Nothing frustrates a CEO more than having an executive team that is strategically, operationally and culturally divided. A Harvard Business Review study, "The New Game Plan for Strategic Planning," found that 84% of respondents ranked "management alignment" as the most important task. However, just 41% indicated their organization performed well in that area. What is missing from that survey is the alignment between management and their boards, amongst board members, and between management and staff, which are all primary concerns for attentive CEOs. With so many areas in need of alignment, which relationship do you attend to first? In practice, there is not one standard starting position. The answer is informed by context. However, one thing proves true at every organization, strategic alignment is a temporary phenomenon.