Articles and Excerpts

Lateral Alignment in Complex Systems

By Susan C. Cass

http://web.mit.edu/ctpid/www/i18/latalign.html

(excerpt)

….The current definition of lateral alignment used by the researchers and the working group is, ” the formal and informal patterns of interaction, structures, and systems that serve to orient and connect interdependent stakeholders over time so as to advance both their internal, separate interests and their collective systemwide interests. ” The patterns of interaction, structures, and systems that are at the center of this research result in three distinct levels or types of alignment: behavioral, structural/functional, and architectural/strategic/cultural. The project has found that alignment efforts too often focus solely on behavioral dimensions, such as communications, information flow, and decision making, while not considering structure, systems architecture, and other dimensions.

Sample principles of lateral alignment include:

•       Alignment involves multiple stakeholders, with common and conflicting interests, who must both identify/pursue common interests and surface/ address conflicting interests
•       Structures and systems can serve to enable or undercut alignment
•       In order to achieve alignment across stakeholders, each needs some degree of internal alignment
•       Alignment depends on the effective balancing of cross-functional integration and a within-function depth of expertise
•       Alignment is not a one-time event, but rather a series of agreements or understandings that enables the orientation and connections among stakeholders
•       Alignment can only be understood in context - taking into account the history, relationships, organizational structure, system architecture, external forces, and other factors
•       Once achieved, alignment may or may not be sustainable

 

Why the focus on lateral alignment? During one of the working group’s biweekly meetings, Joel Moses explains, “This is a key constraint in many complex, engineered systems. We know more about the alignment that takes place top-down or bottom-up in a single organization. However, we know much less about the alignment across stakeholders and across levels in a system.” ….