Several years ago, I cleaned up the operations of a division. We were running smoothly. Motivated by what felt like untapped capacity, I looked for a bigger challenge that would test my capabilities. An adjacent team — one my team worked with closely — was struggling. I understood the issues. My executive leader and I would strategize on solutions since my team was being impacted. They needed stronger leadership. The owners of the company were ready to dismantle the team and find an alternative solution. I suggested that I take over the team and fix it. The executive agreed. Challenge accepted.
After the decision was made, I met with the peer managers to discuss the transition. They said, “Wow! We thought we would have to talk you into it.”
*Red Flag*
Once I became the manager, I got to work as I do. I dug into their processes, defined areas of risk, ownership of the work, and determined where the gaps were. The team knew their work backward and forward. I found a few areas where we added standards, but volume and risk were still a problem.
I tracked transactions and cycle time. That’s when it became clear this wasn’t an execution problem. I misjudged the situation from the start. I stepped in believing I could stabilize the work by improving processes and tightening controls within the team. But I hadn’t secured the authority to fix the source of the problem.
The issue was cross-functional. The dozens of client service people submitting work to an operational team of four increased risk, used inconsistent standards, and submitted incomplete documentation. Instead of shared accountability, both teams ran in circles. The volume AND variability weren’t something this team could solve on its own. And I didn’t have the cross-functional reach to change that.
By the time I had enough data to present my recommendations, errors had been made with real financial consequences. They were mine to own. I was no longer the person who came in to determine what to do with the department. I was now the problem.
I had definitely kept my New Year’s resolution – I failed to recognize I didn’t have the support or the level of authority required to make cross-functional changes. I had only secured accountability within my team. In an environment where the work lived upstream, that wasn’t enough.
In the end, client services absorbed the operational team and redistributed the responsibilities. They had the structure and oversight needed to manage the work at the source.
It was the right answer but not the outcome I expected when I raised my hand.
But it reinforced something I carry into every engagement now. Better efficiency is always welcome, but establishing ownership and mitigating risk are priority. I now ask where does ownership actually belong, and do we have the authority to fix it there?
That question shapes how I assess environments I step into, and how I structure the authority needed to manage risk and deliver before execution ever begins.
