I’m making dinner at home this Valentine’s Day.
Not going out. Not making a reservation. Just cooking something simple, sitting somewhere quiet with my wife, and actually talking.
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Because we’re a team. And like all teams, we need more than performative gestures.
Which got me thinking about something I keep seeing in product leadership meetings: shallow alignment.
You know it when you see it.
Someone nods. Says “yes.” But there’s no discussion. No “here’s why I support this” or “here’s what I’ll do next.” Just agreement that feels like people want to get through the meeting and move on.
When there isn’t real discussion where there should be, you don’t have alignment. You have unspoken reservations.
And unspoken reservations don’t disappear. They resurface later as missed deadlines, quiet resistance, or “misunderstandings.”
Real alignment requires the same thing real relationships do: sitting down somewhere quiet and actually talking.
So here’s what to watch for this week:
Where are your teams nodding when they should be discussing?
That’s your opportunity.
Real Alignment
Shallow alignment is one of the most expensive problems in product leadership. In Aligned, we outline practical ways to surface disagreement early so it doesn’t derail execution later. Want stronger alignment and fewer surprises? Learn more at AlignedTheBook.com.