint of unfair treatment. When everyone has the best interest of the business at heart, the hard decisions will be a little easier to make.

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