crosspurpose

Crosspurpose, or cross-purposes, is a phrase used to describe a situation in which two or more parties pursue incompatible goals or misunderstand each other's aims. The term is typically used to characterize failed collaboration, negotiations, or communications where actions intended to advance one objective inadvertently undermine another.

In practice, being at cross-purposes means that despite ongoing dialogue, the participants are not aligned: each side moves toward a goal that the other side does not share. This can result from ambiguous instructions, conflated or shifting objectives, or incentives that encourage different outcomes. The effect is wasted effort, delays, and outcomes that satisfy no one.

Cross-purposes is common in business, politics, and project management. It can arise from broken feedback loops, siloed departments, or lack of a common framework for decision-making. Remedies include clarifying goals, establishing a shared plan, explicit milestones, and improving communication channels to ensure all parties are pursuing the same endpoints.

Note: the phrase is sometimes used interchangeably with miscommunication or conflicting objectives but emphasizes the misalignment of aims rather than mere error. See also miscommunication, coordination problem, conflicting objectives.