As I transition to more data analyst work from implementation workflow consultancy, I thought it would be helpful (and somewhat therapeutic) to reflect on some of the lessons I learned the hard way while managing client expectations and navigating desired outcomes. Hopefully, these experiences will save you time and help you avoid more than a few headaches
Companies typically pursue change either when they feel they are in a rut and have some budget to allocate toward it, or when they are facing the limitations of their current system and can no longer ignore its shortcomings. The challenge lies in implementing a new or revised system while managing patience and expectations
One of the biggest obstacles is getting clients to commit to a new solution without reverting to the old one. A significant lesson learned is that some companies would rather return to a familiar but ineffective situation than take the time to adapt to something new. This entire process will reveal the client's patience and ability to embrace change. Surface objections and concerns early, and address them proactively.
The older the company, the more challenging it becomes to successfully transition them to something new. You can mitigate this to some extent by assessing how entrenched the employees are in their current ways of doing things. If they are sufficiently frustrated, they are likely to be more open to what you are trying to implement and more willing to endure the challenges of adapting
Changing systems and workflows is almost never a unanimous decision. Sometimes, individuals may deliberately resist change to sabotage any progress. It’s important to surface these issues with the person who brought you on board. You need allies during disruptive transitions, as you will have no internal authority beyond your own connections. If they cannot advocate for the change and persuade others, chances are you're cooked
New companies (new being 5 years or younger) are typically more open-minded about changing things up. More often than not, they lack a solid workflow and instead operate with something that works just well enough, rather than effectively. This usually bites them hard when they need to scale and are onboarding new employees in quick succession, prompting a desire to unify their processes rapidly. When you encounter this, part of your goal will be to streamline and 'unbundle' the stack they have cobbled together. Be as clear as possible about the challenges involved in this process and remind them of the trade-offs if they rush through it haphazardly. The speed of the transition will depend on how messy and fragmented their current setup is. Bumps likely will happen along the way and they might not handle it well. It is easier to reference a previous conversation you had about it than it is to defend a situation in the moment with no previous context.
Most early workplaces are built around the founder's workflow rather than one that facilitates easy transitions for others. First-time founders often fall into this trap, as they tend to wear multiple hats and may not fully understand how their workflow can be challenging for others to adapt to. In contrast, serial founders typically recognize that establishing a solid workflow and framework from the outset is crucial for effective scaling. While you may need to navigate egos, it's important to recognize that making this process easier for others to engage with creates a win-win situation.
Most multi-purpose apps (Notion, Jira, ClickUp, Confluence, Coda, etc.) end up being overwhelming for users in the long run. Part of the reason for this is that they are either too convoluted or are designed to be used in a specific way that prevents exploration of other helpful features. For example, Notion can seamlessly import Jira tickets or even replace Jira entirely. If your team is comfortable with Jira, there's no need to switch to Notion; however, Notion can help surface changes to team members who use it as a central hub and source of truth. The likelihood is that if you don't train yourself and your employees on these workflows and clarify what is and isn't possible for their use cases, things will quickly become a cluttered mess. The 'everything app' can become the 'nothing app,' making it feel like you took one step forward and two steps back. However, the primary reason these apps fail to achieve full integration is the lack of clarity around permissions management. Determine who needs access to what early on and demonstrate how this can be achieved from a permission standpoint. Prioritizing this aspect over others will save you a lot of stress in the long run
One of the worst feelings is when you successfully help implement something, but the company has an edge case that prevents it from working as intended. In such cases, they are likely to focus on the issues that don't work at the expense of all the things that do. As a consultant, you're caught between a rock and a hard place since you have no control over the development team behind the solution you're trying to implement. The greater the client's buy-in for the software, the better chance you have of getting their issue prioritized and addressed. However, if you're working with a small or mid-sized company, you may find yourself relegated to a queue, form, or AI chatbot. In those instances, you just hope you're not the only one experiencing the problem. It’s worth reaching out to developers via other social platforms to see if you can get their attention on your issue.
People often believe that programs will fix their problems, but that is usually secondary to a mindset and process shift. The best companies I've seen understand that prioritizing communication and feedback loops is crucial for running a successful organization. Technology is secondary to this understanding, and the best implementation of a solution surfaces these values. This becomes challenging at scale. When a company reaches the 75 to 100+ employee mark, there are typically middle managers and bureaucratic internal politics that make it difficult to implement systemic change. While it’s not impossible, it certainly presents more challenges. See my previous point about leveraging allies who've brought you on help you navigate this as best as possible.
If you found this helpful, or know someone who could benefit from some, or all of the points I raised, please share it with them & respond to this newsletter. Navigating these scenarios shouldn't have to result in a lost opportunity.
