Thoughts on Alignment

I really like the thought of alignment, but it is really hard to put into practice. We see it in clearly in the world of sports, where coaches are able to get their players to understand and fulfill their roles. In organizations, it is harder to identify the skills and roles and objectives, which are more intangible that physical performance on a field. The leaders who can accomplish it are extremely gifted.

"My belief is that when you are in a culture where there is alignment, you do get a sense that everyone is clear about the purpose/ambition of the organization and how their role contributes to that. When people understand how what they do connects to the organization, and if the right systems and processes are in place for the work to get done, alignment can start to happen. On the flipside, I recently visited an organization, and depending who I spoke to, I got a different sense about the company. It felt as if the company had a split personality, maybe multiple personalities. It was clear to me that people were not focusing their energies towards the same goal. The departments weren't in 'relative position,' but rather opposition to each other.

I am not so naïve as to think that every person in an organization will head in the same direction. However, I get concerned when an organization seems scattered, vs. being drawn or pulled in the same direction.

That's my view. What's yours: Is there really such as thing as organizational alignment?"