Alignment as the World of Modern Business

¶ … Alignment

As the world of modern business becomes increasingly interconnected, with multinational conglomerates controlling several companies, each of which manages multilayered staff of employees, the complexity of global commerce necessitates the use of clearly shaped leadership strategies. Among the most powerful tools to emerge during the last few decades of hyperactive international commerce is the concept of alignment, which describes the philosophy of devising a united message for an entire organization, and delivering that message to every chain within the overall organizational structure. With an array of vice presidents, executive officers and board members typically guiding a corporation's public actions, the privately held views of these integral components can often lead to competition, debate and dissension. When a company has fully applied the concept of alignment to its operations, however, "the synergy of direction, up, down, and across an organization" (Matha & Boehm 118) maximizes production because every member of the team is motivated by a shared sense of mission. Fostering a genuine felling of allegiance between the various segments of an organization is essential to maintaining a productive atmosphere, because the fact that "alignment or misalignment of leaders across hierarchical levels may enhance or detract from the successful implementation of a strategic initiative" (O'Reilly 105) has been firmly established by comprehensive studies of organizational structure. From the policymaking of political entities to the pursuit of profit by private enterprise, the objectives of every complex organization are best achieved when a philosophy of alignment is emphasized.

Organizational alignment allows leaders to communicate efficiently and effectively with key stakeholders throughout their organization, a foundational group of functional assets spanning the spectrum from temporary employees to tenured executives. Leadership efficacy research has consistently demonstrated that when "effective leaders & #8230; involve seasoned leaders up and down the organization in designing and implementing tactical initiatives," the ensuing process of productive "alignment begins with the top leadership of an organization, but then extends through management ranks" (Matha & Boehm 118). Many of the alignment-building techniques commonly used by Fortune 500 companies and other successful organizations focus on cooperative collaboration, wherein leaders interact directly with their subordinates to express the importance of adhering to a fundamental set of strategic aims. From instituting a policy of multiyear working groups to developing interactive team building exercises (Matha & Boehm 119); the organizations most capable of adapting to external market conditions are those which actively promote their own brand of organizational alignment. The most effective executives and managers are those who "consider the degree of alignment that exists between competitive situation, strategy, organization culture and leadership style" (Chorn 20), because empirical analysis has confirmed that truly synergistic alignment "occurs when the logic sets in these four elements bear a close similarity to each other" (Chorn 23). When leaders actively and earnestly "seek to improve internal and external organizational alignment by developing institutional strategic plans & #8230; to suit changing conditions" (Pearson & Trevitt 88), the resulting rise in productivity through enhanced efficiency has been observed to be a far more lasting form of organizational improvement.

While the model of alignment can be applied to the intricate networks supporting every complex organization, individuals can also use these concepts to augment their ability to communicate effectively. After reviewing the material on organizational alignment, I found that many of these precepts could be readily adapted to fit my own life, and soon I found myself trying to create synergy between my school studies, my professional obligations, and my private ambitions. The guidance provided in the textbook advises us to remember that "alignment must be confirmed, though, not assumed" (Matha & Boehm 119) proved to be especially pertinent to my personal situation, when balancing my demanding schedules at both school and work proved to be more difficult than I had expected. Although I had previously informed my managers at work that I needed specific days and hours off for class, an arrangement which was seemingly made without complication, I was shocked to find that I had been scheduled to work on the same day as a crucial in-class review. Rather than panic, however, I found myself remembering the idea that "through communication you can surface issues, identify whether disagreements are real or perceived, and address them through conversation and dialogue" (Matha & Boehm 119), and with the concept of alignment still fresh in my mind, I met with my manager at work to discuss the situation. After presenting my case in a clear and concise manner, she remembered my earlier scheduling requests and rectified the dilemma, shifting my shift to another day and allowing me the opportunity to attend a critical classroom activity.