On misalignment, or solving different problems

17 Dec, 2025

Next time the team disagrees with your solution, take a step back and make sure you're trying to solve the same problem.

When teams are aligned, it's usually because they agree that they're solving the same problems.

To achieve alignment, the team must answer two questions:

1. What is the problem?
2. What are the constraints?

When the team isn't able to answer those questions, the role of leadership is to drive the team toward an answer to #1.

So before you start defending your solutions, do two things:

1. Take the time to explain your problem and your constraints.
2. More importantly, work with others on the team to understand their problems and their constraints.

Everyone can explain their own problem, but teams get aligned when team members commit to understanding others' problems.