When everything shifts—strategy, market, product—the real work isn’t execution. It’s alignment.This week’s Systems & Side Eyes dives into how teams can reset, get clear on “what changed vs. what stays true,” and rebuild their GTM motion with confidence.
This is so true. Much of leadership (Lencioni Esq) is about alignment ie regardless of how big the rowers are in a dragon boat the most aligned team will cut thru the water faster. In most of my many businessss I'm asking 2 simple questions 1. What are optimising for that creates the most kinetic energy into our flywheel (at Notion that's finding & winning the best deals - we do that & we scale faster and faster or in other words it gets easier and easier if all things stay the same). & 2. Who's Prices Law - the law that has driven my career. The smallest group(s) of people in the company who create the most amount of value ie so disproportionate value. Get 1 & 2 nailed and aligned and you're unstoppable 📈
I love the way you frame your two questions. In early-stage teams I usually see the breakdown right between them: they haven’t actually agreed on what they’re optimizing for, so even the high-leverage people end up rowing in different directions.
When those two pieces do snap together everything downstream gets easier: GTM, onboarding, even product calls.
Thanks for adding this. such a good lens to bring into the conversation.
Systems alignment (just like wheel alignment on your car) needs to be intentional and adjusted regularly to keep up with potholes and speed bumps. And the curves ahead.
I often picture teams like a group carrying a long piece of timber.
If even one person tilts slightly, everyone feels the strain. Your post gets right to that truth, that alignment isn’t a “nice to have”, it is the work.
In my world with the 5 Voices, misalignment usually reveals itself through the quieter voices being drowned out. Nurturers feel the tension first, Guardians spot the gaps, Creatives sense the drift, Connectors try to hold the pieces together, and Pioneers keep moving forward hoping momentum will fix it. Until the whole group pauses, the drift keeps widening.
Way more than a meeting. We're not even a big company and it's critical to have consistent alignment. You can't push through just to get stuff done. GTM must have understanding from all internal parties to that it can deliver the same to the external.
So true! I’ve seen it where small companies are even worse sometimes. They think they’re all well connected internally and communicating well, but things still slip.
This is so true. Much of leadership (Lencioni Esq) is about alignment ie regardless of how big the rowers are in a dragon boat the most aligned team will cut thru the water faster. In most of my many businessss I'm asking 2 simple questions 1. What are optimising for that creates the most kinetic energy into our flywheel (at Notion that's finding & winning the best deals - we do that & we scale faster and faster or in other words it gets easier and easier if all things stay the same). & 2. Who's Prices Law - the law that has driven my career. The smallest group(s) of people in the company who create the most amount of value ie so disproportionate value. Get 1 & 2 nailed and aligned and you're unstoppable 📈
I love the way you frame your two questions. In early-stage teams I usually see the breakdown right between them: they haven’t actually agreed on what they’re optimizing for, so even the high-leverage people end up rowing in different directions.
When those two pieces do snap together everything downstream gets easier: GTM, onboarding, even product calls.
Thanks for adding this. such a good lens to bring into the conversation.
My pleasure ⭐ brilliant work by the way & so thanks for sharing great content Katie ✨
When everything is in flux, the most important work is getting everyone on the same page. Alignment is the foundation.
Wtf literally just finished with a client 10 min and this was the crux of the whole discussion. So timely it's scary 🫣
LOL welllll we knew we are meant to be friends. Didn't know I was picking up your signals this well, though.
Systems alignment (just like wheel alignment on your car) needs to be intentional and adjusted regularly to keep up with potholes and speed bumps. And the curves ahead.
I often picture teams like a group carrying a long piece of timber.
If even one person tilts slightly, everyone feels the strain. Your post gets right to that truth, that alignment isn’t a “nice to have”, it is the work.
In my world with the 5 Voices, misalignment usually reveals itself through the quieter voices being drowned out. Nurturers feel the tension first, Guardians spot the gaps, Creatives sense the drift, Connectors try to hold the pieces together, and Pioneers keep moving forward hoping momentum will fix it. Until the whole group pauses, the drift keeps widening.
This is a fantastic visual!
Love this. Alignment always feels like ‘slowing down’ until you realize it’s the only way to move fast without breaking everything.
The ‘what changed vs what stays true’ question is pure gold 🙏
Thanks Anthony! Felt like a very basic post to share, but sometimes that’s what is needed.
Alignment always shows up before any real progress does.
If we're not IN alignment, we're OUT OF alignment... and growth is really not possible and a huge struggle.
Way more than a meeting. We're not even a big company and it's critical to have consistent alignment. You can't push through just to get stuff done. GTM must have understanding from all internal parties to that it can deliver the same to the external.
So true! I’ve seen it where small companies are even worse sometimes. They think they’re all well connected internally and communicating well, but things still slip.