Delivering the wrong thing without realising
- Jan 28
- 3 min read
Everyone involved in the project meant well.
The conversations were positive, people were supportive of the new tech project, and there was a lot of “yes, that sounds about right”. On the surface, everything felt aligned. And yet, the project was quietly heading towards delivering the wrong thing.
We see this a lot, particularly in charities and small teams. Not because anyone lacked skill or commitment but because things were agreed in spirit rather than in detail.
Where it began to unravel
In one charity project we worked on, the aim was to digitise a fundraising process. Everyone agreed it was needed and shared the same intent. What was missing was a clear, shared understanding of what “done” actually looked like.
Different teams were holding different assumptions about scope. Some steps were assumed to sit with other teams, and user testing was assumed to happen somewhere along the way.
The people closest to the work hadn’t been fully pulled into shaping what success looked like. None of this was careless or deliberate. It simply hadn’t been considered.
By the time people realised they weren’t fully aligned, the work was already in motion. And once that happens, it’s much harder to pause and say, “Hang on, that’s not quite what I meant.”
What changed things
When we were brought in, the first thing we did was slow things down and take a step back. Not to add more process, but to make sure the teams would actually have what they needed once the new system was delivered.
We brought the teams together to build a clear, shared view of scope. Rather than relying on long documents or heavy sign-off, we used a simple visual that everyone could understand. No technical language. Just a clear picture of what was in and what wasn’t.
That’s when another gap became obvious. No time had been planned for user testing, which is the step that makes sure what gets built actually matches what people need. Everyone was busy, so lengthy testing sessions weren’t realistic.
Instead, we put together simple, online, quiz-style testing. It meant people could check functionality quickly and easily, without it feeling like another demand on their time.
Alongside that, we kept meeting as the work progressed. Not as formal updates, but as a shared space to surface anything that didn’t feel quite right. It gave people a safe forum to raise questions or concerns early, so nothing important was missed and issues could be worked through together.
Where things landed
The impact was noticeable from the first meeting together. People were engaged, comfortable that their needs were being included and clear about where work would hand off to other teams.
With a shared outcome agreed upfront, there were no last-minute surprises and no quiet frustration building in the background. The project went live on time and on budget, not because people worked harder, but because they knew what they were working towards.
The real lesson here isn’t about scope documents or testing methods.
It’s about the difference between pushing a project through and bringing people along with you confidently.
Clarity doesn’t shut conversations down. It enables better ones, earlier alignment and calmer delivery.
A system decision is only the starting point.
Success comes from bringing the right people into shaping how the work actually gets done.
When that happens early, delivery feels calmer and people know what they’re aiming for.
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