Why Organisational Misalignment Is So Costly
People and performance impacts every leader should pay attention to
In business, success depends on the ability of leaders, teams, and functions to work effectively together.
Alignment ensures that everyone—regardless of role or level—understands the overarching vision and goals, works toward shared priorities, and communicates effectively.
When alignment is strong, employees trust each other, make better decisions, and deliver consistent results. Conversely, when alignment is weak, there’s a domino effect of issues: confusion, dysfunction, and frustration, all of which impacts the wellbeing and productivity of employees and the business.
Below illustrates the cascading effects when leaders and teams are not aligned to each other or to the organisations strategic goals.
Lack of Alignment - Leaders and teams don’t share a clear vision or direction.
Lack of Communication - Direction isn’t clear, and communication becomes haphazard and inconsistent.
Lack of Trust - Incomplete or missing information can result in people feeling skeptical of each other’s motives.
Lack of Focus - Uncertainty and doubt lead to scattered efforts and attention.
Lack of Progress - With priorities unclear and teams unfocused, moving projects forward becomes an uphill battle.
Lack of Results - Predictably, stalled progress translates to missed targets and poor outcomes.
Lack of Decisions - Without reliable data or consensus, leadership hesitates to make bold calls, increasing indecision.
More Assumptions, Judgments, and Bias - the absence of clarity, people fill in knowledge gaps with speculation, often leading to biased thinking.
Less Inclusion - Assumptions marginalise key voices, leading to exclusionary behaviour or submission to maintain status quo.
Less Collaboration - As inclusion wanes, teams become fragmented, and cooperation declines significantly.
Less Willingness to Contribute - When people feel unheard, energy and motivation plummet.
Less Connection - A breakdown in willingness to engage ultimately reduces a sense of belonging and connectedness.
Less Respect - Disconnection and low morale breed resentment and a lack of regard for others.
High Turnover - Dissatisfied employees inevitably leave, and the cycle restarts with even less alignment among those who remain.
When we see how one disconnect leads to the next, it’s easier to understand why organisational misalignment is so costly and why aligning leaders and teams is critical.
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