Taped vs. Tailored (2): How to Stop Relying on Workarounds
In our last article, we talked about how a “tape fix” is meant to be temporary. Most organizations aren’t using tape because they want to; they keep using tape because a tailored, long-term solution often takes more time than they have in the moment. They are running on tape because they are moving from project to project very quickly.
Improvisation is a skill that teams use to work fast, and it’s impressive. It’s also exhausting when used over and over again. Tape fixes only temporarily resolve challenges.
The shift is not “stop using tape.” The shift is: stop confusing tape for a long-term solution.
What “tailoring” actually means
Tailoring is creating solutions that fit how your team and what generally works well in your organization. It means designing longer-term solutions that consider:
the underlying problem (not the most noticeable symptom of that problem)
the constraints (time, budget, people)
the team’s capacity and skills
A tailored solution can also look deceptively simple:
Define one source of information for updates
Clarify who owns decisions (and who supports the work)
Reduce the number of active priorities each team member works on so execution is possible
Redesign workflows so the best way is also the easiest way
Tailoring takes longer upfront. But it pays you back every day after.
Here’s a tool we use in meetings
We take a pause to think and discuss whether our solution will work long-term or if it is a fix that will only get us through a week or two. If the honest answer is “get through the week”, we acknowledge that this solution might be a short-term, tape fix.
Then we ask: “What would have to be true for us to stop needing this workaround? What do we need to do to solve this long-term?”
That is where tailoring begins.
A simple exercise (10 minutes to start)
Pick one recurring challenge.
Name the tape fix. What are you doing repeatedly that only helps for a week or so?
Name what it is protecting and what risk we are managing. What would break if you stopped? What isn’t working and why?
Choose one tailoring move you can make in the next two weeks. Here are some examples: clarify decision-making for a recurring process; set communication norms for one project; pause a low-value initiative to create capacity for work on a higher priority project; document a workflow so knowledge is not trapped in one person’s head.
The goal is not changing everything. The goal is to reduce reliance on tape fixes to create sustainable long-term solutions that work for you, your team, and your organization.
Do you need support moving from taped to tailored solutions? Contact us today.
Where this series is going
This is the second entry in our Taped vs. Tailored Solutions series. Read the first article When “Temporary” Taped Fixes Become Permanent for more!