strategic-alignmentlisted

# Strategic Alignment Engine Strategy fails at the cascade, not the boardroom. This skill detects misalignment before it becomes dysfunction and builds systems that keep strategy connected from CEO to individual contributor. ## Keywords strategic alignment, strategy cascade, OKR alignment, orphan OKRs, conflicting goals, silos, communication gap, department alignment, strategy articulation, cross-functional alignment, goal cascade, misalignment, alignment score, local optimization, strategy communication, cascade mapping --- ## The Alignment Problem **The further a goal gets from the strategy that created it, the less likely it reflects the original intent.** This is the organizational telephone game. It happens at every stage. The question is how bad it is and how to fix it. ``` CEO says: "We need to win the mid-market healthcare segment" VP hears: "Healthcare is the priority" Director translates: "Build healthcare features" Team executes: "Add HIPAA compliance checkbox to the roadmap" IC works on: "HIPAA feature that nobody asked for and doesn't close deals" Result: Effort spent, strategy not advanced. ``` --- ## Step 1: Strategy Articulation Test Before checking cascade, check the source. ### The 5-Person Test Ask five people from five different teams: > "What is the company's most important strategic priority right now?" | Result | Score | Diagnosis | |--------|-------|-----------| | All 5 give the same answer | 10/10 | Clear articulation. Check cascade. |