Stop Blaming the System: The One Leadership Problem You're Missing
Do you feel like your team is constantly solving the same problems, even though you "have a system for that?" This episode reveals a deeper issue: a lack of coaching and accountability. Learn why stepping in to create workarounds or simply telling people what to do can be a major leadership failure. Discover how to get to the root cause of recurring problems and empower your team to follow a simplified process.
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE
Expand Your Leadership Skills.
Leadership Coaching vs. Telling: Why Your Process Isn't Working
Many companies believe they have the right processes in place, yet they constantly face the same unresolved issues. This is a common scenario we see, where a team discusses a recurring problem, and someone inevitably says, “Oh, but we have a system for that!” Despite the existence of a policy, procedure, or SOP, the problem persists. This suggests a major disconnect between the documented process and its actual execution. The central issue isn't the process itself, but the way people are using it, highlighting a critical need for effective leadership coaching.
At Revela, we believe that a documented process is only as good as the people who execute it. On a recent episode of The Leadership Hustle podcast, Michelle Hill and Andrea Fredrickson discussed this very problem, examining why a process might fail even when it's well-designed. We discussed how the core issue is often a failure of leadership coaching to ensure people understand and follow the process. Instead of coaching, managers often "tell" employees what to do and then walk away, assuming the new system will be adopted automatically.
Leadership Coaching vs. Telling
When a company’s process is failing, there are often two main culprits. The first is that the team isn't truly solving the problem. The second, and more common, as Hill stated is that “...they’re not training, they’re not coaching to the problem. They’re not teaching people the solution.” Organizations create a new process and expect everyone to adopt it immediately, without any follow-up. It's a "set it and forget it" mentality.
Implementing a new system is a form of change management. It requires people to abandon old habits and build new ones. This doesn't happen just because a memo was sent out. A leader can't just push out a new process and expect it to stick. They have to actively help their team members develop these new habits, which is the core of employee training and development. Without this crucial leadership coaching, the process, no matter how well-designed, will fail. Our goal with leadership coaching is to instill these vital skills.
This is where the distinction between telling and coaching becomes so vital. A leader can tell their team, "This is the new process," but a great leader coaches them through it. They check in, ask questions, and ensure everyone understands not just what to do, but why they're doing it.
The Dangers of Workarounds and Lack of Accountability
In our experience, a failed process often leads to widespread workarounds. We’ve seen countless scenarios, from new software implementations being ignored in favor of endless spreadsheets to manufacturing plants where employees don’t follow the correct steps. The result is a company running on workarounds rather than a streamlined, efficient system. This is a common failure of process improvement.
We’ve seen managers and leaders step in and do a workaround themselves, thinking they're "fixing" the problem. But as Hill and Fredrickson discussed, this is a dangerous cycle. This not only prevents the problem from being solved but also undermines the new process and accountability in the workplace, which is essential for success.
When a leader bypasses the system, they are essentially telling their team that the process isn’t important. This creates a culture where no one is truly accountable, and the same problems repeat themselves. We see people blame the system—“that system's just stupid”—or the new software—“that new program is awful.” But as Hill noted, “...it's awful because you don't like [that] it's new.” Change is uncomfortable, and people will resist it if they don’t understand the benefit. Effective change management requires more than just new rules; it requires buy-in.
Getting to the Root Cause of Process Failure
Our work with businesses shows the blame game rarely leads to a solution. True process improvement requires an understanding of a root cause analysis. This means going to the source, not just listening to third- or fourth-hand accounts.
Our approach is always to go and observe what is actually happening on the ground. A process might be "written down," but when we look closer, we find a different reality. Maybe it's a series of Post-it notes, or an undocumented shortcut that’s become standard practice. These are the details that are missed when leaders don't actively coach and observe. A strong root cause analysis reveals these hidden issues.
Successful leaders know that they can’t just trust that a process is being followed; they have to verify it. This isn't about micromanagement; it's about being present and engaged. It's about seeing the small discrepancies—like a skipped step that an employee doesn't even realize they're skipping—that lead to big problems down the line. A core part of leadership coaching is to teach leaders how to do this effectively, fostering an environment of trust and continuous process improvement.
The Path to Effective Process Improvement
To achieve lasting process improvement, you can't just try to fix a process and walk away. We recommend a four-step approach that focuses on people, not just paperwork.
Step 1: Start with the “Why”
As Hill said, people “...need to understand the why and what they're doing differently.” The first step is to clearly communicate the purpose of the new process. Why is this change necessary? How will it benefit the team and the company?
If people don’t understand the “why,” they will never truly buy in. It's not enough to just announce a new initiative; you must explain how it connects to the bigger picture and how it will improve their daily work. This dialogue helps alleviate fears and build a foundation of trust.
Step 2: Document and Simplify
The next step is to document the new process, but with a critical eye. We often find that in an effort to “fix” a process, we just add more steps, making it more complicated. Our goal should always be to simplify.
The simpler the process, the more likely it is to be followed correctly. This is a key component of employee training and development. When we make it easier for people to succeed, they are more likely to adopt the new way of doing things. We need to be ruthless in eliminating unnecessary complexity, ensuring every step serves a clear purpose.
Step 3: Coaching and Follow-Up
This is the most important step. As Hill emphasized, “...we have to coach it. You have to train people.” This isn't a one-time conversation; it's an ongoing process. A manager must prioritize their time to check in with each person individually. They should ask questions like, "What's working well? Where are you frustrated?"
This shows that the leader is invested in their team's success and is there to support them through the transition. It's about empowering people, not rescuing them with a quick fix. True coaching means guiding people back to the expected process. It’s a sign of strong leadership skills to be able to delegate and trust your team while providing the necessary support.
Step 4: Ensure Accountability
Effective leadership coaching is the foundation of lasting change management. The responsibility for following the process must stay with the employee. Leaders cannot become a crutch for their teams. They must coach employees back to the expectation, not rescue them with workarounds.
This establishes accountability in the workplace and reinforces the importance of the new process. When leaders themselves fall into the trap of doing workarounds, they send a clear message that the system is optional. Instead, they need to consistently model the correct behavior and hold their team members to the same standard. This creates a culture where every person is responsible for their part of the process, which in turn leads to greater efficiency and fewer recurring problems.
From Workarounds to a Winning Culture
The key to solving recurring problems isn't just creating new systems, it's about making those systems stick. This requires a shift from simply telling people what to do to actively using leadership coaching, ensuring they understand the "why," are properly trained, and are held accountable. By focusing on these leadership skills, you can move beyond a culture of workarounds and achieve genuine process improvement. The next time a familiar issue arises, ask yourself if you're getting to the root cause or just putting a bandage on a bigger problem.
At Revela, we believe that the best leaders don't just solve problems; they empower their teams to solve them. If you’d like to learn more about empowering your team for success, be sure to listen to the rest of The Leadership Hustle podcast!
About the Hosts
Andrea Fredrickson
Andrea Fredrickson is a thought leader and consultant at Revela, an organization based in Omaha, Nebraska specializing in the development of leaders, culture alignment, and business strategy for private and family businesses of all sizes. Revela is one of the region's most experienced thought challengers, helping individuals and companies find their greatness. Andrea has built an amazing team by believing that fundamentally people want to be successful and become better versions of themselves.
-
Andrea has degrees in education, management, and business. She is the author of Insight Unseen; How to lead with 20/20 business vision. She helps people see things differently, self-reflect, and never stop looking for ways to improve themselves on a personal and professional level. Andrea has spent more than 30 years researching and developing methods to help people communicate and lead more effectively.
When Andrea isn’t working with clients, you’ll find her spending time with her family & friends and making memories by exploring new cities.
Michelle Hill
Michelle Hill is a master facilitator and coach at Revela, an organization specializing in the development of leaders and aligning the culture of privately held and family businesses of all sizes. Revela is one of the region's most experienced thought challengers, helping individuals and companies find their greatness.
-
An ambitious leader, Michelle has the natural ability to create forward momentum to build teams and get results. She inspires others to look within themselves and to challenge the status quo. She helps create high-performing environments. Michelle brings a diverse background: operations, employee development, and sales in the steel, hospitality, and consulting industries.
Outside of work, you will see her competitive side engaged in her daughter’s sports and ISU athletics. She loves life, her four-legged companions, and captures all the moments through her camera’s lens.
TRANSCRIPT
Andrea Fredrickson: In this episode of Leadership Hustle, we're going to talk about those subjects that never seem to get really resolved because we're probably not getting to the root cause. Hello, and welcome to the Leadership Hustle for executives whose companies are growing fast and need leaders who are ready. Welcome back to this episode of The Leadership Hustle. I'm Andrea Frederickson, and I'm joined with my co-host Michelle Hill. Hello. And today we're talking about a story that happens very frequently. But I will tell the story as it relates to one specific scenario. But I could literally put this in just about every company. Yeah. That that we work with. And the story goes where we will be sitting in a meeting with a team, and they will make the comment that says, um, oh, but we have a system for that. Well, which is great policy, procedure, SOP, whatever that is. But in this, how this story unfolds is that we have listened to them work on the same problem over and over and over again. And every time they say, we have a process for that and we have a system for that, or we have an SOP for that. And the reality is we're still trying to solve the same problem. And so I'm going to throw this at you, Michelle. If that is the case what's the real issue.