The Myth of Corporate Alignment

“We need to make sure everyone’s aligned before moving forward.”

If you’ve spent more than a month in any corporate environment, you’ve heard this phrase. It sounds reasonable – even responsible. After all, who could argue against everyone being on the same page?

But after 25 years of watching “alignment” rituals play out across organizations of every size and sector, I’ve observed something troubling: alignment is rarely about actual coordination. Instead, it’s become corporate code for indecision, risk aversion, and maintaining power structures.

The Alignment Paradox

The more an organization talks about alignment, the less decisive action it typically takes. This isn’t coincidental – it’s causal. Here’s why:

True alignment takes hours. False alignment takes months.

When a team is genuinely working toward a clear objective with defined roles and responsibilities, alignment happens organically through focused work and clear communication. It’s efficient and energizing.

What most organizations call “alignment,” however, is actually an elaborate series of approval-seeking exercises designed to:

1. Diffuse Responsibility: By insisting that “everyone needs to be aligned,” no single person has to take accountability for a decision.

2. Maintain Power Hierarchies: Extended alignment processes ensure that decisions pass through every level of hierarchy, reinforcing who has veto power.

3. Create Decision Insurance: If something fails after “everyone was aligned,” no individual can be blamed.

The High Cost of False Alignment

This pathological approach to alignment extracts a massive toll:

• Opportunity Costs: While you’re aligning, competitors are acting. I once watched a company spend 4 months “aligning” on a market opportunity that vanished completely while they were still holding meetings.

• Employee Burnout: Nothing demoralizes capable people faster than endless alignment meetings where no decisions are made.

• Strategic Limbo: Organizations get stuck between strategies – unable to fully commit to new directions while still clinging to old ones.

• Reality Distortion: The alignment process often waters down bold ideas until they’re palatable to the most conservative voices in the room.

How to Recognize False Alignment

False alignment displays recognizable patterns:

• Meetings that end with scheduling more meetings
• Expanding invite lists (“We should get Marketing’s perspective on this technical implementation detail”)
• The appearance of new stakeholders late in the process
• Documentation that grows while action shrinks
• Decision criteria that keep shifting

Breaking the Alignment Trap

If you find yourself trapped in alignment quicksand, try these reality-based approaches:

1. Name the Pattern: Simply acknowledging “I think we’re in an alignment loop” can be powerful.

2. Request a Decision Deadline: “When is the latest we need to decide this to meet our objectives?”

3. Identify the Real Decider: “Who ultimately needs to make this call?” (Often the answer reveals there’s no single owner – a problem in itself.)

4. Right-Size the Alignment: “Who will be directly responsible for implementing this decision?” Those are the people who truly need to be aligned.

5. Create Smaller Decision Units: Break monolithic decisions into smaller components that can be owned by individuals or small teams.

Alignment vs. Informed Decision-Making

What organizations actually need is not endless alignment, but a clear process for informed decision-making:

• Who decides?
• Who needs to be consulted?
• Who needs to be informed?
• By when?
• With what information?

This framework accomplishes what alignment claims to want (coordinated action) without the paralyzing side effects.

The Reality Check

In reality-based organizations, alignment is a byproduct of clear purpose and decisive action, not a prerequisite for them.

Next time someone says “we need to get aligned,” try asking: “What specific decision are we avoiding by seeking more alignment?” The answer might reveal what’s really happening beneath the surface.

Are you trapped in alignment quicksand? Share your experiences in taking action despite “alignment” obstacles.