On the Same Page Vs. Aligned

We've long heard the phrase "Everyone is on the same page" regarding organizational and team structure. It implies that team members and management are in perfect harmony, all pulling in the same direction.  

The NFL is entering its firing/hiring season, where about one-quarter of the workforce will change. Of the 32 men who carry the "head coach" title, at least six or seven will lose their position and be looking for work. Already, there are five openings, with the potential for more in the coming weeks.

So, if every organization is on the same page, why the turnover? Why the consistent change?

Because being on the same page is quite different than having organizational alignment. 

All 32 owners want to win, to carry a Super Bowl trophy back to their fans and proudly display their success. When they hire their next great coach, they're often emphatic about their intentions and goals with a mandate that everyone must be on the same page.

Then, after the first bad loss or disappointing performance, they listen to members of the media or close friends who explain why the defeat really occurred. It frequently leads to them beginning to question their hire, further fueling doubt about their chosen coach.  Ultimately, this inevitably leads them to remain focused on the goals (staying on the same page) but systematically moving out of alignment.  

Being on the same page is a strategy for achieving a specific goal. Being aligned is a daily choice. It's about arranging all facets of an organization to best achieve the long-term purpose.

Aligned organizations must have endless meetings to ensure that the strategy or lack thereof isn't causing misalignment. But when a decision is questioned or criticized, it opens the door to outside counsel, thus destroying that alignment.

Being on the same page is static in thought, whereas being aligned requires a vertical understanding. When the owner understands alignment from the top down, he/she energizes people, provides direction, and unites. Then, no external forces can get the organization off-track.

During the 1950s through the 60s, for example, the Pittsburgh Steelers were on the same page, but never aligned. Once Chuck Noll arrived in 1969, though, that all changed. Owner Dan Rooney finally unified his organization, which is still in harmony today and has had just two other coaches since Noll. 

Over the coming months, we will hear how many NFL teams are now "on the same page."

But what owners fail to realize is that it takes their willingness to align before a winning culture can be constructed.

And unfortunately, it's not just NFL owners who make this mistake.