I was recently consulting with an executive team. We were rolling something big out company-wide, and it was...bumpy.
This isn't anyone's fault. No one did anything wrong.
This is just how change management is. As much as I advocate for planning and communicating change, all the planning and communicating doesn't change the fact that something will inevitably go wrong, or not go as smoothly as you had hoped. Especially where technology and vendors are involved.
This team that I was working with could teach a masterclass on how to conduct yourself—and how to treat one another—when things aren't rolling out perfectly.
1. There was grace being given.
2. They were willing to endure the bumps, and give their feedback along the way.
3. They stayed at the table.
4. There was no "I told you so" or "We should have done this."
And those are the people I love to work with. The teams who stick to the vision of what will be, instead of what currently is. The ones who keep their eyes on the prize.
There will always be bumps. But when you build resilience into the process and keep looking forward, those bumps will even themselves out.