“They’ll Figure It Out” Is a Gamble

“They’ll figure it out” sounds confident. It sounds efficient. It sounds like trust.

In reality, it’s a gamble.

Because when people are left to “figure it out,” what they usually do is:

• recreate the old process

• build workarounds

• use spreadsheets “just for now”

• avoid the system until someone makes them

Not because they’re lazy — but because humans default to what feels safest and fastest in the moment.

And if the old way is still available, it will always win.

That’s not culture. That’s physics.

People don’t experiment freely when:

• they’re busy

• they’re measured on output

• they’re afraid of slowing things down

• or they don’t fully understand the consequences

So they adapt quietly. They comply superficially. And leadership is left wondering why adoption is “lower than expected.”

“They’ll figure it out” isn’t empowerment. It’s abdication.

If you don’t guide people through the change, they’ll guide themselves — often straight back to the old way.

Long story short, do not gamble with your teams' success.