Misalignment isn't just a problem for new drivers.This coming week our third born will be going to get his driver's license. It's crazy for me to type that, as this was the kid I vividly remember carrying around on my shoulders on a family trip to Europe not so long ago. Time flies.He's a great kid, but frankly, an absolutely sh*tty driver. He can be a bit of an absent minded space cadet, so keeping his focus on the road is always a challenge for him.He's been asking to practice in the days leading up to his test. Recently I had the luck of drawing the short straw and was tasked with taking him out in the old Pontiac Vibe (affectionately called "Tina" for some reason) that he soon will be sharing with his older siblings.As "spare cars" go, Tina's not so bad. She has some mileage on her and sports the scratches, scrapes and dents that are to be expected when young drivers do what they do as they are gaining experience behind the wheel. But the kids love her -- Tina is a set of wheels to get them where they want to go.Let me tell you, the two mile trip to his job was a complete nightmare. It was almost like my son was falling asleep at the wheel (I think he had like 1000 sour patch kids that day, so I know this was physically impossible). It felt like every 100 feet or so he would veer Tina toward the shoulder and then swerve back into place. I found myself frozen in the passenger seat with the combination of white knuckle terror and helpless bewilderment that only a parent of a teenager learning to drive has felt. I mustered the strength to gently and calmly (*not really*) ask my dear son through my gritted teeth why, pray tell (*the F* was the actual term I think I used), was he was driving this way?He, equally calm and with astounding maturity (*not really*) informed (*more like high pitch shouted*) that he wasn't driving that way on purpose and that it was, in fact, Tina's fault.Ah, Tina...one minute they give you a cute loving name and post selfies of you with them and the next they blame you for their troubles...welcome to the club old girl....After dropping my son at work and returning to the safety of the driver's seat, Tina and I shared a solemn ride home, collectively and quietly dealing with our PTSD in our own ways.To my surprise, it seemed on the way that, in fact, part of the problem my son was experiencing may have been caused by Tina. It appeared that her alignment was off and that (combined with his less than stellar driving) may have contributed to the hellride we had just experienced. Misalignment is not just a problem for new drivers and old cars. We see it in our personal and professional lives all of the time. Companies that are not aligned internally are like my teenage son driving -- swerving back and forth all over the place, creating disruption, uneasiness, frustration and PTSD for all of the passengers. Cars can be taken to a shop and a mechanic can fix the problem. How do you align a company that similarly has mileage, scrapes and dents? How do you do it if the driver is not very skilled?It's not so simple. First, it takes identifying and agreeing upon a purpose for why the company exists. All parts of the organization have to agree on what they are doing, who they are serving, their collective strengths and weaknesses and the direction they want to go collectively. Don't want to take the time to focus on this aspect of alignment or don't fully buy in? Expect more swerving. The problem does not correct itself.Then, once there is agreement on direction, everyone needs to decide on their role on the journey. Are they going to be in the driver's seat or the passenger seat or not in the car at all? There was a great article by VC Mark Suster years ago that talks about this called "Lead, Follow or Get the F**k Out of the Way." The only way for a company to achieve proper alignment is that it needs leaders, it needs followers and it needs people to get the f**k out of the way. Waffling on this means there is no true alignment. Finally, the company needs to come together and execute on the vision. Like an old car that hits a bump or pothole along the way, companies similarly face these obstacles. Checking alignment consistently with a combination of strong communication and trust ensures a smoother ride. Poor execution on the vision means you may need new leaders. That may mean some previous leaders either have to decide to put their egos aside and follow or they should get out of the way.Like my son driving Tina to work, misaligned companies can find a way to get themselves to a final destination safely. It just can be an unnecessarily nerve wracking hellride for everyone involved. Who needs that?Longer intro this week folks -- making up for last week I guess. Still, I think we can all get aligned and agree there is some great stuff below. Enjoy!XOXODave