Why Teams Fail to Deliver Impact: the Gap Between Execution and Purpose
Aligning Teams for Maximum Impact
So, what’s a product or engineering lead supposed to do to bridge this gap between the “what,” “why,” and “how?” Here are five strategies:
1. Make sure everyone can articulate the problem.
From the beginning, you need to make sure that everyone, regardless of their role or team, understands what problem is being solved. Write it down in your own words to force yourself to articulate it. Ask your teams to do the same. Ensure you’re all aligned, and then document, document, document. This is not the time for ambiguity! If you ask any team member why they’re doing what they’re doing, they should all give identical answers.
Even if you’re already well into your project, this exercise can reveal hidden misalignments. At your next team meeting, ask each person to write down the problem they’re solving, then compare notes. The differences might surprise you, and you’ll be happy they surfaced now rather than later.
2. Establish clear success metrics
You can’t accurately assess impact if you don’t have a baseline for measuring success.
Start connecting your team efforts directly to company objectives. For example, instead of saying, “We need to improve the checkout flow,” say, “Our checkout abandonment rate is 27% compared to the industry average of 18%. Each 1% improvement represents $120K in annual revenue. Our goal is to improve by X%.”
See the difference? Specificity makes it easier for teams to identify what’s working (and what’s not).
3. Include all functions in strategic discussions
If you treat your strategy like a game of telephone, don’t be surprised when your message gets muddied. Information should never be filtered down through managers.
I’ve seen engineers completely reimagine solutions after a single customer conversation. Why deny your team this perspective? Every person who’s involved in building a solution should be in the room when discussing the “why” and the “what.”
4. Trust teams to find solutions
This is a simple one, but it’s easy to forget: Once everyone understands the problem, give them space to innovate. Don’t prescribe solutions, which kills motivation and limits possibilities.
5. Be transparent
Get in the habit of sending monthly updates to stakeholders explaining:
- The customer problem you’re addressing
- Current impact metrics
- Progress being made
This not only showcases the team’s work but ensures continued alignment. It also serves as documentation. The more frequent and thorough the updates, the less room there is for ambiguity, misinterpretation, and miscommunication.
The 80/20 Rule of Problem Solving
According to the classic 80/20 rule, 80% of results come from 20% of efforts. I’ve found that problem solving has its own 80/20 rule: 80% of success is defining what we’re solving for and why. Only 20% is actually executing the solution.
Ultimately, the most passionate, motivated teams are those who truly understand the problems they’re solving and can connect their work to meaningful impact. The most talented people will fail to deliver results if they’re not consistently aligned. But when teams truly understand the problem, you end up with simpler, more elegant solutions—solutions you might never have imagined otherwise.
What steps will you take this week to ensure your delivery teams understand the “why” behind their work?