When you’re asked to revamp an aging, bumpy system — with an eager but undersourced and overwhelmed technical team — how do you feel? Is it a headache… or an opportunity to make a difference?
Once I looked deeper, I realized the system issues were only the tip of the iceberg. The real challenges were underneath: demanding business requests, unclear ownership, and no proper process to evaluate or prioritize work. Decisions were driven by “just do what I told you” or “louder voices win.”
What would you do in that situation? Are you willing to cross the aisle, unite people with competing interests, ask hard questions, and hold everyone — including yourself — accountable?
Here’s what I learned in the journey:
• Engage a diverse team and try new things
I formed a core team with representatives from product, tech, and business (global operation). Together, we built shared understanding of needs and constraints, evaluated ideas, and prioritized work based on impact, not volume or pressure.
• Create transparency and support the process
We set up a shared portal so everyone could see requests and progress: what’s needed, why, who’s doing what, and when delivery is expected. Transparency reduced noise, aligned expectations, and built trust.
• Hold people accountable — with clarity and respect
The project couldn’t move forward without necessary information. At the same time, we owned our responsibilities: communicating delays early, explaining impact, and providing recovery plans. We also strengthened hand‑offs: tech and solution teams trained operation teams to ensure new features were actually used — preventing idle work and endless scope creep.
The transition took a year (and improvement continues). It was demanding and sometimes grueling. But together, we built:
- a more reliable and flexible tech infrastructure
- a support and monitoring process teams could count on
- cross‑functional relationships that survived heated debates and emerged stronger
Next time you face a “hair‑ball” challenge, ask yourself: Who are the enablers and beneficiaries? Get to know them. Build trust. Create a shared mission. Then figure out the best way to make it happen — together.
What was helpful to you from this article? What else have you found effective in figuring out a messy situation or challenge?
Part of the Make a Positive Difference series — Thinking Differently, Acting Purposefully.