365 Days of Stories – Day 20: Fighting for Organization Goal & Navigating Internal Conflicts

365 Days of Stories – Day 20: Fighting for Organization Goal & Navigating Internal Conflicts

In the pursuit of unlocking payments for the company, my focus was clear: ensure that CEO-driven projects were delivered on time and that the CEO’s confidence in us was restored. This became my sole mission. Every decision I made, every conversation I had, was aimed at achieving that one goal—delivering results for the CEO.

While focused on delivering the CEO’s priority projects and unlocking payments, I unintentionally made enemies—both internally and with the customer.

When I spoke with my boss, he kept reiterating that the goal was to make CEO-driven projects live. He told me to stay focused on that goal, and he would take care of the rest. This provided some relief, and I continued pushing forward.

Week by week, we made visible progress. By the end of six months, most of the CEO’s priority projects had gone live, and the CEO’s confidence in our team was fully restored. Not only did we secure the trust of the leadership, but we also unlocked payments for the previous two quarters, totaling approximately $15 million USD. It felt like a huge win for the company and for the team.

However, behind the scenes, things weren’t so straightforward. While the people directly aligned with the organizational goal were happy with the results, others weren’t. Some internal leaders—especially the Architect Leader and the Process QA Leader—were unhappy that I had full control over their teams and that they couldn’t intervene. Additionally, a few BU leaders didn’t appreciate that I had direct CEO support and that they no longer had the same level of influence.

It was a strange mix of emotions. On one hand, I felt proud to have made a major contribution to the company by unlocking millions in payments and earning the CEO’s trust. On the other hand, I knew I had created some internal friction that would eventually come to the surface. I felt that I had done the right thing for the organization, but at what cost?

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced when aligning internal teams with organizational goals?

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