Round Canoe Syndrome is a metaphor for what happens in a misaligned organization. Left untreated, it’s deadly.
A syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality or condition. Suffering from things like…
Missed sales targets
Budget and schedule overruns
Low employee engagement
High employee turnover
Complaints from one group about the others
Meetings. Oh, so many meetings.
Reviews, sign-offs, and approvals, oh my!
…means it might be worth evaluating alignment in the organization.
There are several root causes to Round Canoe Syndrome. Most often it’s related to being insufficiently clear about who the customer is, why they should buy, and how they want to be treated. It’s dangerous to assume these are clear within an organization. Survey data from renowned organizations consistently show there are serious gaps. Are you able to recite who, why, and how ? Would you hear the same from your colleagues? Without agreement, each person in the round canoe will be rowing in their own direction.
This is fixable by collaboratively thinking about, documenting, and sharing customer personas, targeted market segments, and the buyer’s journey. With these at the forefront, the most appropriate commercial tactics come into focus.
There are famous companies that have died from Round Canoe Syndrome, specifically by losing sight of what their customers valued. Kodak invented the digital camera in 1975. Blockbuster turned down an offer to buy Netflix, now valued over 1,000 times the initial price. While it may not be so dire in all cases, Round Canoe Syndrome causes wasted resources, slow progress, and drops in employee engagement.
Is this happening in your situation?