A Word About the Critical Role of Organizational Alignment in Achieving Outcomes

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Five years ago, I found myself drafting an email response to a C-suite colleague at a higher education institution where I was trying to reframe the source of his outward frustration. Recently, while sifting through old files, I stumbled upon this correspondence and it struck a chord as it highlighted a troubling yet all-too-common scenario in many organizations: a disconnect in organizational alignment.

In the email above, I expressed concern about the widening gap between the fundraising activities he was overseeing and the marketing resources available to support these initiatives. While the fundraising team was aggressively expanding, the marketing team wasn’t, and the shift in resources wasn't broadly communicated across the institution.

This imbalance was causing a significant strain, where the central marketing team was put in a position where we lacked a cohesive strategy in the alumni communications and marketing efforts and had little choice but to rely on third-party vendors without clear direction to meet deadlines set by others. In other words, alumni marketing was devolving into a reactive, task-driven structure instead of the proactive, ROI-driven unit it had become under my direction. And I knew I had to do something to stop this trend...

Alas, such scenarios are not uncommon in the business world. In fact, it was the basis of Patrick Lencioni’s book “The Five Dysfunctions of Team.” When different departments within an organization fail to align their goals and resources, the entire company suffers. (One of the key dysfunctions Lencioni discusses is the lack of commitment, which he argues is rooted in the absence of clarity or buy-in.) From a marketing perspective, it becomes an enormous challenge to maintain a consistent brand message, optimize resources efficiently, and achieve desired outcomes without systemic alignment.

But alignment doesn’t just mean creating a strategic plan; it means building collaborative strategies. For instance, integrating marketing efforts with fundraising initiatives can significantly enhance the impact of both while creating more efficient processes that can be adopted across the institution. This might involve coordinated messaging, shared use of digital platforms, updates to the org chart, or joint planning sessions to align strategies and goals.

Beyond that, it’s imperative that leadership views the opportunity cost of this type of reactive management structure. When resources are disproportionately allocated to one business goal at the expense of others, it can significantly hinder a company's ability to optimize growth and dilute the brand.

Organizational alignment starts with clear communication and collaborative thinking – something I value today in my role as the Chief Marketing Officer of Incompass Human Services . Our leadership team meets regularly and we have established a foundation of trust. We are now engaging in an agency-wide data governance initiative, working collaboratively with a team of consultants from Clarasys , so that we can better demonstrate our impact in the community and optimize our outcomes. Our CEO has also kicked off an executive coaching initiative with Phoenix Performance Partners that is bringing the leadership team together to ensure we are effectively supporting each other and are aligned in our strategic goals.

It's a powerful initiative that has been the catalyst for some deep introspection. Leaders must ensure that every team member understands the company’s overarching goals and how their individual roles contribute to achieving these objectives. You can't assume this to be true!

Regular cross-departmental meetings, transparent communication channels, and shared performance metrics can help in building this understanding while motivating every employee in your organization. In hindsight, absent this there was no way I could have effectively supported my colleague's ambitious goals - even though I was on board with his plan to diversify our revenue and exponentially grow fundraising.

Looking back, I realize that this was a valuable learning experience. Flexibility and adaptability are necessary traits in an age where the pace of change moves faster than ever, but these departmental goals must evolve at the organizational level as well. Today, I find myself wondering what could have been if this approach had been in place five years ago...

Now it's your turn...does this resonate with you? Have you had similar experiences rooted in a disconnect? How are you handling it?