Business misalignment can limit your organisation’s ability to grow. It can lead to stagnation for your finances and dissatisfaction among your stakeholders. Fortunately, it is completely possible to realign your business and put the problem right.
In this blog, we look at what business misalignment is, how to recognise it and what you can do to fix it.
What is business misalignment?
Business misalignment is when one or more elements of the business are pulling in a different direction from the rest.
Sometimes, a business is not aligned with its external market. An example of this is trying to sell a product or service that there is no need for, or which is not different enough from a competitor’s offering.
Business misalignment might also be internal. Internal business misalignment is when different people or teams within one organisation are working towards different goals or with different purpose.
How do I know my business is suffering from misalignment?
If your business is misaligned, the chances are that the symptoms will be more obvious than the cause.
Leaders will probably see that growth slows because the offering is not aligned with the market opportunities.
You might also recognise that your organisation lacks focus because different stakeholders have different agendas and don’t pull together with strength and purpose. This lack of focus can lead to missed opportunities and low productivity.
How can I realign my business?
Once you’ve recognised that there is a problem and traced it back to business misalignment, it’s time to take action.
Start by identifying what part of your organisation is misaligned – the action you take will depend on what the problem is and where.
If the problem is internal, it’s time to talk. You might benefit from 360-degree feedback, where employees at all levels share their views of the organisation. This will show you how embedded your company values are, and how motivated your staff are.
Armed with this information, you can then address specific areas of misalignment. For example, you might see that your sales team are not hitting their targets because they are chasing leads in too many different markets. When this happens, working to refocus the sales team (and possibly the whole organisation) could lead to better quality leads and a higher rate of conversion.
Alternatively, you might choose to bring in outside support. A fresh pair of eyes might be able to identify the root of the problem – the first step to solving it. Coaches and consultants can help you identify the right direction for your business and refine goals and values. They’ll be able to suggest ways to disseminate the information too, ensuring that everyone receives the message. Ultimately, this will help your business unify and pull together towards a common goal.
Realign your business with support from Digital Clarity
We specialise in helping tech organisations find clarity, ultimately driving business growth through clear business messages and the setting of strategic marketing goals. Explore our blog posts to find out more.
