Study the workaround

Workarounds are evidence. A personal spreadsheet, saved prompt, private checklist, or unofficial database tells you that someone has already found a gap worth closing. It may also reveal why the approved system failed.

Do not begin by punishing the workaround. Ask:

• 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?

The answer may be a better product requirement than anything produced in a conference room.