Same Street, Opposite Directions

The story: They were both on Main Street. Both heading somewhere. Five minutes in, neither could find the other — because Main Street runs both ways and they'd each started from a different end. Using the same landmark to navigate in opposite directions.

What it means for organisations: Alignment on language is not alignment on direction. Two teams can use the same strategy document, cite the same priorities, and attend the same all-hands — and still move away from each other. What looks like coordination from the top can be divergence at the level of daily decisions.