A simple way to test your company's strategic alignment

There is no universal or one-size-fits-all prescription for a winning business. But corporate leaders today seem to agree that strategic alignment is high on the list. Strategic alignment, for us, means that all elements of a business -- including the market strategy and the way the company itself is organized -- are arranged in such a way as to best support the fulfilment of its long-term purpose. While a company's purpose generally doesn't change, strategies and organizational structures do, which can make chasing "alignment" between strategy and the organization feel like chasing an elusive will-o'-the-wisp.