Intentionally Driving Organizational Alignment

The hardest part of transformation isn't strategy or product innovation. It's getting complex organizations to move in the same direction. You're managing cliques, identifying dissenters, and conducting endless shuttle diplomacy between stakeholders who see change as a zero-sum game.

But without singular organizational purpose, there's no hope for long-term success. Even when foundational ideas are so powerful that analysts cry over the work (yes, this happened at HP), fixed mindsets still perceive new ideas as threats. You can't win everyone over, but you also should never stop trying.

At HP, alignment required overwhelming evidence. We produced financial proofs showing the new logo would save millions in manufacturing costs. Research videos of consumers speaking incredibly favorably about our future propositions. We even had a brain scan from a colleague at HP Labs that detected true joy when people saw our work (yes, this happened too!). What seemed like overkill became essential. Skeptics needed data they couldn't argue with.

The breakthrough came when we reframed "Brand Immersion" from marketing activity to business alignment tool. Suddenly, what executives had dismissed as fluffy became the key ingredient for winning enterprise accounts essential to revenue and margin targets. Training became realization—once everyone pointed generally in the same direction, combined organizational output exceeded all expectations.

The lesson: transformation fails when organizations fight themselves. Success requires relentless stakeholder management, solid proof points, and reframing change from threat to competitive advantage. Fixed mindsets are fear positions. Our job is making the future feel safer than the status quo by making sure they all understand what they’re getting, not just what they’re giving up.