Hello Community,
Alignment is one of the most repeated leadership goals.
We often think of shared understanding, buy-in, and consistency as safeguards against risk and failure.
But the data tells a different story.
According to the 2025 Korn Ferry Workforce Survey, 43% of employees say their leaders are not aligned, even as organizations invest more time, forums, and meetings in alignment conversations.
So, more alignment does not necessarily translate into more clarity.
As organizations flatten their structures by removing management layers, managers' span of control increases, as does the number of people involved in decisions. The risk: slowed execution.
It might sound counterintuitive, but when alignment becomes a substitute for ownership, businesses lose momentum, leaders lose authority, and teams lose direction.
Inside this Edition:
Symptoms that over-alignment is working against performance
5 Moves to Shift from Alignment to Accountability
Key Highlights from Day 1 of the People & Culture Strategy Summit
Last week to enroll in the Mini Master of Practical AI
Starting in February: SAIL Certificate Program + New cohorts
2 Partner Events you don’t want to miss
🗞️ We need your help: We’re trying to understand how HR and hiring teams assess culture fit today. Your input will help us map real practices, surface gaps, and build a hiring framework that will be shared with you and the entire community. The questionnaire takes 10 minutes to complete and is 100% anonymous. We will share a downloadable report with the findings soon!
👉 Take the survey here
HR INSIGHTS
THE HIDDEN COST OF “ALIGNMENT”
Is your team “Over-aligned”?
If you look at the symptoms described in the image above, you might think these are cultural or behavioral problems. However, often, they are design failures, created by how decisions, authority, and accountability are structured.
‘Over-alignment’ describes a way of working founded on the belief that adding more alignment moments will compensate for gaps in organizational structures where leaders and managers are overloaded and the pressure is high.
To break this cycle, the key is redesigning how decisions work.
🧭 From Alignment to Accountability
Name Ownership: Every meaningful decision must have a named owner. Not a committee, a forum, or a leadership group. Being explicit helps teams know who is responsible for making the call and moving work forward. Distinguish between who provides input and who owns the outcome.
Limit Scope: Rebalance alignment deliberately. Differentiate between high-impact, irreversible decisions that really benefit from broader input and routine decisions that must prioritize speed.
Define Authority: Clarify what can be decided at each level, and reinforce those boundaries by modeling them in your behavior. If you set the rule, but then reopen decisions without cause, confusion will spread.
Track Outcomes: Instead of focusing merely on agreement, put outcomes at the center. Ask what worked, what didn’t, and what the team learned so they can do it better next time.
Time Alignment: Set a clear purpose and an endpoint to avoid things extending indefinitely. Time-bounding alignment forces people to focus. If teams know when input is expected, when decisions will be made, and when action begins, you ensure inclusion without sacrificing progress.
And speaking of alignment, that was the core topic we addressed during the first day of the People and Culture Strategy Summit!
Did you miss it? ▶️ Check out the key highlights here.
And join us for Day 2! 👇👇
HAPPENING NOW
PEOPLE & CULTURE STRATEGY SUMMIT
The People and Culture Strategy Summit kicked off yesterday!
Join us for Days 2 and 3 to explore practical approaches to workforce strategy, operating model design, leadership capability, people analytics, culture, trust, and performance enablement, to connect strategy to real execution
The Summit offers a powerful opportunity to engage in that discussion, learn from peers, and rethink how people and culture strategies can support execution in a world where constant change has become the norm. This free, virtual event is brought to you by Spark Hire and Emtrain.
📆 When: February 03-05, 2026, 7:00 AM - 11:25 AM Pacific Time
🌐 Free and Virtual
👑 Premium members of the Hacking HR community who participate in this event can earn 13.5 SHRMs + 13.5 HRCIs + 13.5 IHRMs credits.
📜 All attendees who participate live or watch the post-event recordings may download a certificate of participation.
⭐ JOIN US! ➡ Log in to the Hacking HR LAB to explore the amazing agenda and speaker lineup we put together for you!
UPCOMING
MINI MASTERS & CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS
Mini Masters (available with Premium+ Membership)
🔥 Mini Master on Practical Applications of AI - you still can enroll!
🔥 Strategic HC & Global Business Leadership - Starts in July
Certificate Programs (enrollment is open)
Strategic AI Leadership in Business (starts next week!)
Global Chief People Officer (starts March 23)
People, Work, and HR Technology Strategist (starts March 24)
Workplace Well-Being and Mental Health Strategist (starts March 24)
People Experience & Culture Strategist (starts in June )
Strategic HR Business Partner (starts in June )
Fundamentals of HR (starts in June )
NEW! Enrollment Opens Soon
🔥 Global Compensation Architecture & Pay Strategist
🔥 Global Workplace Compliance, Risk & Governance Leader
🔥 Global Change Leadership Strategist
ALL these Certificate Programs are included in our Premium Membership.
▶️ To check out the syllabi and enroll, log in to the Hacking HR LAB and visit the Learning Center / Certificate Programs
💬 Do you have questions about team memberships? Connect with Assia, our new Growth Director. Connect with Assia on LinkedIn. Email her at [email protected]
UPCOMING PARTNER EVENTS
Strategic Workforce Planning | People Strategy Hub | 19th March 2026, London | Register now | Discount: 20% OFF Use code HACKINGHR
HumanX 2026 | Human X | April 6–9, San Francisco | Register now | Discount code: HX26P_HackingHR (save $855)
HRcoreLAB summit | 11th & 12th March 2026 | Barcelona |
3 streams: HumanAI, Recruitment, HR Agility
😂 Nothing to see here. Everything is fine
Take 10% off! Mugs that say what you really mean in meetings, t-shirts that speak fluent burnout, or digital checklists, ebooks, and templates that might actually save your sanity.
SPONSORSHIPS
Thousands of HR executives will gather at these upcoming summits in 2026 to shape the future of work:
HR Technology, AI and Digital Transformation Summit (March 03-05)
Workplace Well-being and Mental Health Summit (May 05-07)
AI Experience Summit, Third Edition (June 2026, website coming soon)
AI Experience LIVE Summit in London (June 2026)
Workforce Strategy and HR Budget Planning Summit (September 08-10)
If your company provides solutions in HR tech, benefits, people analytics, DEI, or workforce strategy, these events are your opportunity to connect with the exact decision-makers who control HR budgets and are actively searching for partners.
👉 Book an Intro Call with Laurie Baggarly: [email protected] to explore sponsorships and secure visibility at the summits where HR leaders are making buying decisions.