All Operational Problems Have a People Component.
We Solve Both.
You can see what's broken. The harder question is why the usual fixes don't hold.
We work with founders and senior leaders who are done guessing. We've been inside organizations like yours and we know what moves the needle.From getting your operations right to helping your team work better with AI, we make sure the people powering the work don't get left behind.
Our Four Areas of Focus
Most firms pick a lane. We built ours around a different belief: that the problems showing up in your operations, your culture, your team, and your technology are almost never separate problems. They're the same problem wearing different clothes.The four areas below reflect where we do our best work. Each one carries a point of view we've earned through decades of doing the actual work, not just advising on it.
Organizational
Transformation
Every operational problem has a people problem inside it. To win, you have to solve both. Most advisors pick a side. We don't.
AI
Enablement
AI without human judgment is just a faster path to the middle. Nobody wins there. We center your people in the work.
Training & Org. Development
We don't teach in acronyms or systems. We help your team get better at the hardest part, working with each other.
1-on-1 Coaching and Development
The average leader waits 4.2 years for any leadership development. We think that's too long and costly to ignore.
Who We Work With
We work with founders and senior leaders at growing companies, usually 20 to 200 people, who can see the problem clearly but haven't been able to fix it for good.If any of these sound familiar, keep reading.
The Founder Who’s
Still Holding It All Together
You built this business from the ground up. But now the team is growing, and you’re still the go-to for too many things. You want to lead at a higher level but the day-to-day keeps pulling you back in.
The Team That Can’t
Move Without You
You’ve hired smart people, but decisions stall and priorities shift. Meetings feel messy, communication is inconsistent, and you’re starting to wonder if the team is truly aligned or just really good at looking busy.
The Culture That’s
Starting to Fray
You care deeply about how your business runs and how people treat each other. But lately, tension is rising. There’s friction in the leadership team, and you’re seeing signs of burnout, confusion, and disengagement.
The Business That
Needs Systems to Scale
The demand is there—but the structure isn’t. You need better processes, clearer roles, and a team that can execute with confidence so your next phase of growth doesn’t collapse under its own weight.
Why The Alignment Company?
Most consultants work one side of the equation. They fix the system or they work with the people. They rarely do both, and almost never at the same time.We built TAC around a different belief. The operational problem and the people problem are almost never separate. They share a root cause. Fix one without the other and the same problem comes back wearing different clothes.We don't show up with a framework and a slide deck. We sit in the room where the work actually happens. We stay until it holds. And we bring complementary disciplines into every engagement so the diagnosis is complete before the work begins.A few things we believe that most firms shy away from:
We don't advise. We sit at the table.
We teach human skills, not labels.
The work is only done when it runs without us.
Our Work, Their Words
"The Workplace Collaboration training with Karen and Brian has had an immediate and meaningful impact on all 90 members of the State Fair team. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and the benefits continue to grow as we carry the work forward."Renee Alexander, CEO, Minnesota State Fair
"It was genuinely one of the more useful conversations on the AI topic I've had in a while. The 90/10 framing has stuck with me."Nick Serati, Co-Founder, Thrifty Traveler
We also helped a founder-led business grow revenue by 33% in nine months by building the operational systems needed to scale from one location to multiple sites.That's what solving both sides of the problem looks like.
About Us
Most advisory firms send you an expert. We send you a team that sees your organization from two angles at once, and stays until what we find gets fixed.Karen works with your people. She understands what's driving them, what's holding them back, and what they need to hear to move forward. Brian works on your systems, your structure, and the operational gaps that keep the same problems coming back.We don't hand off findings or file reports. We sit in the same rooms, work toward the same outcomes, and bring a complete picture to every engagement.That's not how most firms work. It's exactly how we do.
Karen Knab
Executive Coach • Family Business Advisor • LMFT
Karen brings 20 years of experience as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and certified executive coach. She works with leaders and teams on the conversations, dynamics, and development that determine whether an organization actually functions the way it's supposed to. Whether she's coaching founders, developing leadership teams, or building the communication skills that power collaboration, she works at the level where lasting change actually happens. Her background in family systems gives her a rare ability to see the relational patterns inside an organization that most advisors never think to look for.
Brian Hanley
Business Operations • Strategic Planning • Executive Advisor
Brian spent over 30 years running complex organizations before founding The Alignment Company. He has managed $100M+ budgets, led 500-person workforces, and delivered operational turnarounds across manufacturing and technology environments. His 20+ years leading enterprise technology gives him a grounded, practical perspective on what AI can and can't do for a growing business. He holds a Master's in Conflict Resolution. He knows what it takes to build systems that scale and has learned, from experience, that the systems only hold when the people inside them are aligned.
The 90/10 AI Accelerator
A 3-Session Training Program to Maximize the Impact of AI for Your Organization
AI is not going to replace your team. But someone who knows how to use it well is going to outperform someone who doesn't.Here's what most AI training gets wrong: they sell it as less work. It isn't. AI is different work. The volume work gets faster. The judgment work gets harder. Most organizations haven't designed around that reality yet.
"You can now be consistently mediocre at extraordinary speed. Or you can amplify everything that is distinctly, recognizably yours."
- Brian Hanley, Co-Founder, The Alignment Company
The Scale Has Changed.
Lake Harriet was the Internet. This is Lake Superior.
The 90/10 Framework
AI Generates. You Govern.AI handles 90% of the work; the drafting, the synthesis, the structure. The final 10%; the judgment, the standards, the meaning, has to come from you.Mastery isn't about doing less. It's about knowing exactly where your expertise has to show up.
"AI is a tool to think with, not a tool to think for you."
- Ethan Mollick, Wharton Professor
What We See in Most Organizations
The Train has Left the Station
AI tools are being adopted faster than the skills to use them well. Your team is already using AI. The question is whether they're using it in a way that reflects your standards or someone else's defaults.
Racing to the Middle
A generic AI reflects the average of the entire internet. Your competitive advantage is that you are not average. We help you build the habits and systems that make sure your work stays distinctly, recognizably yours.
The Program
Leading AI Intentionally
For Architects and Leaders
Governance, organizational design, and the three questions every leader must answer before AI scales inside your organization. This is where intentional adoption begins.
Beyond the Bot
For Practitioners
Clear the fog. Your team learns why there is no one-size-fits-all AI solution, how to build a personal AI stack, and what the 90/10 framework means for how they work every day.
The Skillset Lab
In-Person, Hands on Keyboards
Your team masters Context-Priming, fact-checking, and synthesis at scale. No theory. Everyone leaves with a prompt library built around their actual daily work.
What Makes This Different?
We teach judgment, not just tools.
There is no shortage of courses on AI. There is a shortage of programs that help your people understand where they are essential, and build the habits to do it consistently.
We keep your people at the center.
AI without human judgment is just a faster path to the middle. We make sure the people powering the work don't get left behind as the tools change around them.
We've run actual organizations.
We know what good output looks like because we've been accountable for it. That's not something most AI trainers can say.
Book a Conversation
A conversation costs nothing. Most people leave it with more clarity than they came in with. Share a little about what's on your mind and we'll show up ready to dig in, not just introduce ourselves.
FAQ
Does our leadership team need to participate for the practitioner sessions to work?
Not required, but the results are significantly more durable when leadership has aligned on governance and expectations first. That's exactly what the Executive Briefing is designed to do.
Is this only for tech-savvy teams?
No. The program is built for professionals who use standard workplace tools and want to use them with more intention and skill. No technical background required.
How long does the full program take?
Three sessions over a flexible timeline. The Executive Briefing can be delivered before or alongside the practitioner sessions depending on your organization's needs.
Can individual sessions be delivered separately?
Yes, and we'll help you figure out the right starting point in our first conversation.
1-on-1 Coaching and Development
Direct, Honest and Tailored to the Individual
Karen Knab is an executive coach and licensed therapist with over two decades of experience helping leaders and teams in founder-led and family-owned businesses navigate the critical conversations and relational dynamics that determine whether their businesses thrive or fracture.
Services Offered
"The Conversation You've Been Avoiding"
Executive Coaching for Difficult Conversations
Most leaders don't lack the words. They lack the confidence that the conversation won't make things worse. This coaching is for the leader who knows what needs to be said but keeps finding reasons to wait. Ironically, the longer you wait the harder things get.Through focused 1:1 work, Karen helps you build the clarity, composure, and communication skills to handle high-stakes conversations with honesty and care. The goal isn't one better conversation. It's a fundamentally different relationship with the ones that matter most.
"Nobody Taught You This"
New Leader Transition Coaching
You were promoted because you were exceptional at your work. Nobody told you that leading people is an entirely different skill set.This coaching meets new leaders exactly where they are, navigating authority, building trust, giving feedback, and making decisions that affect real people. Karen brings decades of experience working with leaders at this exact inflection point. The transition from individual contributor to trusted leader doesn't have to be as isolating as most people make it.
Outcomes
You will leave better prepared for the conversation in front of you. More importantly, you will leave permanently better equipped for every difficult conversation that follows.Most people walk away from coaching with better words. Karen's clients walk away with better instincts. You will develop the self-awareness to recognize what is actually happening in a high-stakes moment, the composure to stay present when it gets uncomfortable, and the language to say the hard thing without damaging the relationship.The skills Karen teaches are rooted in how people actually work, not how organizations wish they would. That means they don't stay at the office. Clients consistently find that what changes at work changes everywhere, in their families, their friendships, and the relationships that matter most to them.The conversations don't get easier. You get more comfortable in them. There is a significant difference.
About Me
Experience
I bring over 10,000 hours spent with individuals and groups, where I’ve gained the unique ability to quickly understand when situations are out of alignment, what options are available, and how to navigate to the best outcome for all parties.
My Coaching Style
My approach blends the candor of my East Coast roots with the respect and tact of my Midwest influence. I help leaders identify the real issues they face by providing honest, compassionate feedback to reach effective solutions. Working with me means engaging in direct, one-on-one sessions tailored to your specific situation. This is not a cookie-cutter framework or a theoretical exercise; it is a skilled coach sitting across from you, using a diverse toolkit to help you build the emotional regulation, communication skills, and boundary-setting capabilities needed to handle hard conversations with confidence.
Flexible and Co-Creative: We collaborate to create an experience that works for you. After defining your objectives and key results, we continuously review your progress and adjust our process as needed, with no fixed time commitments.
Comprehensive: Professional growth often yields benefits in your personal life. Clients frequently report reduced stress and anxiety, improved sleep, enhanced mood, and a decreased dependence on unhealthy habits or behaviors, alongside increased motivation to adopt healthier ones.
Results-Oriented: We regularly track progress toward your goals. Because coaching is ultimately about transformation—doing less of what holds you back and more of what moves you forward—I adapt my style to help you overcome specific barriers.
Influences
Sharing the importance of emotional intelligence and healthy team dynamics is a passion of mine. I have delivered numerous workshops and lectures on topics such as communication, boundary-setting, and relationship-building. My practice draws on insights from diverse thought leaders in both psychology and business, including Patrick Lencioni, Simon Sinek, Adam Grant, Dr. Sue Johnson, Bert Hellinger, Dr. Gabor Maté, and Dr. Bessel van der Kolk.
Techniques
My approach is holistic, integrating best practices from Systems Theory, Emotional Intelligence, Developmental Psychology, Mindfulness Techniques, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Attachment Theory, Restorative Justice Talking Circles, Twelve-Step Philosophy, and Family Constellations to address your unique needs.
My Background
I have lived and worked in various cities throughout my career, including Minneapolis, MN; Austin, TX; Los Angeles and Orange County, CA; Buffalo, NY; and Washington, D.C. For more information about my professional background, please view my LinkedIn profile.
Ready to Take a Step?
The first conversation is just that. A conversation. No pressure, no pitch. Just an honest discussion about where you are, where you want to be, and whether working together makes sense.
Organizational Transformation
When the Business Outgrows How It's Been Run
Every founder reaches this point. The thing that made you successful is now the thing getting in the way. Your team is bigger but decisions are slower. You have more people but less clarity. The systems that worked at ten people don't work at thirty.This is not a failure of leadership. It is a signal that the organization needs to evolve. That's exactly the work we do.
What We See
Strategy That Never Sticks
The goals exist. The priorities keep shifting. Teams stay busy but traction is elusive. The plan never quite connects to the work.
Teams That Don’t Move as One
Decisions don't hold. The same topics resurface without resolution. You're not sure if the team is truly aligned or just really good at looking busy.
Silence Instead of Debate
Conflict goes unaddressed. Leaders don't speak up. Tension simmers until something breaks, and even then nobody wants to name it.
Leadership Bottlenecks
Too many decisions still come to you. You want to delegate but when you do things fall through. Without the right structure, it's easier to just handle it yourself.
"The gap between strategy and execution is almost always a people problem wearing an operational mask."
How We Work
We don't show up with a framework and a slide deck. We start by understanding your business from the inside; how decisions get made, where trust exists, where it doesn't, and what's actually getting in the way.Every Organizational Transformation engagement begins with a structured diagnostic. It's the foundation everything else is built on. We won't recommend a path forward until we understand what's actually driving the problem.From there the work is embedded and hands-on. We sit in the rooms where the real work happens. We stay until what we build runs without us.
"One of our clients grew revenue by 33% in nine months. The breakthrough wasn't a new idea. It was building the operational foundation their growth had been waiting for."
Does This Feel Like the Right Conversation for You and Your Business?
If your organization is growing but something isn't keeping pace, let's talk. The first conversation is about understanding where you are. Nothing more.
FAQ
How long does an engagement usually last?
Most Organizational Transformation engagements run six to twelve months. The diagnostic at the start informs the scope and timeline.
What does the diagnostic process involve?
A structured assessment of your operations, leadership dynamics, and organizational health. It's designed to surface the real issues, not just the symptoms.
Do we need to commit to a full engagement upfront?
No. The diagnostic is the starting point. It gives both of us the information needed to decide whether a deeper engagement makes sense and what it should look like. Either way you are left with a clear perspective on the state of your business and a plan you can execute with or without us.
How is this different from a typical management consultant?
We don't hand off a report and leave. We stay embedded in the work until the systems hold and the team can run without us.
Training & Organizational Development
Real Human Skills That Carry Forward Into the Work
Most training events feel good in the room and disappear by Monday. We build programs that change how your team actually works together, not just how they talk about it.
Mastering Workplace Collaboration
Our Flagship Program
Stop "The Meeting After the Meeting" from draining your team's momentum.
Every team has them. The real conversations that happen in the hallway after the meeting ends. The decisions that get relitigated in side channels. The friction that never gets addressed directly because nobody knows how to start that conversation.This is where trust erodes. This is where momentum dies. And this is exactly what Mastering Workplace Collaboration is designed to fix.
"The Workplace Collaboration training with Karen and Brian has had an immediate and meaningful impact on all 90 members of the State Fair team. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and the benefits continue to grow as we carry the work forward."Renee Alexander, CEO, Minnesota State Fair
Want the Full Picture?
Download the Mastering Workplace Collaboration one-sheet for a complete overview of the program, sessions, and outcomes.
The Program
Active Listening
Session One
We teach you to listen to understand, not just respond. Most workplace friction starts with assumptions. This session eliminates the most costly ones.
Effective Communication
Session Two
Shifting from listening, learn to deliver feedback clearly and respectfully, even in difficult conversations. Direct doesn't have to mean damaging.
Rules of Engagement
Session Three
We implement a shared roadmap for addressing friction and moving forward productively. Your team leaves with a framework they can use immediately.
"We help your team do the hard work of working together"
The Results
25% Lower Staff Turnover
Teams with high psychological safety and strong conflict skills stay longer.
Source: Gallup
18% Faster Project Completion
Organizations that prioritize effective communication meet milestones sooner.
Source: PMI
50% Reduction in Conflict Costs
Structured conflict training significantly reduces the time and expense of formal grievances.
Source: NIH
Additional Programs
Rules of Engagement
Guides teams in defining shared expectations for how they communicate and collaborate. This session builds the foundation for durable trust by helping participants establish norms that make discussion, disagreement, and decision-making more productive.
Training Delivered as a Single, Half-Day Workshop
Running Better Meetings
Take meetings from performative to productive. Turns meetings into a true engine for progress. Teams learn how to set clear objectives, clarify roles, and create space for focused discussion and follow-through; transforming how work gets done day to day.
Training Delivered as a Single, 2-Hour Session
Ready to End the Meeting After the Meeting?
If your team is having the meetings after the meetings, that's the signal. Let's talk about what's getting in the way and whether we're the right fit.
FAQ
How is this different from other communication or conflict training?
We don't teach frameworks or hand out personality labels. We teach the human skills that make collaboration possible and build them through practice, not theory.
Can this be delivered for our leadership team only?
Yes. The program can be scoped for a leadership cohort, a full team, or a cross-functional group depending on where the friction is showing up
Do you offer one-off sessions?
The Mastering Workplace Collaboration series is designed as three connected sessions because lasting change requires repetition and practice. Single sessions are available for the additional programs.
Can you customize the content for our industry or culture?
Yes. Every program is adapted to reflect your organization's specific dynamics, language, and goals.