Superordinate Goals

Walking through the workplace of a tech company, anyone overhearing conversations would notice a pattern. Sales teams are frustrated with the lack of repeat business because operations can’t seem to deliver what was promised. Operations staff are frustrated that sales keeps promising the impossible. Engineers are proud of the product as-is and see no need for updates. Marketing is trying to hold it all together and bring in more leads. Everyone’s working hard, but they’re pulling in different directions; the frustration is as obvious at the water cooler as it is at the annual trade show.

Now imagine the same team a year later, but this time they’re all focused on one clear goal: getting one new product offering out the door that disappears off the shelf, works as designed, and supports the company’s projected growth. Meetings involve representatives from each team, and nothing moves forward without collective agreement. When the priority shifted to something everyone believed in, the chatter changed. People started working across roles instead of against each other—and it showed in their conversations and their results.

That’s a superordinate goal: a common reason for people to cooperate, even when they don’t always agree.  It gives groups a shared sense of purpose that makes differences feel more manageable. Instead of focusing on competing agendas, individuals start looking for ways to contribute to something larger than themselves. This can lower defensiveness, open lines of communication, and build momentum that carries beyond the immediate task.