A People-First Mindset Under Pressure
When a large enterprise decided to divest an entire business unit, hundreds of employees suddenly faced uncertain futures. To complicate matters, this divestiture coincided with the early stages of COVID-19, when the world was grappling with remote work, health anxieties, and rapidly changing protocols. Standard cutover practices—like gathering everyone in a war room—were impossible.
The deadline was fixed: the transition had to be completed on time, despite thousands of interconnected tasks and a geographically dispersed workforce. Skepticism abounded: given the track record, executive leadership doubted it could be delivered on schedule, especially under COVID constraints.
The Approach
People-First Mindset
From day one, the focus was on human connection and empathy. The team lead “rolled up his sleeves” to work alongside individuals, ensuring they felt supported rather than left alone in uncertainty. By sharing tasks instead of simply delegating them, trust began to build.
Remote “War Room” Automation
With in-person collaboration off the table, an automated digital war room was established:
A real-time “robot” system tracked prerequisites and progress, alerting the right people at the right time to execute tasks.
A near real-time dashboard (updating every 10 minutes) showed where the work stood, flagging bottlenecks and offering data-driven insights for quick decision-making.
Flexible Templates and Processes
While tens of thousands of tasks required standardization, there was room for adaptation. A unified template guided repetitive processes, yet teams could deviate when circumstances demanded it.
Decentralized Decision-Making: Teams were empowered to choose how they tackled tasks—spreadsheets, presentations, or whiteboards—so long as they reported outcomes effectively through the central system.
Rapid Course Corrections
When one area fell behind, capacity was quickly redeployed from teams ahead of schedule.
15-Minute Turnaround: The automated system’s notifications and the near real-time dashboard enabled a swift pivot. By engaging all stakeholders on a virtual conference line, resources were reallocated, and the project timeline stayed intact.
Value Delivered
On-Time, On-Budget Delivery
Despite significant doubt and a global pandemic, the divestiture was completed without extending timelines or inflating costs.Improved Credibility
Executives who doubted the team were “amazed” to wake up to fully executed tasks, discovering how transparency and automation could deliver seemingly impossible results.High-Trust Culture
Working alongside employees, acknowledging their fears, and prioritizing meaningful communication fostered a “we’re in this together” mentality. Morale improved, and people felt supported—even while facing job uncertainty and the stresses of COVID-19.Future-Ready Processes
The remote war room and automated tracking tools outlasted the project, offering a blueprint for digital collaboration on future initiatives.
Lessons Learned
Empathy Drives Engagement
Recognizing the emotional toll—especially when jobs might be on the line—helped the team feel valued and motivated. Rolling up your sleeves and tackling tasks alongside them built immediate trust.Technology as an Enabler, Not a Barrier
By designing a near real-time dashboard and “robot” task handler, the team turned remote work into an advantage rather than a limitation.Flexibility within Structure
Providing templates and guidelines ensured consistency. Allowing teams to adapt based on local needs or preferences prevented bottlenecks and fueled ownership.Rapid Response is Critical
With thousands of tasks and multiple time zones, swift course correction—often in minutes—kept the work on track. Data transparency and straightforward communication made this possible.Build Credibility Through Results
Facing initial skepticism, the team focused on delivering tangible outcomes instead of engaging in organizational politics, proving that a human-centric, transparent approach can succeed under extreme pressure.
Why This Matters to Be On
While this project took place before Be On, it exemplifies our human-centered ethos and holistic growth framework:
Transparency: Regular, near real-time updates reduced confusion and fueled quick decision-making—a core principle at Be On.
Trust & Collaboration: Showing empathy, acknowledging stress, and helping each other across departmental lines created a resilient team that refused to let anyone fail.
Technology as a Catalyst: By leveraging automation to handle repetitive tasks, people could focus on higher-value work, forging a seamless path to delivery.
Well-Being: Providing emotional support and acknowledging personal challenges kept morale and productivity high, even in a season of extraordinary stress.
This approach underscores what Be On believes: people-powered processes, boosted by strategic automation, can yield extraordinary results—especially in times of great uncertainty.
