---
id: "concept-change-tunnel-vision"
type: "concept"
source_timestamps: ["§ The Consequences of False Alignment"]
tags: ["execution-failure", "strategy"]
related: ["concept-false-alignment", "concept-change-paralysis", "concept-change-hyperactivity"]
definition: "A consequence of false alignment where change teams make rapid progress on a narrow, unbalanced interpretation of the mandate, often harming broader company needs."
sources: ["governance"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-governance"
originDay: 7
articleStem: "hbr-cl-85-false-alignment-trap"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/07/the-false-alignment-trap"
sourceTitle: "The False Alignment Trap"
---
# Change Tunnel Vision

Tunnel vision occurs when a change team executes **'lots of progress — on the wrong thing.'**

Because the executive team failed to explicitly agree on targets and trade-offs, the change team lacks a complete strategic picture and latches onto a narrow interpretation of the instructions. Example: if executives vaguely want to 'improve customer experience *and* reduce costs' but never debate the specific trade-offs, the change team might assume the primary goal is **cost reduction** — and execute it so aggressively and successfully that the cuts severely damage the customer experience.

Tunnel vision highlights why executives must agree not just on goals, but on the specific **boundaries, levers, and trade-offs** of the transformation — exactly what [[concept-true-agreement|true agreement]] demands. It is the third consequence of [[concept-false-alignment|false alignment]], alongside [[concept-change-paralysis|paralysis]] and [[concept-change-hyperactivity|hyperactivity]].