Alignment” may sound like just another corporate buzzword you hear in meetings and forget by lunch. But here’s the thing: misalignment is usually invisible until it’s too late. When it finally shows up, it’s not just a hiccup, it can derail an entire company.
Think about it. Alignment means everyone understands who we’re building for, what problem we’re solving, and how we’ll measure success. When that breaks down, each team heads in a different direction. Hard work alone won’t get you to the finish line.
When companies lost their way
Kodak and the Digital Camera
In the 1970s, Kodak engineers created the first digital camera. Leadership, however, feared it would kill the film business. The innovation team saw the future, but executives resisted. This internal tug-of-war caused Kodak to miss the biggest shift in photography history.
Quibi’s Short-Lived Hype
Remember Quibi? The streaming startup that raised nearly $2 billion and launched with A-list talent. Marketing promised a revolution in short video, but the product was clunky and customers weren’t interested. Within six months, Quibi shut down. Teams weren’t aligned on the problem they were solving, or whether the market was ready for it.
BlackBerry’s Decline
At its peak, BlackBerry dominated the business smartphone market. But as Apple and Android redefined the user experience, BlackBerry doubled down on its iconic keyboard. Sales and marketing pushed one narrative, product insisted on another, and leadership hesitated. In 2010-2011, BlackBerry still held roughly 20% of the global smartphone market and more than 50% of the US market. Yet within a few years, it went from market leader to cautionary tale.
What Misalignment Looks Like Day-to-Day
It’s not always dramatic like Kodak or Quibi. More often, it shows up quietly:
- A strategy meeting where finance, sales, and product each bring different forecasts.
- A digital transformation project where new tools are launched, but no one adopts them.
- A product release where features don’t match what customers actually need.
- An AI initiative that looks good on slides but never moves beyond the pilot stage.
Why It Matters
Misalignment isn’t about lazy teams; it’s about unclear direction. It reflects a gap in understanding or belief in the strategy. People may work hard, but if they’re pulling in different directions, the business stalls.
The companies that navigate change best aren’t always the most innovative or the fastest. They’re the ones where leadership, teams, and execution stay in sync. Alignment and readiness give them the ability to adapt, scale, and win when others fall behind.
So, yes, alignment is very real. The only real question is: are you spotting your gaps before they cost you growth, customers, or even your future?
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