Story 01: Yellow. Obviously.
The story: They agreed on yellow. She meant a soft yellow. He delivered golden. Nobody lied. Nobody was careless. They just never discussed what yellow meant, because it seemed too obvious to need discussing.
What it means for organisations: The words that feel too obvious to define are the ones that create the most expensive surprises. Nobody questions "yellow." Nobody questions "on time," "quality," "done," or "soon" either. The alignment gap lives in the words no one thinks to check.
Where next?
Read the comic as text
The Alignment Gap, Story 1
by Stavros Stavru, Ph.D. (weallagreed.com)
Scene 1: The office
A bright office with a bookshelf, a potted plant, and a hanging lamp. Framed pictures of cars hang on the walls. Ally sits at a desk, smiling as she signs a document on a clipboard. Across from her, Axel, in a shirt and tie, gestures cheerfully with an open hand.
Axel: We've agreed. Your car will be yellow.
Banner between scenes: “What could go wrong?”
Scene 2: The street
Outside on a sidewalk in front of a glass-fronted building, with a tree and a street lamp nearby. A yellow car is parked at the curb. Axel, beaming, holds up the car keys. Ally stands with her hands on her hips, frowning.
Axel: Congratulations for your new car!
Ally: What?!? There should be a mistake!
Ally: I didn't expect such a golden yellow car?
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