The complaint:
“People don't get it.”
That's what people say. What they usually mean is:
I keep explaining, but nothing changes. It's like we're in different meetings.
The real question: Are we even talking about the same situation?
Most misalignment isn't disagreement. It's people looking at different pictures and not knowing it. They're not wrong or stubborn—they're oriented to different realities.
Alignment isn't about getting everyone to agree. It's about making sure they're looking at the same thing before they decide.
What to notice:
- Reality — What is actually happening? Not what's being reported, not the narrative, but the ground truth.
- Clarity — Can people describe the same situation the same way? If you asked three people to explain the problem, would you get three different stories?
- Consequence — What happens if nothing changes? Are people seeing the same future, or different versions of what's at stake?
Alignment is not agreement. It's confirming you're looking at the same thing before you start debating what to do about it.