In business we hear this all the time, “We need to be aligned.” Have you wondered why alignment is so important? Let me use an example to explain. If you own a car, you’ll know it’s important for all 4 wheels to be aligned. Maintaining proper wheel alignment is essential to avoid unnecessary wear on your tyres, steering, suspension, and brakes.
The benefits of accurate wheel alignment are it optimises driving stability, maximises tyre life, and improves your vehicle's overall handling performance.
Now let me replace a few key words from my last comment to illustrate how vehicle wheel alignment is a perfect example for showing why alignment is also important to business.
Here we go.
Maintaining organisational alignment is essential to avoid unnecessary confusion for your leaders, managers, and staff.
The benefits of accurate organisational alignment are it optimises business stability, maximises the life of the business, and improves its overall performance.
Pretty similar, right?
At a senior level of an organization, alignment provides greater clarity around who holds the decision rights in the organization for a particular area of work. Organizational alignment allows employees to focus on their work and on being productive, rather than figuring out who is supposed to do what and who needs to be consulted when making decisions.
Alignment simply means things are arranged in a straight line, or something is in a correct or appropriate position.
Today’s takeaway tip is to make sure your leaders – and that includes you – are aligned and working towards the company’s goals. Make sure all staff member’s daily actions are aligned to those goals.
And here’s a bonus tip from my experience archives. Using a software tool to establish and maintain alignment means you won’t face as many challenges that come with managing human behaviour. It takes all the emotion out of it and replaces it with a process.
My parting quote for today is, "To be on the same page, we first must be reading the same book."