Temporarily aligning objectives helps us to unlock synergy value and drive-through initiatives. Sustainably converging for long term alignment is a much finer art.
When we stretch the timeline we create indefinite scenarios all with varying results for all the parties involved. Successful convergence is hard to achieve by aligning interests. Interests are temporal by nature. They evolve, flex, and change as we grow and mature.
Principles are much more constant. They are also easier to remember than my interests at some time in the past. This is why we contract. Contracts capture principles and their implications irrespective of the endless spectrum of possible future we may encounter.
The more well-defined our principle (and thus more stable) the more resilient our convergence is likely to be.