What comms means when we talk about alignment
Every leader talks about the importance of alignment, but few truly understand what it looks like or how to build it. Not to mention when we talk about alignment, it’s vague and doesn’t resonate… So what does it actually mean? Well, we see it everywhere: new strategies, rebrands, reorganisations, “culture refreshes.”
According to Zora Artis, expert in the alignment space, the language of change fills town halls and intranets, yet somewhere between the message and the meaning, something slips. Employees nod along, but clarity doesn’t always follow and while teams work hard, they may not always work in the same direction. Which happens to be the quiet cost of misalignment.
The difference between alignment and agreement
Alignment isn’t necessarily everyone agreeing, but rather everyone sharing an understanding of purpose and how that guides decisions, behaviours, and priorities. In fact, a team can debate, disagree and still be aligned, as long as everyone understands why they’re doing the work, where they’re headed, and how success will be measured.
Without that shared clarity, alignment begins to unravel quietly:
Meetings fill with polite but unproductive conversation.
Projects overlap or contradict.
Leaders make assumptions about understanding that don’t reflect reality.
Individuals start optimising for their own goals instead of the organisation’s.
When that happens, people don’t disengage overnight, they drift, and by the time leadership notices, the gap between intention and execution is wide.
Alignment is a leadership skill
Alignment isn’t built by accident, or by a single communication campaign. It’s built through deliberate leadership habits. Which is why truly aligned organisations tend to have leaders who:
Articulate purpose clearly – not as a slogan, but as a compass for decisions.
Communicate consistently – even when the message evolves.
Invite feedback – and act on what they hear.
Model accountability – so that values aren’t just words, but visible behaviours.
These leaders understand that alignment is emotional as much as intellectual. It’s not enough for people to know the strategy, they need to believe in it and see themselves in it.
The three elements of organisational flow
High-performing organisations tend to share three traits:
Alignment – a shared understanding of what matters most.
Cohesion – teams that collaborate and communicate effectively.
Commitment – ownership and accountability at every level.
When all three exist together, work feels purposeful because people know not just what they’re doing, but why it matters. That’s when an organisation hits what some leaders call “flow”, where momentum builds naturally and progress feels almost effortless.
How communicators help leaders create alignment
While alignment begins with leadership, it’s sustained by communication that aren’t just messages, but meaning-making. Skilled communicators help leaders:
Translate complex strategies into stories that make sense.
Spot and bridge gaps in understanding before they become resistance.
Create two-way dialogue where people feel heard, not herded.
Reinforce clarity through rhythm, not just once-off updates, but ongoing conversations.
When communication works this way, it becomes less about pushing out information and more about cultivating shared purpose.
Alignment is never finished
The hard truth is: alignment isn’t a box to tick. It shifts as your strategy, people, and environment evolve. Which is why great leaders treat alignment as a discipline, something that requires curiosity, humility, and persistence. They revisit the “why” often and listen for signs of drift, because they understand that clarity is fragile and it needs to be renewed constantly.
