Get Purpose-driven Horizontal Alignment

After receiving feedback from an early book reader of my book, Purposeful Performance, I felt humbled that he thoroughly enjoyed it and had several points to share. One of their comments stood out, mentioning the importance of companies focusing on horizontal alignment when striving for a purpose-driven approach. He also pointed out the significance of breaking down silos within organizations to achieve a cultural mindset. While I touched on vertical and horizontal alignment in my book, this reader makes a valid point.

So, what exactly is horizontal alignment? It refers to synchronizing efforts and objectives across different departments and functions. Collaborating across departments means all teams and individuals work towards a common goal rather than pursuing separate agendas.

Although often overlooked, horizontal alignment should be a priority for purpose-driven companies. By including horizontal alignment as an internal goal, you foster cooperation and cohesion among team members. When everyone is working together towards a shared purpose, it not only creates a sense of teamwork but also leads to more efficient and effective operations.

One of the biggest obstacles to achieving horizontal alignment is the existence of silos within organizations. Silos refer to isolated groups or departments that operate independently from one another. Silos at work lead to conflicting goals, limited communication and knowledge sharing, and a lack of understanding or appreciation for other areas of the business. So where do silos come from?

Silos are often formed as companies grow and add new teams or departments without adequately integrating them into existing structures. However, they can also result from hierarchical organizational structures prioritizing vertical reporting lines over cross-functional collaboration.

Regardless of how they are formed, silos can hinder an organization's ability to become purpose-driven. They create barriers between departments and prevent the flow of information and ideas required for aligning with a common purpose. Misalignment is the enemy of a higher cause.

Imagine a company that expanded its operations with new teams and departments hastily added to keep up with the growing demand for its products and services. There was little consideration given to how these groups would work together. As a result, silos formed within the business - isolated pockets of employees with their own goals and limited communication with other teams - with some employees admitting to being unaware of what their colleagues in other departments did or how their work connected to theirs.

This lack of horizontal alignment greatly hindered the overall progress and success of the company. Upon closer examination, it became clear that these silos were created during periods of rapid growth, where integration and collaboration were overlooked. The result was duplicated efforts and wasted time, hindering productivity and growth potential. Without coordination across departments, strengths are scattered and underutilized, preventing maximum impact and undermining the people in charge of leading the effort.

To add more challenges, the hierarchical structure of the company also played a role in discouraging cross-functional teamwork, as it emphasized reporting lines instead. Vertical reporting further perpetuated the existence of silos, making it difficult for teams to communicate and cooperate effectively.

This straightline reporting led to bureaucratic processes, slowing down decision-making and stifling creativity. When departments do not collaborate effectively, decisions become entangled in layers of approvals and consultations- and more meetings! Departments have their own priorities and procedures - initiatives are delayed, and the business can’t adapt quickly to market changes or opportunities.

To break down silos and achieve horizontal alignment, organizations need to instill a cultural mindset that values collaboration over competition. Horizontal alignment involves creating an environment where individuals feel comfortable sharing their knowledge, expertise, and ideas with others.

Here are some practical steps organizations can take to promote horizontal alignment:

• Define your purpose: Chapter 2 of my book discusses that having a clear purpose is vital to driving your company toward focused success. When all employees understand your purpose and how their roles contribute to something larger than themselves, you provide clarity and direction and bring a sense of meaning and motivation to their work.

• Foster open communication: Encouraging open communication among all levels of the organization is crucial for breaking down silos and promoting horizontal alignment. Horizontal alignment means creating opportunities for cross-departmental collaboration, providing feedback mechanisms, and actively listening to employee ideas and concerns.

• Lead by example: To instill a cultural mindset that values collaboration, leaders must model this behavior themselves. As leaders, we are accountable for actively promoting teamwork, encouraging knowledge sharing, and celebrating achievements that result from cross-functional efforts.

• Promote diversity and inclusion: A diverse workforce brings different perspectives, experiences, and skills to the table, leading to innovative ideas and approaches toward achieving your purpose. Create an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued and has an equal contribution opportunity. What you don't want is a group of employees with similar worldviews. Sameness is counter-productive to original thinking.  

• Empower employees: Giving employees autonomy and decision-making power fosters a sense of ownership over their work and encourages them to think creatively about how their role can contribute to the organization's overall purpose.

• Align goals across departments: Setting aligned goals across different departments or teams ensures that everyone is working towards the same objectives. A clear direction forward creates a sense of unity within the organization and helps avoid conflicting priorities.

• Celebrate successes: When teams from different departments come together to achieve a common goal, it's important to recognize their accomplishments as a collective effort rather than individual ones.

Implementing these tactics can encourage lateral alignment and foster a culture centered around purpose. Horizontal alignment positively impacts profit and leads to a unified workforce that adds value across all areas of the organization.

Aligned organizations seamlessly integrate their strategies, structures, processes, and people for collective success. Misalignment brings discord and confusion, hindering information flow and creating inefficiencies. Regular assessments are necessary to maintain alignment and adapt to changing challenges and opportunities. To continuously enhance our team's leadership alignment, I conduct a biannual survey that involves collaboration across different departments to achieve our desired improvements.

My book, Purposeful Performance, features a Leadership Alignment survey for improving alignment over time. Download it now to improve leadership alignment.