Imagine the scene, you’re a member of the team responsible for building the Great Pyramid in Giza. The work is tough; the desert is hot and sandy, but despite this you know your role, you possess the necessary skills, you're excited and take pride in contributing to this amazing endeavour. 

Are We Building a Pyramid or the Sphinx?

One day, your team is working alongside other gangs, pulling a massive stone across the desert, all aiming to reach the top of the pyramid. Suddenly, the weight your dragging feels significantly heavier. Curious, you look back and notice the workers from another gang have stopped pulling and are now sitting down.

You call out, "What are you doing? Why have you stopped? Why are you just sitting there?". "It's our lunch break" they reply. You’re confused, “Lunch? No one said anything about lunch. We've been told the stone must reach the top of the pyramid by 2pm, and only then can we take a break." This is not good, you’re going to get whipped, so you decide to put in more effort and pull harder.

Soon, you notice the stone veering off to the side. Looking over, you see a team on the left actively pulling the stone away from its intended path. You shout, "Oi, what you doing? If you're not careful, we'll end up at the Sphinx!". "That's where we've been told it’s going!" they respond.

Frustrated, you realize the confusion. If you’re not careful you’re going to get whipped. You put your head down and pull, now working much harder, compensating for the gang on lunch and struggling against the Sphinx gang, who are pulling in a different direction.

Suddenly, the gang master begins whipping you. "Why have you started whipping us? We are on schedule and heading in the right direction. That’s just hurting us and slowing us down!" The gang master responds indifferently, "Not my problem mate. I don't care if the stone gets there or not; I'm getting paid for the number of lashes I give you!"

While this scenario may sound ridiculous, similar misalignments occur in businesses every day—competing goals, unclear purposes, conflicting messages, and misaligned incentives. Without clear alignment, work becomes more difficult, and it's easy to end up building the wrong thing, in the wrong place, or encouraging teams to focus only on their own short-term interests.

What Is Alignment?

Alignment is about ensuring everyone is working toward the same goal, with every effort directed and coordinated. It means all actions are consistent, everyone understands the desired outcomes, and the boundaries within which they should operate. Returning to the Egyptian example, true alignment means everyone knows where the stone is going, when it needs to arrive, and all activities and incentives are organized solely to achieve that objective. 

So How do we get Aligned?

1. Clarify Goals, Outcomes, and Requirements

Ensure that goals, outcomes, and requirements are absolutely clear to everyone involved.

2. Align Purpose

• Why are you here?
• What needs to be achieved?
• When does it need to be completed?
• How does your individual work contribute to the overall goal?
• Why should this goal matter to you?

3. Align Behaviour

• How will you achieve your goals?
• What behaviours, working methods, and actions are required?
• Are these approaches consistent across teams and departments?
• Is everyone aiming for the same outcomes?
• Are there ambiguous, isolated, or misaligned activities forming?

4. Align Metrics

• How will progress be measured?
• Do the metrics track the right things and encourage the right actions?
• Are they giving an accurate picture?
• Are they motivating everyone in the same direction?

5. Align Incentives

• Do rewards encourage the desired behaviours and actions?
• Are all incentives supporting the same outcome?
• Is there any conflict or misalignment between teams or with the overall business goal?

6. Communicate

Above all, communicate. Make sure everyone understands, agrees with, and is committed to the shared goals and processes.

7. Consider Consequences

Always check for second - and third-order consequences. The impact of different metrics, departmental goals, or behaviours may not be obvious at first, but their interactions can have unforeseen effects. Take time to review, and don't be afraid to make changes as needed.

And Finally

Getting everyone and everything aligned in a business isn’t easy—it takes real effort to keep incentives, communication, and outcomes working together. It can be a skilful juggling act to make sure all teams are heading in the same direction, championing the right behaviours and most importantly communicating regularly. When leaders keep the conversation going, it sets the tone for teamwork and long-lasting success.