5 Signs Your Board and Staff Are Out of Alignment — and What to Do First
One of the myths in association and nonprofit leadership is that misalignment is obvious.
It isn’t.
Misalignment almost never arrives as a dramatic conflict.
It shows up quietly. Slowly. Accumulatively.
Usually disguised as “normal organizational friction.”
The danger is that leaders normalize these signals for years.
So when I’m brought in, organizations often say:
“We’re not fighting… but we’re definitely not moving forward.”
“We agree in theory, but when it comes time to make a decision, everything stalls.”
“We keep revisiting the same issues.”
Here are the 5 most reliable signs your board and staff are out of alignment — and the first thing you should do when you see them.
1. You use the same words but mean different things.
This is the most common - and the most fixable.
Everyone nods at phrases like “strategic priorities,” “member value,” “governance role,” or “advocacy focus.” But underneath the nodding, everyone has a different interpretation of those phrases.
When definitions aren’t shared, conversations aren’t productive.
What to do first:
Define the language.
One clear conversation where you ask “When we say X, what do we actually mean?” can unlock months of gridlock.
2. Decisions get made… and then quietly unmade.
You leave a meeting aligned, but two weeks later:
the direction shifts,
new concerns emerge, or
someone revisits a decision that felt resolved.
This isn’t sabotage.
It’s a lack of shared understanding about the why behind the decision.
What to do first:
Document decisions clearly - including the rationale - and socialize them consistently.
3. Priorities multiply instead of narrowing.
Boards say, “We need clarity,”…but then approve a list of 17 priorities.
Staff say, “We’re overwhelmed,”…but rarely raise the resource implications out loud.
This creates the illusion of alignment while guaranteeing future tension.
What to do first:
Agree on what will NOT be pursued.
Alignment is as much about subtraction as it is about focus.
4. Staff feel like they’re being asked to “read the board’s mind.”
When expectations aren’t explicit, people fill in the blanks with assumptions. And assumptions are where misalignment thrives.
Sometimes the board thinks it’s being clear. Sometimes staff think they’re asking for permission the board doesn’t actually require.
Both sides feel frustrated.
Neither side is wrong.
What to do first:
Create a shared “Rules of Engagement” or decision-rights chart.
Name who decides what - and how.
5. Everyone is working hard, but nothing seems to move.
This is the clearest sign of all. Misalignment turns effort into circular motion.
Boards feel like they’re revisiting the same questions.
Staff feel like they’re chasing shifting targets.
Leaders feel exhausted by conversations that never resolve.
What to do first:
Reground in purpose.
Ask:“What outcome are we actually trying to achieve?”
Once purpose is clear, next steps fall into place quickly.
Misalignment isn’t a failure — it’s a signal.
Every organization drifts out of alignment. It’s normal. Predictable. Human.
The goal isn’t to eliminate misalignment; it’s to catch it early, name it directly, and recalibrate together.
When boards and staff share language, priorities, expectations, and purpose, the entire system becomes calmer and more effective.
You stop circling conversations.
You start making decisions that actually stick.
And the work finally moves forward.
Want a more concrete way to explore this?
I’ve created a Culture Alignment Diagnostic Tool to help boards and leadership teams reflect on where alignment is strong — and where it may be quietly working against them.
