Short answer:
You don’t start with people.
You start with flow.
Days 0–30: Map reality
- Where work gets stuck
- Where decisions loop
- Where authority is unclear
No changes yet. Just visibility.
Days 31–60: Redesign ownership
- Clarify roles
- Define handoffs
- Remove duplicate responsibility
This is uncomfortable — and necessary.
Days 61–90: Lock the system
- Document decisions
- Set escalation rules
- Reduce dependency on heroics
Now performance stabilizes.
What not to do
- Replace people first
- Add tools to broken flows
- Confuse activity with progress
The takeaway
Most “people problems” disappear
when the system stops putting people in impossible positions.
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