How did you manage the transition for engineers who were mid-project?

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Anonymous · Accepted Answer

💬 Question: How did you manage the transition for engineers who were
mid-project?

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⭐️ Answer:

That's a really practical question, and honestly, it's where a lot of roadmap
changes fall apart if you're not thoughtful.

At IBM, when we had to pivot the fraud platform roadmap mid-cycle, we had
engineers deep in the card lifecycle workflows. Instead of just saying "stop,
we're doing something else," I did three things.

First, I sat down with the engineering manager — not just to inform them, but to
understand what was actually in flight. How far along were they? What was the
sunk cost versus what was still ahead? What would it take to pause versus
finish? I treated them as a stakeholder in the decision, not just an executor.
That made a huge difference in how they received the change.

Second, I gave them a choice where possible. If we had a feature that was 80%
done, I'd say, "We can finish this in two weeks and ship it, or we can pause and
move to the new priority. What makes sense for the team's momentum?" Engineers
respect that kind of autonomy. It's not about forcing compliance — it's about
solving the problem together.

Third, I made sure the new work was crystal clear before they started. Vague
priorities mid-project create friction. I worked with them to scope the new
features, size them, and agree on the architecture upfront. That clarity reduced
rework and kept them moving.

The lesson was: engineers aren't obstacles to change — they're partners in
managing it. When you involve them early and respect their constraints,
transitions happen smoothly.

How did you manage the transition for engineers who were mid-project?

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