2514 Breaking Through Bottlenecks: A Lesson in Teamwork and Timing

I recently started my new role at Turner & Townsend. As with any transition, I’ve been thinking carefully about how best to restructure the team. Fortunately, I was prepared for this kind of situation, so it hasn’t been too overwhelming—but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t weigh on my mind.

Right now, I find myself needing to make a lot of decisions to resolve the backlog of pending tasks. One particular task had been sitting unresolved for quite some time. According to my team, it had stalled because no one had the specific expertise needed to move it forward. A staff member was assigned to it anyway, but after two weeks, there was little to no progress. This has become one of my main concerns—not just because the task remains undone, but because I’m unsure whether that person will be able to demonstrate leadership until the right process is firmly in place.

Then came a turning point.

One Friday morning, a new team member, Okada-san, joined me in the office. He’s a scheduling specialist and formerly worked at one of the top three plant engineering companies—just like me. Because of our shared background, we were able to quickly build trust. In Tuckman's model of team development, we moved past the storming phase almost effortlessly and are now in the norming phase, working together smoothly.

That morning, we casually chatted about the pending task. I asked, “Why are we still assigning this to the same person? Shouldn’t we be exploring more suitable candidates within our network?”

Okada-san replied, “Yes, I’ve been thinking the same. I actually know someone who might be a better fit.”

That short conversation was the catalyst. After coordinating with Talent Acquisition, we agreed to begin exploring candidates with more specialized skills. At the same time, I plan to assign the current staff member to a different role—one that better suits their strengths. This creates a win-win outcome for everyone involved.

Reflecting on this, I realized something powerful: if Okada-san hadn’t joined Turner & Townsend, or if we hadn’t happened to be in the office together that morning, the decision might not have happened at all. It was a perfect example of how small coincidences and internal networking can lead to big changes. Often, we think of networking as something external—but internal relationships with colleagues, family, and stakeholders are just as important.

This episode didn’t require any extra paperwork or formal analysis—it simply happened through trust, timing, and conversation. It helped me break through a serious bottleneck in a surprisingly effortless way.

Maybe you’re facing a similar issue. Perhaps this story will inspire you to take that small step—a chat, a question, a moment of reflection. You never know what breakthroughs might be waiting on the other side.