Breaking Free From the Status Quo

In any industry (ours included), “the way we’ve always done it” isn’t just a tired cliche. It’s a surefire path to stagnation. 

While routines are useful tools, clinging to the status quo cripples teams. 

Over the last few years, we’ve been able to ride high on the wave of funding, racing to keep up with demand and take advantage of the influx of work. However, if we don’t pause to adjust and improve our processes, we won’t stay afloat very long. 

It’s time to break free from the status quo to keep our workflows flexible. Here’s how: 

Prevent Burnout by Making a Game Plan 

Too much change, too fast, is a recipe for burnout. Never changing creates stagnancy, but too much change has its own pitfalls. When every month brings a new workflow or new software, teams have to learn and relearn expansive, often rigid systems over and over. It creates resentment toward change, especially when change is associated with bugs, tickets, downtimes, and high pressure to make new workflows effective.  

Beating burnout means cultivating hope. If possible, new workflows should roll out gradually so teams aren’t trying to learn something new overnight. 

This also helps relieve some of the pressure staff can feel to perform at the same capacity. Learning takes time. Yes, photo data collection is faster than pen-and-paper methods, but it might not be faster on day one. Setting benchmarks for success over time helps avoid exhaustion. 

Create Buy-in and Get Teams Involved 

Top-down mandates tend to breed resentment, not buy-in. The teams who feel the most pain should have a say. The mentality that we’re “just following orders” doesn’t encourage successful adoption. Our people are the greatest assets we have. Getting their perspective and their insight is invaluable. 

Want teams to embrace change? Involve them in the decision-making process from the start. Better yet, give them agency to experiment and make adjustments.

This proves especially true when those same teams have the space and agency to try new things and make adjustments to workflows. When we get to adapt and develop something, we tend to care more about overall success. 

Best Practices Take Time, Iteration, and Training 

In an ideal situation, we would jump on new workflows, take personal ownership of adoption, and just naturally intuit best practices based on our projects’ scopes and deliverables. 

But new workflows don’t come with instruction manuals. It takes time and repetition, trial and error, to figure out the right implementation plan. Short on-ramps combined with wary teams and high pressure tend to create frustration rather than growth. 

 That's where training comes in. Well-trained leaders can skillfully guide their teams and tailor processes. When teams have the time and resources to learn standards, tools, and tips, they’re usually more likely to implement best practices. 

We encourage folks new to the Katapult Pro workflow or looking to improve their process to go through our Training Bootcamps. It’s not just for newbies— it’s a space to master the tools and techniques to crush every project.

Stagnation is the enemy of growth. Yes, change is hard - but fortune favors the bold. The teams willing to embrace the discomfort of trying something new are the ones who'll deliver lasting value, no matter what the future holds. 

How we do our work actually helps us keep getting work. Investing in the process can yield some of the biggest ROIs. 

The teams that are willing to change and practice wisdom in how they adjust are the ones who’ll create ongoing lasting value for years to come, no matter the project or industry climate.  

Thanks for reading! If you’re frustrated with workflows or trying to get your team up and running, we’d love to help! Shoot us an email at contact@katapultengineering.com to get in touch!