What do you mean by alignment, misalignment?
Simply, alignment in an organization refers to the synergy, the integration of people and parts to achieve performance towards the stated purpose/mission of the enterprise. Unfortunately, as simple as it is to define it, it proves very hard to achieve, and specifically sustain.

What are some examples?
It is easier to point out "misalignments".
On a small scale there are daily misalignments in communication and process, spawning conflicts between the back and the front of the house, headquarters and the field - - a poor or lacking script. The outcome can have minimal consequences, or larger ones - - missed deadlines, failed products, or deadly ones such as the Enron scandal or the horror of 9/11. There are misalignments in words and action - - a company says one thing, and yet does another. There are misalignments between what people are measured on, and what they are told to do. A company promises good service, but fails to employ enough people or empower them with the education they need to actually provide good service.
Locally, we have seen several examples. The demise of Nardelli - - and The Home Depot, which was my first client when I started my business. Nardelli came in and broke every rule in leading change. Countless misalignments erupted - - the way work was done, how employees were treated, excessive pay, lack of community involvement - - all of which were out of sync with the mission and reputation Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank strove to achieve. The result - - a disengaged community of customers and employees and glaring gaps between an espoused culture and reality - - not to mention the obscene expensive "firing ' of Nardelli and others. It remains a question as to whether Home Depot will ever regain its footing.
Another local example is SunTrust. They are attempting to cut $530 million dollars in internal costs by 2009 - - costs that accumulated as a result of misaligned systems and processes. AJC wrote it will require "something akin to a skilled surgeon’s dexterity - - cut too much and SunTrust runs the risk of crippling employee morale and driving away customers. Cut too little, and it remains a bloated entity in danger of being taken over by a stronger rival."
Misalignments have serious consequences.

 

So how does this relate to Theatre?
A theatre ensemble is a dynamic integration of performers in a production, tapping the inherent energy and skills of members and demanding each individual is aware of how his or her work aligns with fellow actors. An ensemble, like an organization is a system, a group of interdependent elements forming a complex whole, a condition of harmonious, orderly interaction. Performance is the culmination of their shared efforts. Whenever companies integrate the outcomes of work across many disparate business performances, they, too, perform theatre. However, I discovered two major differences that help account for why theatre ensembles appear to be more aligned than organizations.

What are those?
Implicit agreement about mission and how talented people enter and grow in the industry. Both an ensemble and a business have a mission. An ensemble to tell a writer's story; a business, well let’s say you’re The Home Depot, whose original mission was to change the home improvement industry with warehouse stores and provide the best customer service. However, my experience with theatre is that everyone is on board; they implicitly know the mission without being told. There are no mission statements on the wall. There are no pep rallies. There are no leaders telling them to be "excited". They come focused on the outcome, the performance, not their individual performance. They naturally know that their performance is intimately dependent on everyone else. This is equally true for behind the scenes - - lights, music, set. As one person told me, "Everyone knows the dance." In contrast, if you walked the halls of most organizations, and asked someone what their contribution is, what they are working for - - they would likely tell you their job title, not the organization’s mission. I strongly suspect few in Home Depot today even know what their original mission was. Organizations are notorious for putting on road shows, and strategy meetings, and all kinds of things to engender "excitement” and “commitment". They do so with the best of intentions. Actors and tech staff do not align easily because they are wimps. They do so because they love what they do, and they know they need everyone else around them in order to do that. They most resemble a think tank, or start up - - Microsoft, Apple, Google, Face Book - - at their onset, not today. Alignment sustainability is a clear challenge for growing, successful companies.

 

What is the link between alignment and talent?
Individuals > Energy > Alignment = Collective Energy and Performance
Organizations need to seriously revisit their talent strategies, and perhaps, dramatically, change their ways. Despite all the mechanisms and programs - - alignment comes down to individuals.

So, getting and growing talent is a key factor in alignment?
Absolutely. I suggest the first and most important lesson for business is understanding that lip service to Best in Class Talent Management just will not cut it. The most impressive and expensive programs in leadership development will not make a difference until organizations are willing to reinvent or at least modify, very antiquated performance management systems.

What do you mean by that?
Typical organizations bring in people who demonstrate talent in a specific area. BUT, and it is a big BUT - - in order for them to gain power and income, they need to become managers of people, whether they are good at it or not. When I ask aspiring individuals why they want to be promoted to manager - - they most often tell me, it is about more salary and more clout. It is not about a passion to develop people. Companies that have equal tracks for individual contributors and managers are few and far between. When you take a person out of their sweet spot - - a role that they are good at, enjoy, and is valued by the organization - - their talent becomes less and less optimized, and consequently this erodes individual meaningfulness, drive and motivation, and ultimately performance. In theatre, an actor does not have to become a director, or producer, or set designer. Growing as a great actor, staying where they are passionate, is fine. Financial incentives pale miserably as a source of motivation compared to the intrinsic factors of passion, competency, enjoyment, and meaningfulness. I admit it would far easier for a new company to build their infrastructure with two parallel paths - - and that it presents a huge challenge to established organizations. However, that seems like a cop out to me. Incremental change far outweighs no change at all. And feeling proud and connected to your work pays off for the organization - - because the individual, who feels this way, usually feels very connected and proud of their organization. And this kind of corporate identity and pride is very powerful toward achievement and performance.

Can you give us an example of the power of pride and identity?
Easily. We have a powerful one right here in Atlanta. Delta, like The Home Depot and The Coca Cola Company, fell prey to poor leadership and decision-making. All three companies suffered from increasing low employee morale and sagging customer relations. However, Delta brought back Grinstein, a well- liked and effective leader. He had a formidable task, and it was not easy. Delta employees at all levels were angry, bitter, and feeling betrayed. They were difficult to negotiate with - - until the US Air bid. With that bid, the landscape changed. Now it was not about money - - it was about corporate identity. Within a day or two, thousands of Delta employees rallied to Grinstein’s side and switched positions on several financial issues. The union was now contributing to the legal fees to fight US Air. That to me is the power of employee pride and identity. They had a personal stake in the ground. And they gave up whatever their individual desires were at that moment for the "whole" That is the essence of "theatre" every day.

Didn’t leadership play an important role?
Yes. Leaders do, every time. They set the culture in place. They are responsible for protecting it. Bad leadership is awful. Wall Street is littered with their debris. However, just like a director, in a play, leaders need to put in motion a  "casting" and "harvesting" process - - all integrated and targeted to gleaning the best performance of the individuals for the whole, the play, the performance, the production. Too many leaders are for themselves. Their package. Their future. One of the best examples of a company that has treasured its founding father’s mission is Johnson and Johnson, where the credo is still their core. But these types of companies are few and far between. Leadership is critical, non-negotiable, and responsible for creating the organizational environment that not only brings in talent, but also grows it, not according to an archaic structure, but grows it for the person and the organization. Because in the end, an organization's success is dependent on the Talent and Attitude of its employees, who embrace interdependency and naturally align with organization goals - - employees who have an individual stake in the ground for organizational success. Directors know this, and so this is another way theatre makes for such a powerful metaphor and a source of insight.

So, business has a lot to learn from theatre.
We have only just begun.
Consider that on July 25, 1975, A Chorus Line opened on Broadway and closed there on April 28, 1990 after 6,137 performances. For some time, it held the record as the longest-running musical in history. It created a consistent singular sensation every day, every night, for fifteen years. A Chorus Line proved to be an enviable combination of artistic achievement and popular appeal, an example of an aligned ensemble, a production that enjoyed, and continues to enjoy back on Broadway today, huge success. Surely - - there must be something the world of business can learn from such huge successes as, A Chorus Line.
I believe that when we look at what we do in business, as performance art, another opportunity is at our fingertips.