Study the workaround

A personal spreadsheet, saved prompt, private checklist, or unofficial database tells you that someone has already spent effort closing a gap. Looking at that workaround can help you understand the requirement and why an approved system isn't meeting it. Use this conversation during discovery and adoption planning, before deciding what should replace it.

Ask the person these questions one at a time, starting with what their approach makes possible:

• What problem does this solve for you?
• When do you choose it over the official process?
• What information does it contain that the formal system lacks?
• What would make you stop using it?

Begin with curiosity so the person can explain the job they're trying to do. Carry what you learn into the proposed behavior change and the experiment's adoption conditions.