Systems break due to 'good intentions.' The art of moving an organization without hurting the people on the front lines
Combine knowledge from distant fields, and instead of presenting a perfect, definitive argument, place a 20% incomplete prototype on the table. Then, sit side-by-side rather than face-to-face, and translate the cold language of IT into terms that match the human warmth of the front lines.
By following the steps I have shared in previous articles, you should be able to make a solid start as a 'bridge connecting systems and the front lines' within your organization.
However, the reality of the front lines does not always proceed as beautifully as theory suggests.
No matter how carefully you follow the steps, the powerful gravitational pull of human 'ego,' 'pride,' and 'status quo bias' will quietly attempt to kill the new system you have introduced.
This is not due to a lack of skill on your part, but a 'structural trap' that inevitably occurs where people and systems intersect.
Today, I will talk about the 'three gritty traps' that anyone introducing a system to the front lines will inevitably face, and the slightly cunning methods to escape them.
Trap 1: A 'too convenient system' usurps the other person's throne
【The Situation】
Complex and tedious data aggregation on the front lines. Thinking you are doing them a favor, you create a system that fully automates it, thinking, 'Wouldn't it be great if this were automated?'
However, after implementation, even though the work became overwhelmingly faster, for some reason the veteran staff member is in a bad mood, and the atmosphere has become strained.
【The Gritty Way Out: Leave the throne of 'judgment' above the system】
In the world of systems, 'human intervention equals waste,' but in a real organization, it is different.
What you took away was not just wasted time. It was that person's 'sense of purpose (pride)' in having handled that complex manual work without errors for many years.
Making it so that 'anyone can do it with the push of a button' is nothing more than an act that devalues their work as 'worthless.'
To escape this trap, you must dare to hand over the most rewarding authority to them. Tell them, 'The system will handle all the tedious aggregation. However, the final judgment on whether to give the GO-ahead after looking at these numbers is something only you, who know the front-line circumstances inside and out, can do, so I need your help.'
When you use the scalpel of automation, you must always prepare a 'throne' on top of the system that protects their pride.
Trap 2: The silent rejection behind the words 'That sounds great'
【The Situation】
You showed a 20% prototype, translated it into the language of the front lines, and explained it carefully. The people on the front lines also smiled and agreed, saying, 'That sounds great, it looks like it will be very convenient!'
However, a few weeks later, no data has been entered into the system at all, and before you know it, the front lines have returned to their familiar Excel management.
【The Gritty Way Out: Be cruel and physically cut off the old retreat path】
This is a trap that even the most earnest and kind-hearted people on the front lines easily fall into. They only told a lie of agreement to avoid making waves, out of 'consideration' for the effort you put into building it.
As long as the old way (the escape route) remains, people will always flow like water back to the procedures they are accustomed to.
Do not trust the 'That sounds great' spoken in words. To escape this trap, you must change the structure.
Incorporate a physical checkpoint (bottleneck) into the system that says, 'If you don't enter it here, the work of the next department will absolutely not start.' Blocking the path of the old way will temporarily cause backlash from the front lines, so you must be cruel. However, to prevent the front lines from becoming exhausted by 'dual management' of the new system and the old way, this is a 'cold yet kind responsibility' that the designer must bear.
Trap 3: The sin of excellence, anticipating the 'correct answer' too much
【The Situation】
While looking at front-line issues together, because you have IT knowledge, you notice the root cause and the perfect solution in an instant.
You confidently fill in the last piece of the puzzle, saying, 'I've got it! If we change this here, everything will be solved at once!' However, the person on the front lines suddenly distances themselves, saying, 'Uh, well...'
【The Gritty Way Out: Dare to leave gaps and let the other person say the 'correct answer'】
People are not convinced by correct answers given to them by others. Especially when a correct answer is thrust upon them by someone with 'knowledge of the outside world,' they instinctively rebel, feeling that 'their problems have been taken away' or 'their way of doing things has been denied.'
To escape this trap, you must not be the one to say the correct answer. You must guide them so that 'the other person discovers the correct answer.'
In the prototype you bring, intentionally leave in the 'fatal flaw' that you noticed from the beginning. When the person on the front lines touches it and points out, 'Wait? This won't work for exceptional cases,' you should act impressed and say, 'You're absolutely right! That was a complete oversight on my part. How do you think we should fix it?'
Turn the other person into a 'hero who fixed the system's flaw' and implement it as their idea. Even if it means throwing away your own credit, turn the system into something they feel is 'their own.' This is the most intelligent cunning of a person who moves an organization.
Conclusion: Weaving a beautiful system while drinking muddy water
Protect the other person's pride, sometimes be cruel and cut off the retreat path, and throw away your own credit to make the other person the hero.
Business design is by no means a job that is just smart and clean. It is a gritty process of weaving invisible threads so that the entire organization can move even a little more smoothly, all while plunging your hands into the muddy waters of human ego and emotion.
If you face unreasonable pushback or quiet rejection from the front lines tomorrow, that is proof that you are on the right path.
For every bit of that gritty friction, your system will grow into a 'living system' that breathes on the front lines.
Post-reading prescription: A look back at the 'gaps in the system' journey so far
Before you face the realities of the front lines, I have left three articles here to help you confirm your position and your weapons.
■ STEP 1: Confirm your market value (ontology)
On the structure where seemingly unrelated learning actually becomes your strongest weapon.
Article Title: To those who panic about 'having no expertise'. Why being a jack-of-all-trades is the structure for the strongest career
■ STEP 2: Build relationships with the front lines (positioning)
The technique of bringing in something unfinished and standing 'side-by-side' rather than delivering 100% perfect logic.
Article Title: Don't ask 'What are you having trouble with?'. The 20% prototype and the 'side-by-side' structure for drawing out the hidden pain of the front lines
■ STEP 3: Deliver IT's logic to the front lines (linguistic structure)
Before the cold language of systems freezes the atmosphere of the front lines, here is a practical theory on how to translate your words.
Article Title: Why the logic of 'efficiency' silences the front lines. The art of translation to turn cold IT language into 'body temperature'