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When a technology company undergoing a major reorganization asked us to support one of their senior leaders, the objective was clear: Help Andrew make this team work. The company had just flattened its structure. Fewer layers. Wider spans of control. A renewed focus on efficiency and getting back to basics. On paper, it looked like progress: cleaner org lines, leaner teams, faster decisions. But the reality was messy. Andrew had taken on responsibility for a newly formed departmenta blended group formed from two legacy product teams. Priorities were unclear. Systems outdated. Roles overlapped. Morale was low, and scrutiny from the top was higher than ever. The transformation trap Its not uncommon. According to McKinsey, fewer than one in three organizational transformations actually succeed in improving performance and sustaining those gains, even when leaders are well-intentioned and highly motivated. As leadership coaches, we see this frequently: talented, driven leaders set up to fail, not because they lack the skill or will, but because the systems they are asked to lead are misaligned. Too often, leaders are brought in to fix struggling teams but lack the authority to address whats actually broken: structure, goals, or even team composition. In theory, preserving institutional knowledge or deep technical expertise makes sense. In practice, it often means clinging to outdated priorities and unproductive dynamics. That’s why reorgs are so popular. They are fast, visible, and signal action. But shifting boxes on an org chart doesn’t address deeper performance issues. As McKinsey reports, companies that focus on structural changes, without also shifting behaviors, building capabilities, and evolving culture, rarely achieve lasting results. Unless you help people shift their mindsets, rebuild trust, and cocreate new ways of working, youve only moved the dysfunction around. And leaders are left managing a team thats misaligned, burned out, or unclear on their value. If results dont come swiftly, your team loses faith, and the C-suite questions your ability to lead. Through our work advising dozens of companies navigating high-stakes transformations, Kathryn, as an executive coach and keynote speaker, and Jenny, as an executive adviser and L&D expert, we have identified five critical moves that help leaders succeed. Whether you have just inherited a struggling team or you are preparing to lead through change, heres how to reset the foundation before the story writes itself. 1. Audit the System Before You Judge the People Stepping into leadership of an underperforming team usually comes with a baked-in narrative. Youre told they lack initiative, or arent strategic. When metrics are in the red, its easy to assume the issue is the people. But more often than not, the system is broken. When Andrews scope was expanded to include the newly formed department, they were perceived as helpful but inconsistent. They were responsive but struggling to make significant progress on key initiatives. Rather than default to performance assumptions, Andrew stepped back and audited the system. He uncovered vague goals, shifting priorities, and incentives that rewarded busyness over business impact. Once he clarified what mattered and aligned the teams work with what the business actually valued, both performance and reputation improved rapidly. Before judging individuals, ask: Are goals clear and achievable? Do people have the tools, decision rights, and autonomy to deliver? Are incentives aligned with strategic outcomes? Is the team working in silos or collaborating across the organization? Is the teams work seen and valued by the business? A team cant execute what it doesnt understand. Start by investigating and diagnosing the environment, not the people. As Deloitte emphasizes, leaders must go beyond surface-level restructuring by enabling teams to work differently and aligning systems with strategy. 2. Name Whats BrokenWithout Placing Blame As you get up to speed, dont go silent. Engage the team early. Most teams already know whats not working. Theyve just stopped saying it out loud because previous feedback was ignored or worse, weaponized. Your job is to surface how the system might be failing them. That requires curiosity, psychological safety, and a shift in tone. Instead of asking Whats wrong here? ask, Whats getting in the way of great work? Focus on processes, handoffs, and ways of workingnot personalities. Consider using the Start / Stop / Continue framework: What should we start doing to be more effective? What should we stop doing that no longer serves us? What should we continue doing thats working well? And remember: the reorg alone may trigger what we call F.U.D.Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. People may worry about whats changing, whether theyre valued, and if its safe to speak up. To build trust, bring in a neutral third party. Begin with an anonymous survey. Follow it with a facilitated group discussion that you briefly open, then step out of. This signals your commitment to listenig without defensiveness. When team members realize their colleagues share the same frustrations, the energy shifts. Clear thinking replaces frustration. Accountability increases and solutions emerge. This isnt just a diagnostic, its an inflection point. When teams feel heard and leaders act on what they hear, people begin to reengage. 3. Surface Strengths and Secure Early Wins Once the team starts speaking candidly, dont just fix problems. Find strengths. Even struggling teams hold valuable assets: institutional knowledge, strong relationships, or customer insights. Surface whats working, name it, and build on it. This boosts confidence and builds momentum. At the same time, make visible changes. Address obvious pain points. Remove duplicative work. Improve decision-making. Retire outdated processes. Look for two to three early wins that demonstrate, I heard you, and Im doing something about it. It might be simplifying handoffs across teams. Clarifying a decision bottleneck that frustrates everyone. Or creating a scorecard that communicates the teams results and impact. For Andrew, it meant aligning the teams priorities with what the business cared about most and providing a skills training workshop to help the team deliver. The shift was immediate: people felt more focused, confident, and seen. 4. Define What Progress Looks Like After a restructuring or leadership change, one question lingers: Is this working? Start by defining what progress looks like, before others define it for you. Dont wait for long-term KPIs. Identify a few short-term markers that signal success and that your team can rally around. One leader we coached focused on three simple indicators during her first 90 days: Reduced rework Fewer escalations after meetings Shorter turnaround times between handoff and next steps They were simple, measurable, and meaningful to the team. As progress builds, make it visible. Dont assume stakeholders will notice. Articulate clearly whats changing, why it matters, and whos driving that change. 5. Communicate Strategy Up, Down, and Across Once youve clarified whats changing, dont stop there. You need to communicate in all directions: Upward: Keep senior leaders informed about whats working, whats not, and what support you need. Dont assume they understand the lift. Share context, not complaints. Downward: Help your team connect the dots between new priorities and business outcomes. Remind them why it matters. Reinforce your strategy through ongoing conversations, not just onetime town halls. Across: Reset expectations with peers and cross-functional partners who may still be operating from old assumptions. Clarify whats changing and the new ways of working together. Strategy sticks when it’s reinforced with repetition, real examples, and ongoing dialogue. A plan that works Youve inherited a team mid-transition. Expectations are high. Trust is low. And the clock is ticking. You dont need all the answers, but you do need a plan. Audit the system. Invite candor. Surface strengths. Define success. Communicate with intention. Just like Andrew, your early moves matter. Thats how you turn a messy transition into a meaningful reset.
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E-Commerce
Calls to boycott Etsy are growing since Alligator Alcatraz merch popped up on its marketplace. The term refers to the Trump administration’s new migrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades. The detention facility, built from Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers and temporary shelters at the site of a training airport in Miami-Dade County, is in the middle of a natural alligator habitat. It has drawn condemnation from tribal, environmental, and civil rights groups. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida called the facility part of a broader strategy to expand the abusive mass detention machine, and in turn, criminalize and disappear members of our communities.” It has not drawn condemnation, though, from Etsy, which claims to prohibit “content which directly or indirectly contains violent or degrading commentary” against people over traits like their race, religion, gender, or immigration status. The availability of “Alligator Alcatraz” merchandise on the site has inspired calls for boycotts on social media that have received thousands of reactions. Etsy did not respond to a request for comment. [Screenshot: Etsy] Etsy’s terms of service around discrimination and hateful content are broad, with the term indirectly allowing for enforcement against veiled, coded, and subtle violations. Considering the derisive and violent nature of how President Trump and his supporters have spoken about the facility, “Alligator Alcatraz” seems to fall under the policy’s generous umbrella. When Trump toured the detention facility last week, he joked that detainees would learn “how to run away from an alligator if they escape prison.” Much of Etsy’s “Alligator Alcatraz” merch has the look of AI-generated slop, which is at odds with the company’s recent push to highlight human-made products. And it’s not clear how much of an audience there is for this stuff. A 53% majority of U.S. adults disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration, according to a Yahoo/YouGov poll, and Etsy pages for “Alligator Alcatraz” products don’t suggest robust sales, with low views and few notes indicating products had been purchased or put into carts. There’s also competition, with official Florida Republican Party “Alligator Alcatraz” merch and more options on Amazon. It’s clear Etsy understands the art of political subtly when it comes to the left- and right-leaning political categories it organizes for T-shirts with quiet, hidden political messages. For merch celebrating Trump’s new detention facility, though, that understanding suddenly seems lost.
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E-Commerce
In the age of climate change, many people are trying to consume more mindfully. When it comes to fashion, this often means buying fewer clothes and wearing them longer. But that’s a hard principle to follow with children’s clothing. Kids grow out of garments quickly; they also rip and stain clothes with abandon. It’s tempting to buy them cheap clothes that you won’t mind throwing out after a few wears. And it’s easy to do exactly that when fast fashion for kids is abundant, everywhere from Target to H&M. Now, a new platform wants to make it equally easy for parents and kids to shop secondhand clothing. Rebecca Bahmani [Photo: courtesy Prelove Me] Today, Prelove Me unveils a membership-based platform that allows you to buy and sell used clothing exclusively for kids. And unlike other secondhand clothing websites like ThredUp and Poshmark, Prelove Me doesn’t transact in money but in credits. You get credits for sending in clothes, which you can then use to buy other products on the site. “In the age of fast fashion, it’s easy to think of clothes as disposable,” says Rebecca Bahmani, Prelove You’s founder. “We’re trying to push back against this by teaching them that their clothes have actual value, which they can use to buy other clothes.” The planet is drowning in clothing Some experts estimate that fashion brands produce upwards of 100 billion garments every year, for only eight billion humans. Producing these clothes consumes enormous quantities of raw materials like cotton and oil, and is responsible for up to 8.6% of the world’s global greenhouse gas footprint. There are now many companies like Circ and Repreve that are developing technology that will enable us to recycle old clothes into new ones, which is far less environmentally damaging than making new clothes from scratch. But until this kind of recycling is widespread, a more sustainable approach is buying used clothes. After all, there are already enough garments on the planet to clothe humanity for decades into the future. [Image: courtesy Prelove Me] With Prelove Me, Bahmani wanted to create a platform that would make it easier for families to access secondhand clothing for their kids. To shop the site, you must first become a member. There are three tiers of membership, ranging from $35 a month to $95 a month, that gives you access to between 30 and 75 credits every month. Clothes are priced based on their quality and brand. A Rockets of Awesome bomber jacket is 21 credits, a pair of Vans velcro sneakers is 31 credits. “A membership makes sense because families need to buy clothes for their kids on a regular basis,” she says. “Kids outgrow things quickly, and they have specific needs, like swimsuits for the summer.” Bahmani, who previously worked at a lace manufacturer called Klauber Brothers, Inc., bootstrapped the company. She spent years collecting the initial inventory by asking for donations to launch the site. But the company is also raising funds to allow it to scale, particularly when it comes to automating the logistics of receiving secondhand clothes, uploading them to the website, then sending them out to customers. ThredUp, a secondhand website that generated $260 million in revenue last year, has scaled thanks to its high-tech, highly automated warehouses. [Image: courtesy Prelove Me] To continue growing the platform’s inventory, members are invited to send in all the clothes that their kids have outgrown. They will get credits based on the quality of the garment. Clothes from designer brands and those in excellent or unworn condition will get more credits than those from mass market brands and clothes that show more wear and tear. But the website accepts clothes from all brands, including fast fashion labels like Shein. Bahmani point out that even clothes with a cheap price tag take a lot of resources to make, and it is just as important to keep them out of landfills. Bahmani wanted to make sure that families felt comfortable sending in clothes that are unwearable. Prelove will offer one credit for these clothes, and will send them to be upcycled at a company that produces housing insulation. “We’re trying to teach kids to dispose of clothes responsibly,” Bahmani says. “Upcycling is much better than just throwing them in a landfill. And in time, we’ll be looking at fabric-to-fabric recycling.” [Photo: courtesy Prelove Me] Teaching Kids Good Habits Prelove You’s website is designed to be fun, interactive, and simple enough for kids to use. The number of credits required to buy a product are clearly marked, and it’s easy to “favorite” products. And because it focuses exclusively on kid’s clothes, it is easier for kids to navigate. “Kids often want to be involved with choosing their own clothes,” she says. “We wanted to make the experience fun for them.” More broadly, however, her goal is to help instill more responsible shopping habits in kids. This website is supposed to make shopping pre-owned just as fun as shopping new. It’s also designed to give children a tangible sense of what a circular economy looks like, where clothes are kept in circulation as long as possible. There’s some evidence that young people are more willing to buy thrifted goods than previous generation: 83% of Gen Z is willing to shop pre-owned, and the global secondhand market has increased by more than a third in recent years. But at the same time, young people responsible for the explosion in ultra fast fashion brands like Shein and Temu. Many teens and twentysomethings now buy enormous quantities of clothesor “hauls”from cheap retailers and share them on social media. Bahmani believes that there is still time to shape the shopping habits of younger kids, so they grow up to be the kinds of people who understand the value of clothing and live more sustainably. “If they grow up being excited about shopping preowned, they’re likely to become adults who do the same,” she says.
Category:
E-Commerce
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