One night while perusing articles online, I stumbled across a transcript from a 1938 New York Court of Appeals case involving a personal injury suit. While court transcripts aren’t the typical source of wit or humor, this case was particularly entertaining. It involved a debate over good versus excellent knee alignment—an exchange that actually proved quite illuminating when applied to the business world.
In the court case, the plaintiff’s attorney and a physician medical witness debated the issue back and forth for a volley count of 65 questions and 65 answers. The physician was adamant that excellent knee joint alignment was impossible: in his mind, excellent meant perfect, and perfection simply couldn’t exist in the human body. The attorney pressured him to admit that surely there was some condition of the joint that was close enough to perfection to be declared excellent. The expert witness would not concede, however. In the end, the impossible expectations that the physician associated with the notion of excellence were what stumped him.
Evidently, when it comes to knee alignment, it’s all about perspective. Coincidentally, the debate among leaders surrounding strategic alignment can get equally heated. And while the difference between good and excellent strategic alignment may be subtle, it’s also critical if your ultimate goal is success.
I recently received the results of a proprietary survey regarding alignment that was given to senior leaders employed within the same industry. On it, they indicated their approach to strategic alignment along a scale from letting things evolve to one of great clarity. The results varied widely. It came as no surprise to me that different organizations in the industry differed in their approach to pursuing strategic alignment. However, what I found particularly fascinating was that the approaches also varied widely within the same organization. Not only did this divergence seem inconsistent, but also unproductive.
When considering the survey results, it’s important to keep in mind that all any organization really amounts to is a messy mixture of people with diverse emotions, experiences, and expectations. Some individuals will feel obligated to conform to a tight regimen as a result of clear direction. Others, however, will feel as if they have the personal freedom to set their own course. It’s this second group that approaches alignment efforts by letting things evolve. Where strategic alignment is concerned, danger awaits organizations that are not aligned—or in the words of the court transcript, are not perfectly aligned.
Let’s get one thing straight: good simply isn’t good enough when pursuing business strategy. All efforts must flow from a highly orchestrated dance of intention and performance. Areas that may benefit an evolving situation must be identified and isolated. All other strategic matters and participants must be kept in excellent alignment. Just as blunt edges and protruding parts are eliminated to ensure the aerodynamic design of a car, so too must the design of an organization be streamlined for efficiency and forward motion. Sometimes this means making difficult decisions to eliminate the wrinkles and ensure organizational excellence.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there is indeed a difference between good and excellent alignment. Excellence should never be intimidating, but should rather be something to aspire to. As a leader, you should only accept good alignment as a step toward excellent alignment. And of course, the same rule applies for all areas of leadership: good is only acceptable as an interim step toward excellent.