Using Segflow with Aligned Autonomy
Aligned Autonomy is the principle that teams should act independently while staying connected to shared goals. Segflow provides the system that makes this balance possible — linking every team’s work through shared metrics, goals, and decision loops.
Together, they enable distributed teams to move fast without drifting apart.
Why Combine Aligned Autonomy and Segflow
Aligned Autonomy balances freedom and focus; Segflow provides the shared data layer that keeps both in sync.
| Aligned Autonomy Concept | Segflow Feature | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Independent teams or squads | Flow Boards | Each team manages its own strategic context |
| Shared company goals | Common Metrics & Goals | Unified direction and visibility |
| Team-level decisions | Decision Loops | Transparent local reasoning |
| Strategic alignment | Strategy Graph | Organisation-wide coherence |
| Coordination cadence | Cycle Loops | Regular syncs across teams without centralisation |
Autonomy without alignment leads to chaos. Alignment without autonomy leads to stagnation. Segflow ensures both stay in balance.
How It Works
1. Create Independent Flow Boards
Each team, squad, or domain has its own Flow Board. Teams define their own metrics, bets, and relationships — aligned to their local context and goals.
Flow Boards give teams freedom to explore, experiment, and reason independently.
2. Connect Teams Through Shared Metrics
Shared metrics and goals link Flow Boards together. For example:
- Product Activation Rate (Product Team)
- Paid Conversion Rate (Growth Team)
- Revenue per User (Commercial Team)
These shared metrics act as bridges, ensuring everyone moves toward the same outcomes.
3. Use Decision Loops Locally
Each team runs its own Signal Loops and Cycle Loops within its board. This allows fast, autonomous learning and iteration:
- Signal Loops catch performance changes in real time.
- Cycle Loops summarise learnings and decisions at each cadence.
Decisions stay visible — but ownership stays local.
4. Sync Globally via the Strategy Graph
The Strategy Graph connects all boards into one system of record. It shows:
- How teams’ metrics depend on one another
- Where efforts overlap or conflict
- Which bets contribute most to shared goals
This provides global visibility without central control.
5. Run Cross-Team Reviews
At the end of each strategic cadence (e.g. quarterly), use Cycle Loops for multi-team reviews:
- Review progress on shared metrics.
- Identify cross-board dependencies or misalignments.
- Adjust relationships or goals collaboratively.
This replaces traditional top-down planning with data-driven coordination.
Example Flow
| Level | Method | Segflow Feature | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Tactical work | Flow Board + Decision Loops | Local autonomy and learning |
| Department | Coordination | Shared metrics | Cross-team connection |
| Organisation | Strategic direction | Strategy Graph | Global alignment |
Best Practices
- Empower boards, not hierarchies. Let teams own their metrics and decisions.
- Align through shared outcomes, not directives. Metrics, not mandates, unify teams.
- Make loops transparent. Decisions should be visible, not approved.
- Review dependencies regularly. Shared metrics reveal when teams are stepping on each other’s toes.
- Keep cadence consistent. Regular Cycle Loops maintain connection without bureaucracy.
Avoid centralising strategy decisions. Alignment comes from shared data and metrics — not top-down control.
Summary
Segflow makes Aligned Autonomy operational.
- Flow Boards give teams freedom to act.
- Shared Metrics connect everyone to common goals.
- Decision Loops record reasoning and maintain accountability.
- Cycle Loops sync teams on cadence, not command.
- The Strategy Graph holds the system together.
Segflow gives autonomy structure and alignment life — so teams move independently but learn collectively.