align from Old French a (to) + ligne (line)
1. to adjust or form to a line
2. to put into proper relative position or orientation
3. to make semipermanent adjustments in in order to obtain optimum performance
4. to array on the side of or against a party or cause
[from Webster's Third New International Dictionary, 1981]
Alignment makes us part of something bigger
Etienne Wenger (in Communities of Practice) writes that the “process of alignment bridges time and space to form broader enterprises… We become part of something big because we do what it takes to play our part.”
Why we need to align
If I could do everything, I wouldn’t need anyone. The reason we have employees, managers, investors, etc. is that we are all constricted by our finite time, energy, and resources. Alignment is what allows us to harness our energies and produce something we could never do individually. As Wenger noted, alignment allows us to be part of something bigger.
For example, an accountant plays a part in improving society by producing the widgets of her company. She is also connected to the long history and wide community of accountants through alignment with an existing and developing professional accounting code of conduct.
Like negotiating the curves of a trail on a bicycle, alignment in our fast-paced and changing world requires attention and frequent adjustments.