The bigger picture: Share the end-to-end view of the project and its long-term impact. Explain why meeting specific parameters is crucial. Customer context: Offer the customer's perspective and the logic behind the specifications. If possible, share Voice of the Customer (VOC) insights. Define CTQ: Engage the team in brainstorming discussions to determine CTQ factors. This will help them understand the importance of specifications. Seek input and feedback: Encourage team members to share their thoughts and concerns throughout the project. This will foster a sense of ownership and accountability. Coach and empower: Help the team understand their role in the value chain and how their contributions impact the project's success. Helps?

From my experience in managing automation projects, resistance often arises from a lack of understanding of the ‘why.’ I tackle this by fostering open communication, involving the team in refining solutions, and aligning changes with the bigger picture. Once, during an RPA implementation, team feedback helped streamline the process and improved adoption. Transparency and collaboration turn resistance into engagement, ensuring the team feels ownership in the project’s success.

When my team pushes back on a project specification, I focus on understanding their concerns, aligning their feedback with the project’s objectives, and collaboratively refining the approach. By fostering open communication, addressing challenges directly, and ensuring everyone understands the bigger picture, I ensure the team is aligned and focused on delivering the project successfully.

En mi equipo aprovechamos las ceremonias de retrospectiva, para escuchar las opiniones de todo y las oportunidades de mejora, en un ambiente de libertad y confianza. Cuando alguna urgencia lo requiere, se convoca al equipo para informar el cambio en la priorizacion, y explicando los motivos y pidiendo opiniones sobre el mejor accionar.

Listen actively, address concerns transparently, highlight the benefits, and create a shared vision—people support what they help create

Have an early discussion to find out the team members' pain points. The proper tone is established by having clear expectations about the deliverables. Every team member must participate in an open-ended discussion where they can express their opinions.  It is the responsibility of management to close the gap between planned outcomes and actual outcomes. Have a contingency plan to ensure that the team has adequate backup resources.

To get your team on board with new project specifications, involve them early in the process and encourage active participation. Clearly communicate the project's vision and benefits, emphasizing how it aligns with organizational goals. Foster open dialogue, listen to concerns, and adapt based on feedback to show flexibility. Highlight the collaborative nature of the project, reinforcing that success depends on everyone's contributions. Maintain clear, ongoing communication throughout, and celebrate milestones to keep morale high. This approach builds ownership, trust, and engagement, ensuring team alignment and success.

An important aspect of introducing a new project and ensuring the success of it, is to involve your team at inception, one of the mistakes leaders make when driving strategic initiatives, is involving staff after a decision is made to pivot in a specific direction. An inclusive approach always ensures that every perspective is considered and allows the team to be part of the decision making and creates a sense of ownership when the project lands. It is also true that some staff may need time to adjust, leadership needs to be cognisant of the different personas in the team and create a robust change management strategy for user adoption.

When facing team pushback on new project specifications, I’ve found it effective to start by creating an open space for dialogue to understand their concerns. When my team resisted a major shift, I communicated the purpose and benefits clearly, aligning the changes with the bigger picture. Involving them in refining the specs helped them feel heard and invested. Breaking the work into manageable phases eased their overwhelm, while providing resources reassured them of their capability to succeed. Celebrating small wins boosted morale, and adjusting timelines based on valid concerns earned their trust. This approach resolved resistance and fostered stronger collaboration.

Start by actively listening to their concerns and validating their input. Clarify the broader vision and how the new specs align with the overall project goals. Involve the team in refining the specifications, making them feel part of the solution. Address any resource concerns by being transparent about how those will be managed. Break down the project into manageable steps to make it feel less overwhelming, and highlight any early wins to build momentum. Finally, communicate the reasons behind the changes clearly and remain flexible if adjustments are necessary.