On Alignment

What does it mean to be aligned? We say “we’re aligned” as though everyone means the same thing. But depending on who is speaking, it can mean any of these things.

• “We share a vision or a set of values.”
• “Our leaders are giving us the same direction.”
• “We understand why something matters to someone else.”
• “We have signed off on our priorities.”
• “We have talked it through and come to see things the same way.”
• “We know how our values and long-term direction translate into the next 90 days.”

Half of these are about how the work gets done. The other half are about how we feel about the work and each other. We need both.

But agreement is not alignment. Neither is a good feeling at the end of a meeting. When each of us holds a different meaning, we can all say “we’re aligned” and still not agree on what happens next.

A weathervane is perfectly aligned with the wind. It moves every time the wind changes, but never an inch forward.

A team can do the same. We can agree with each new idea and adjust our plans without getting any closer to an outcome.

For a team, alignment means knowing four things.

1. Where we are going, and why.
2. The next few things we need to do to get there, and who owns each.
3. How decisions get made, including when we disagree.
4. How we will know we are making progress.

A shared vision gives us the first of these. It does not give us the other three.

We do not need to know every step in advance. We need enough clarity to take the next steps, learn from them, and decide what follows. That leaves room for people to use their judgment.

We also need to know which decisions we can make ourselves and when to involve other people. If we disagree, we need a way to reach a decision and get on with the work. We can disagree and still be aligned. We can prefer another approach and still commit to the one chosen.

How we check progress needs to be agreed before the work starts. If success means something different to each person, the work can be complete for one and barely started for another.

None of this means the plan is fixed. New evidence may show us a better way. When it does, we need to decide what changes, what we will stop or delay to make room, and tell everyone affected. People cannot stay aligned with a decision they do not know has changed. That is what separates changing course from turning with the wind.

To check our understanding, ask each person separately to explain those four things.

• Different answers give us something specific to resolve.
• Matching answers give us a plan we can act on.

Then hold each other accountable. Are we doing what we agreed? When something changes, does everyone hear about it?

If not, it does not matter how often we have said we’re aligned.