“That’s just how we do it.” What is it costing your team?
These are illustrative phrases you may recognize, not customer testimonials or proof of a broken process. When the same workaround keeps coming up, it is worth following the work.
Tell Scott what is happeningBandaged processes & everyday workarounds
A temporary fix can quietly become a permanent job. Understand what it protects before replacing it.
“We fix it in Excel before anyone sees it.”
What may be behind it
A spreadsheet may be acting as a control for unreliable source data or a missing system step.
Where I can help
Trace what is corrected, where the error starts, and who needs the final record. Keep the protection until a tested replacement works.
Talk with Scott about this →“It only works if you do these extra steps.”
What may be behind it
The normal route may depend on unwritten knowledge or a workaround nobody owns.
Where I can help
Observe the whole sequence, include exceptions, and separate required controls from compensation for a defect.
Talk with Scott about this →“Only she knows the trick to make it work.”
What may be behind it
A fragile process may depend on one person being available.
Where I can help
Document what that person is compensating for, train backup coverage, and address the cause rather than simply sharing the trick.
Talk with Scott about this →“That was supposed to be temporary.”
What may be behind it
A containment measure may have no owner, review date, or condition for retirement.
Where I can help
Name what it protects, who fixes the cause, and what evidence allows the temporary step to end.
Talk with Scott about this →“We check it again because we don’t trust the first step.”
What may be behind it
Repeated checking may be controlling a real risk, but the upstream failure remains.
Where I can help
Measure the errors caught and investigate their source. Do not remove checks just to make the route look shorter.
Talk with Scott about this →“That’s how we’ve always done it.”
What may be behind it
The original reason may be valid, outdated, or unknown.
Where I can help
Ask what would fail without the step. Test the answer with the team and current requirements before changing it.
Talk with Scott about this →Customer support & handoffs
Every follow-up is work. Look at what the team needs to give a clear answer the first time.
“Let me check with someone and get back to you.”
What may be behind it
An occasional check is sensible. Repeated chasing may mean the answer, authority, or owner is hard to find.
Where I can help
Trace one customer question from arrival to resolution. Make the source of truth, next owner, and escalation path clear.
Talk with Scott about this →“I already explained this to the last person.”
What may be behind it
The customer may be carrying information that should have followed the request.
Where I can help
Review what transfers with a case and what the next person needs before accepting it.
Talk with Scott about this →“I sent an email. I’m waiting to hear back.”
What may be behind it
Sending a message can feel like progress while the actual request remains unowned.
Where I can help
Define the next action, responsible person, follow-up point, and way to see overdue work.
Talk with Scott about this →“We promised it, but nobody told the warehouse.”
What may be behind it
A customer commitment may have changed without reaching the people doing the work.
Where I can help
Follow how dates and changes reach every affected team before a promise is confirmed.
Talk with Scott about this →Office work & systems
Workarounds can be useful. They become expensive when nobody asks why they are still needed.
“I put it in the system. Then I update the spreadsheet.”
What may be behind it
A second record may provide a needed control—or duplicate work and create conflicting versions.
Where I can help
Identify what the extra record protects before simplifying entry, reporting, or approvals.
Talk with Scott about this →“Which version is the right one?”
What may be behind it
People may be acting on different instructions, files, or numbers.
Where I can help
Agree on the authoritative record, who maintains it, and how a change reaches its users.
Talk with Scott about this →“That’s just how the system works.”
What may be behind it
The limit may be real, but the cause could also be configuration, missing information, or a process mismatch.
Where I can help
Observe the task, document the requirement, and test options with the appropriate technical owner.
Talk with Scott about this →“We’ll fix it at the end of the month.”
What may be behind it
A small upstream issue may be accumulating into reconciliation and rework.
Where I can help
Trace one correction back to the point where the information first became wrong or incomplete.
Talk with Scott about this →Warehouse, distribution & fulfillment
The people on the floor often know where work gets stuck. Their repeated workarounds are a useful place to start.
“The system says it’s here, but we can’t find it.”
What may be behind it
Location, quantity, timing, identification, or a missed transaction may be out of step.
Where I can help
Trace one item through receipt, movement, picking, and adjustments before deciding the cause.
Talk with Scott about this →“Put it over there. We’ll deal with it later.”
What may be behind it
An exception may be losing its identity, next step, and owner as soon as it leaves the normal flow.
Where I can help
Create a visible exception path with identification, ownership, and a resolution check.
Talk with Scott about this →“We’ve already touched this order three times.”
What may be behind it
Repeated staging, checking, searching, or handling may be built into the route.
Where I can help
Map a real order and distinguish necessary controls from extra movement and avoidable rework.
Talk with Scott about this →“We picked it, but shipping says they don’t have it.”
What may be behind it
A handoff may be physically complete without a clear location, status, or receiving owner.
Where I can help
Match the physical handoff to the system event and define how exceptions are found.
Talk with Scott about this →Owners, managers & team leaders
Being the person who can always fix it is valuable. Being the only person who can fix it makes growth harder.
“Just give it to me. It’s faster if I do it.”
What may be behind it
The immediate rescue may hide missing instructions, decision authority, training, or backup coverage.
Where I can help
Break the recurring decision into steps the team can use, with a clear point for escalation.
Talk with Scott about this →“We’re busy all day, but we’re still behind.”
What may be behind it
Activity alone does not show what is finishing or where work is waiting.
Where I can help
Compare incoming demand, completed work, queues, and interruptions at the actual constraint.
Talk with Scott about this →“Only one person knows how to do that.”
What may be behind it
A routine process may depend on one person’s availability and memory.
Where I can help
Capture the process with that person, train a backup, and test whether the backup can run it.
Talk with Scott about this →“We’ve told them a hundred times.”
What may be behind it
Repeating the instruction does not reveal whether the issue is clarity, training, tools, workload, or accountability.
Where I can help
Observe the work and verify the standard is usable. Then address the demonstrated gap and ownership.
Talk with Scott about this →Purchasing, billing & recurring costs
A charge can be familiar without being understood. Review the evidence before calling it a saving.
“That’s what we’ve always paid.”
What may be behind it
An old rate, fee, renewal, or service may no longer match the business.
Where I can help
Compare the agreement, invoice, usage, and actual need. Separate verified reductions from estimates.
Talk with Scott about this →“Order more—we can’t run out.”
What may be behind it
A sensible service concern may be compensating for unclear stock, consumption, or replenishment rules.
Where I can help
Review demand, lead times, stock visibility, and reorder ownership before changing quantities.
Talk with Scott about this →“It’s only a few dollars each time.”
What may be behind it
Frequency may make a small cost worth reviewing, but the total needs evidence.
Where I can help
Measure occurrences and net cost, including the cost of the change. Count each benefit once.
Talk with Scott about this →“Nobody uses it, but we’re still paying for it.”
What may be behind it
A subscription or rental may have outlived its owner or purpose.
Where I can help
Confirm dependencies, contract terms, and cancellation authority before recommending a change.
Talk with Scott about this →Across departments & shifts
A task is not finished just because it leaves one person’s desk or work area.
“Nobody told us that changed.”
What may be behind it
The update may have reached a manager but not the people, instructions, or systems affected.
Where I can help
Identify every affected role and check that the changed process is understood and usable.
Talk with Scott about this →“That’s the other department’s problem.”
What may be behind it
Local responsibilities may be clear while ownership of the complete result is missing.
Where I can help
Follow the work across the boundary and agree on acceptance, exceptions, and the final outcome.
Talk with Scott about this →“The next shift will take care of it.”
What may be behind it
Unfinished work may cross shifts without the context needed to complete it safely and correctly.
Where I can help
Define the handoff: what remains, current status, risk, next action, and named owner.
Talk with Scott about this →“We tried that before. It didn’t work.”
What may be behind it
The earlier idea may have failed—or never received the data, testing, training, or ownership it needed.
Where I can help
Review what was actually tried and why it stopped before proposing another change.
Talk with Scott about this →What I want the work to stand for.
Practical beliefs that guide the work—not promises of a particular result.
“Fix the cause before the next person has to work around it.”
“A handoff is not complete until the next person knows what to do.”
“A process should work on an ordinary day, not just when your best person is there.”
“Training shows people how. Clear ownership keeps the work moving.”
“A saving is not a saving until you can explain what changed and measure it.”
“The goal is a team that can run it without me.”