You’ve hired talented people and assigned them to the right roles. On paper, your team looks more than capable of driving significant results. And yet, something feels off. Instead of surging forward, everything feels heavier than it should, as though you’re constantly pushing uphill to make progress. 

The frustration is common, but here’s the good news. This often isn’t an issue of effort or ability, it’s a systems problem. The truth is, most teams get stuck not because they lack talent, but because they lack alignment, role clarity, and structured communication. 

For companies generating between $3 million and $50 million in revenue, these challenges are typically the silent culprits behind stalled performance. The issue isn’t who is on your team; it’s how your team is set up to perform. 

Why High-Performing Teams Get Stuck 

Even high-performing individuals can underdeliver when faced with systemic confusion. Without a clear understanding of roles, decision-making processes, and goals, even the smartest teams can lose focus and momentum. Research shows the impact of this misalignment. 

• Only 16% of employees consider their teams to be “very effective” at setting and communicating goals. (Gallup, 2023) 
• 43% of teams feel unclear about how their success is measured. (McKinsey) 
• Teams lose an average of 20% of their time each week to redundant work, miscommunication, or retracing their steps due to poor alignment. (Asana’s Anatomy of Work Report) 
• Organizations that foster strong role clarity experience up to 25% higher productivity and 30% greater retention. (Harvard Business Review) 
• Poor clarity surrounding decision rights is the most common factor in stalled growth for fast-growing companies. (Bain & Company) 

These statistics all point to the same conclusion, what can look like an effort or talent issue is almost always rooted in systemic problems. 

What Misalignment Looks Like 

To determine if alignment issues are holding your team back, start by identifying some common warning signs. If any of these feel familiar, your system likely needs rethinking. 

• You’re involved in too many tactical decisions. Teams lack a clear sense of ownership, leaving critical calls up to you. 
• Departments are duplicating efforts or interfering with each other’s workflows. Miscommunication is creating inefficiencies across the business. 
• Projects move forward, but outcomes miss the mark. Deliverables often lack cohesion, despite plenty of activity. 
• Accountability feels uneven or undefined. Everyone may be busy, but it’s unclear who is truly responsible for results. 
• Tensions are building within the organization. Frustrations are rising, if only quietly, due to the lack of direction and structure. 

These symptoms don’t signal a lack of effort. They signal that your team is operating without sufficient clarity or alignment. The good news is that this is fixable. 

The Atlassian Story: How Clarity Drives Results 

The transformation of Atlassian, one of the world’s leading software companies, is a perfect example of how clarity can unlock a team’s true potential. 

By 2015, Atlassian was struggling with slow decision-making and decreasing productivity, despite having top talent in place. Cross-functional teams were grappling with overlapping responsibilities, and no one was entirely clear on ownership of key decisions. The effects were being felt across the company, and growth had started to slow. 

Instead of resorting to more hiring or a complex reorganization, Atlassian implemented a simple yet powerful tool, the RACI framework. RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. It’s a structure designed to bring clarity to responsibilities for every project and decision, ensuring everyone understands their role. 

Within just a few months, the impact was apparent. Teams knew who to go to for decisions. Meetings became shorter and more productive. Employees stopped stepping on each other’s toes and started delivering better results. Importantly, morale increased, people thrived in a system with clear expectations. 

The changes laid the foundation for Atlassian’s next five years, which became its most explosive growth period in terms of product expansion, team health, and customer loyalty. 

The lesson? They didn’t change the people. They changed the clarity. 

How to Achieve Alignment in Your Own Organization 

Misalignment isn’t an unsolvable problem. With the right systems and a willingness to make structural adjustments, teams that feel stuck today can become top performers tomorrow. Here’s how you can begin fostering the alignment and clarity your team needs. 

1. Define Clear Roles and Responsibilities 

Much like Atlassian’s switch to the RACI framework, defining roles is critical. Every team member should know exactly what they are responsible for, who they report to, and how their role contributes to the broader mission. Role clarity ensures no one wastes energy with redundant efforts or second-guessing. 

2. Establish Decision Rights 

Uncertainty about decision-making can paralyze an organization. Define who has authority over decisions at each level of your company. This removes bottlenecks and allows your team to move quicker. 

For example, department heads might make operational decisions within their teams, while strategic calls are reserved for the executive suite. Having clear decision bands empowers teams at every level. 

3. Implement Structured Communication 

Unstructured communication wastes time and creates confusion. Streamline the way teams share information. Establish a rhythm, like weekly check-ins for strategic goals or daily stand-ups for tactical updates. The goal is to make communication predictable, consistent, and concise. 

Avoid unnecessary meetings, reserve them for issues where alignment is critical. For everything else, digital tools like Slack or project management platforms can keep teams informed without bogging them down. 

4. Install a System of Accountability 

Accountability makes clarity stick. Use clear metrics to track progress, and ensure every individual knows how their performance will be measured. The key here is to foster accountability without fear. When trust is present, accountability serves as a motivator rather than a stressor. 

5. Foster Cohesion Through Shared Purpose 

Teams need a collective vision that ties everything together. Everyone should understand not only what they are working toward but also why it matters. A strong sense of purpose aligns efforts and reduces friction when priorities shift. 

From Frustrated to High-Performing 

The frustration you feel about your team’s performance doesn’t have to last. With the right systems in place, they can operate with clarity, cohesion, and accountability, and they can do it without relying on heroic effort. High-performing teams thrive in environments where structure sets them up for success. 

At Equity Catapult, we help leaders restructure their systems to eliminate misalignment, cut out redundant efforts, and empower their teams to deliver exceptional results. Frameworks like System & Soul provide a practical, adaptable way to achieve this, enabling clarity and cohesion throughout the organization. 

As William Waldrep of Leader Evaporator put it, “Steve’s experience, advice, and leadership with our Sales Team was indispensable… His enthusiasm is contagious and effective in creating a culture of trust.”

You don’t need to overhaul your team. You need alignment. And once you’ve created that alignment, you’ll be surprised at how the same people start delivering extraordinary outcomes.