Why Misaligned Teams Will Kill Your Product —?And How to Stop It

Here’s the truth: Misaligned teams aren’t just an inconvenience. They’re a silent assassin, creeping into your product strategy and taking it apart piece by piece. If you’re not addressing alignment daily, you’re already losing.

Think of your product as a high-stakes negotiation. Every team? — ?engineering, design, marketing? — ?has its own agenda, its own needs, and its own “why.” If you’re not listening, asking the right questions, and bringing everyone to the table, you’ll never close the deal: a successful launch.

So, how do you fix it? You negotiate. But not the way you think.

I tried to apply some advice of one of my favorite authors Chris Voss to the IT industry.

Step 1: Create the Shared “North?Star”

In negotiations, Chris Voss teaches us to establish a common goal. With misaligned teams, that goal is your product’s North Star. Without it, everyone drifts.

• Tactical Tip: Frame it as a “why” question. Instead of saying, “We need to increase retention,” ask, “Why does this product exist for our users?” Anchor every discussion in this shared mission.

Example: When a project started spinning out of control with endless feature requests, I brought the team back to this: “Our goal is to solve [specific pain point]. Does this request contribute to that?” That single question killed the noise and focused the team.

Step 2: Listen Like Your Product Depends on?It

Voss’ principle of “tactical empathy” works wonders here. Misalignment often hides in the unspoken. Listen to what teams are really saying? — ?and what they’re not.

• Tactical Tip: Mirror their words. If marketing says, “We’re worried the feature isn’t ready for launch,” respond with, “You’re worried it’s not ready.” Then pause. They’ll elaborate, and that’s where the real problem surfaces.

Example: During a heated roadmap discussion, engineering kept pushing back on timelines. By mirroring, I uncovered the real issue: resource constraints. Once that was clear, we reallocated?—?and the tension vanished.

Step 3: Label the Pain?Points

Misalignment thrives on miscommunication. Label it directly. As Voss says, “The quickest way to deal with fear and anxiety is to confront it.” Don’t be afraid to name the elephant in the room.

• Tactical Tip: Use phrases like, “It seems like,” “It sounds like,” or “It feels like.” This shows you’re listening and diffuses defensiveness.

Example: In a sprint planning meeting, I said, “It seems like there’s frustration around unclear priorities.” Heads nodded. That single statement opened the door to honest conversations.

Step 4: Calibrate Your Questions

Great negotiators don’t ask yes-or-no questions. They use calibrated ones to guide the conversation. You can do the same to align your teams.

• Tactical Tip: Ask open-ended questions like, “How does this decision impact your team’s goals?” or “What’s the biggest obstacle to hitting this deadline?”

Example: During a feature prioritization session, asking, “What does success look like for you?” uncovered conflicting definitions across teams. Clarifying that upfront saved weeks of rework.

Step 5: Get Everyone to Say “That’s?Right”

The goal isn’t agreement for agreement’s sake. It’s shared understanding. As Voss says, “That’s right” is more powerful than “You’re right.” Aim for alignment, not compliance.

• Tactical Tip: Summarize the discussion and ask, “Is that right?” Keep refining until you get the nods.

Example: After a roadmap review, I recapped: “So, we’re prioritizing feature X because it aligns with user needs and fits our timeline. That’s right?” Everyone agreed. No surprises later.

The Cost of Misalignment

Misaligned teams cost time, money, and morale. A single misstep can derail your product, leading to missed deadlines, frustrated users, and broken trust. But alignment? That’s where magic happens.

What’s your strategy for aligning teams? Drop your tips in the comments?—?let’s learn from each other!