Why alignment is critical for organisational success
Photo by Arjan de Jong
It’s a hard market out there with fierce competition, global and economic events creating an ever-changing landscape, and problems moving from technical and logical in nature to complex and downright chaotic. And that’s before we even get to internal challenges like infighting, silos, and unproductive cultures.
However, when an organisation is in sync, from the boardroom to the frontlines, everything flows towards the desired destination. Decisions get made faster and more effectively, teams pull together, and the entire organisation becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
You know what it’s like when alignment is off, even just a little, it doesn’t take long before fractures start to show. A healthy flowing river becomes a plethora of streams, all moving in slightly different directions and pace, diluting the overall potency, and some not making it to the agreed destination at all.
So, what exactly does alignment look like? Let’s dive in.
1. CEO and Board alignment – setting the tone from the top
When the CEO and the board are on the same page, it sets a powerful example for the rest of the organisation. If they’re at odds, it creates confusion, silos and sends mixed signals to employees. A united front at the top provides clarity and confidence, making it easier for everyone else to follow suit.
2. Executive team alignment – pulling in the same direction
A well-aligned executive team can make or break an organisation’s ability to execute its strategy. When execs work together, sharing information freely and making decisions with the big picture in mind, forward momentum is gained and everyone shares the win. But if they’re pulling in different directions, it creates bottlenecks, slows everything down, and creates division and competing priorities.
3. Purpose, ambition, and strategy alignment – bridging the gap
It’s one thing to have a bold ambition and quite another to have a strategy that can actually deliver it. Purpose gives people a reason to care, ambition sets the bar high, and strategy is the roadmap to get there. When all three are aligned, it creates a powerful sense of direction and focus.
For example, if your purpose is to revolutionise customer experience, but your strategy is focused purely on cost-cutting, you’ll end up frustrating both your employees and your customers. And if your ambition is to expand globally but your strategy doesn’t address scaling operations or managing remote teams, you’re setting yourself up to fail.
Aligning purpose, ambition, and strategy ensures that everyone understands the “why,” the “what,” and the “how” – making it much easier to pull together towards common goals.
4. Values and decision-making alignment – walking the talk
It’s one thing to have a shiny set of corporate values on your walls and website and another to make decisions based on them. When values that align with your purpose and strategy guide decision-making and actions, it builds trust and credibility both internally and externally. Misalignment here not only frustrates employees but also erodes trust with customers and stakeholders.
5. Strategy and business goals alignment – keeping your eye on the prize
Alignment between strategy and business goals ensures that resources are spent wisely and that every initiative is a step towards achieving the bold ambition. A strategy that doesn’t directly support business goals is like setting off on a road trip without a map – you’ll waste time, resources, and energy going nowhere.
6. Departmental alignment – breaking down silos
Trickling on down, departments need to work together seamlessly, sharing information and collaborating towards common goals. Misalignment here leads to silos, where teams act in isolation, often duplicating work or even working against each other’s efforts. Breaking down these silos is essential for a smooth, well-oiled machine. And the only way to do this properly is with authentic alignment to and understanding of the big picture.
7. Project priorities and business goals alignment – focus on what matters
Projects should move the needle towards achieving business goals. Misaligned initiatives and projects are a costly distraction. Focusing on projects that directly support business goals ensures resources and time are spent on what truly matters, preventing teams from getting bogged down in low-impact work.
8. Communication alignment – one message, one voice
Ensuring that everyone, from the C-suite to frontline employees, gets the same information - in a way they can understand - is vital. Aligned communication builds trust, prevents misunderstandings, and makes sure everyone knows what they need to do and why. Whereas mixed messages cause chaos and confusion, and no messages at all result in people making up their own stories.
9. Reward and incentive alignment – rewarding the right things
What you reward you retain, and what you ignore you accept. So make sure both your reward and your disciplinary processes are aligned to how you want to operate and where you want to get to. Are you choosing supportive and empowering or at-any-cost?
If rewards and incentives aren’t aligned with the organisation’s strategy and values, they can lead to all sorts of bad behaviour and missed opportunities. Getting this alignment right means making sure that bonuses, promotions, and recognition actually encourage the behaviours and outcomes that support the company’s goals – not just short-term wins.
10. Cultural alignment – creating a cohesive workplace
Wrapping around all of the above is cultural alignment. Culture isn’t about social events and casual Fridays. Culture is ‘the way we do things’ and ‘the unwritten ground rules of working here’. It’s how people think, feel and act at work every single day.
When culture aligns with the company’s goals and values, it fosters a more engaged, productive workforce. It’s a fact that when people have clarity of their role, goals, and how it all connects to the big picture (and are recognised for their contribution), they are more likely to thrive. Cultural misalignment, on the other hand, leads to high turnover or worse, people stay and poison the waters from within.
To recap, benefits of alignment include:
Save money by focusing efforts and investments on things that really matter.
Funding projects that move the needle in the right direction and with optimal impact.
Breaking down silos and increasing collaboration
Retain top talent by maximising clarity and minimising frustration and burnout.
Fostering creative thinking and innovation with intention
Don’t be fooled, the time, money and effort needed to get aligned is far less than the cost of staying misaligned. Left unattended, misalignment will run your metaphorical river (not to mention your profit margin) dry.
Realigning for success
If your organisation isn’t firing on all cylinders, chances are you’ve got an alignment problem. The good news? Getting aligned is our jam. At DISCO Consulting, we specialise in helping teams and organisations identify misalignment, get on the same page, and build a clear path forward.
Whether it’s getting your executive team to pull together (ask about our Leadership Alignment Reality Check diagnostic), ensuring your projects actually support your strategy, or making sure your culture reflects your values, we’ve got you covered.
Ready to realign and thrive? Reach out to DISCO Consulting today and let’s get your organisation working as one.
Katy Cooper is an experienced Futurist, trained through The Institute for the Future, POLI-Design at Milan POLI.technic and Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies. She has also studied Disruptive Innovation with INSEAD. She holds a Graduate Diploma of Management (GradDipMgt) from Australian Institute of Business. Katy is an exceptional Experience Designer and Facilitator. She helps organisations and communities build strategic plans and leadership capability for a future they can’t see yet through her foresight-driven, whole systems design practice.