Healthy Organizations are Aligned AND Attuned

Roger Harrison is a recognized leader and author in organizational and cultural development. He has articulated that healthy organizations are both aligned and attuned.

  • Alignment: Alignment refers to the deep commitment to the mission and identity of the organization. If a team is aligned, they are moving in the same direction and rallying around the same mission. When there is alignment, there is a clear and overarching agenda that grabs the energy and focus of the people.
  • Attunement: Attunement refers to the relational care and concern that the team exhibits for one another. If a team is attuned, they genuinely care for and enjoy each other. When there is attunement, people sense they are valued and not only their contribution.

According to Harrison, if you are a leader you must care about both alignment and attunement. You don’t have to, nor should you, choose between the two. In fact if either is missing, the people and the mission suffer.

Alignment without attunement results in a team that is very focused, but also very rigid. While a lot is accomplished, over time people feel used. While they may have initially been attracted to a “mission bigger than themselves, people will soon feel like pawns in this thing that is “bigger than us.”

Attunement without alignment results in people who enjoy each other and care for each other but don’t accomplish much. Without alignment around mission, an organization begins to exist for itself. In time, the relationships they love disappear anyway because a team not aligned around a clear mission won’t last.

Alignment and attunement together is very powerful. When the two coexist, the group is focused on the mission and cares for one another as they fulfill their mission. Healthy and effective teams don’t segment “mission” and “care” into disparate buckets that must be dealt with. Instead they are simultaneously, at all times, focused on the mission and caring for one another.

A healthy team is both aligned and attuned. An overarching mission has grabbed the collective energy of the team and all actions and activity is aligned to the mission. At the same time, the team cares for one another. On a healthy team people are valued for who they are, not just what they contribute. Alignment and attunement… don’t settle for just one.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eric Geiger

Eric Geiger

Eric Geiger is the Senior Pastor of Mariners Church in Irvine, California. Before moving to Southern California, Eric served as senior vice-president for LifeWay Christian. Eric received his doctorate in leadership and church ministry from Southern Seminary. Eric has authored or co-authored several books including the best selling church leadership book, Simple Church. Eric is married to Kaye, and they have two daughters: Eden and Evie. During his free time, Eric enjoys dating his wife, taking his daughters to the beach, and playing basketball.

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comment_post_ID); ?> Thank you Ed for sharing your insights into the Church Growth Movement. I have my reservations with Church Growth models because it has done more damage than good in the Body of Christ. Over the years, western churches are more focused on results, formulas and processes with little or no emphasis on membership and church discipline. Pastors and vocational leaders are burnt out because they're overworked. I do believe that the Church Growth model is a catalyst to two destructive groups: The New Apostolic Reformation and the Emerging Church. Both groups overlap and have a very loose definition. They're both focus on contemporary worship, expansion of church brand (franchising), and mobilizing volunteering members as 'leaders' to grow their ministry. Little focus on biblical study, apologetics and genuine missional work with no agenda besides preaching of the gospel.
 
— Dave
 
comment_post_ID); ?> Thank you for sharing such a good article. It is a great lesson I learned from this article. I am one of the leaders in Emmanuel united church of Ethiopia (A denomination with more-than 780 local churches through out the country). I am preparing a presentation on succession planning for local church leaders. It will help me for preparation If you send me more resources and recommend me books to read on the topic. I hope we may collaborate in advancing leadership capacity of our church. God Bless You and Your Ministry.
 
— Argaw Alemu
 
comment_post_ID); ?> Amen!!
 
— Scott Michael Whitley
 

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