What Is Alignment?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary Alignment is...

A position of agreement or alliance

For a business this means that all areas will know WHAT is happening and crucially WHY it is happening.

This is not the same as all agreeing to everything but alignment does increase the chances of succeeding

It is the gentle art of making sure that everyone is pointing in the same direction

This sounds easy but it rarely is, as it requires consensus, if not an agreement and this can be hard to reach. The people involved will always have different perspectives and will place a different priority on different things.

Particularly in the early part of a project it needs to be part of every conversation and is likely to drive some conflict. 

When achieved though

1. It means that objectives and alternatives have been heard

Alignment is a process and a useful one. It can be contentious but discussion will test and refine an idea so that objections are aired and alternatives are considered. "Kicking the tyres" is a very useful exercise and the initiative will be better as a consequence.

2. It creates buy in

Buy in is essential for execution. Feeling that you have a stake in the outcome and an influence over the process brings out the best in most people.

Three groups of people will emerge

• The Evangelists - Loudly supportive of the initiative 
• The Neutrals - Neither one way or the other
• The Detractors - Disagree loudly with the initiative

Depending on what is being discussed we all fall into one of these camps but having a say will mean that we are more likely to support the activities even if we disagree.

3. Execution will be quicker

Alignment is time consuming it involves emotions and feelings as well as logic. Achieving it will generally mean that execution is a lot quicker. There will be greater in depth knowledge of direction and staff will

• More willingly engage with the activity required
• Will make better and higher value day to day decision

Achieving alignment early means that leaders will be able to lead and not micro manage

4. It engages the scale of an organisation

Leading change requires scale, no one person can do it all. Being able to scale up means pace or volume of activity or both.

It is truly remarkable what a team of motivated and skilled people can achieve no matter how complex the situation. They will always find opportunities to evolve and deliver.

This starts with alignment from top to bottom of an organisation

5. It encourages transparency

Transparency means no agendas, no hidden consequences, no politics. The process to achieve alignment, if managed well, will mean that an organisation will likely move towards being a more transparent one. An autocratic environment will be less likely to do so

Ever worked with a team that are truly all pointing in the same direction, even if they don't all agree with it. It is amazing what they can take on.

3 Tips to Achieving Alignment

• Make it part of every conversation - Alignment is a continuous process and will be needed for vision statements and in the detail of day to day execution.
• Be prepared for Conflict - Constructive conflict is almost always part of achieving alignment. Expect it, prepare for it, and keep the emotions in check.
• Take it to the coffee shop - Have serious disagreements in private, in person and in a relaxed environment. Listen first and put yourself in some one else's shoes.