The support team didn’t lack intent, they lacked structure.
One framework changed everything, making their execution as disciplined as the dev team’s.
It was 6:30 AM on a Monday, and the HR lead was winding down their workout at the local gym. The hum of the treadmill and the clink of weights filled the air, but her mind was preoccupied. WonderBiz, the company they worked for, had been experiencing rapid growth. While the development team was thriving, the support functions—HR, marketing, admin—were struggling to keep up.
Tasks often slipped through the cracks, deadlines were missed, and quality was inconsistent. This, in turn, was starting to affect the development team, causing delays in projects, missed opportunities, and frustration. Something had to change, and soon.
As they cooled down after a set, the HR lead saw a familiar face across the gym. It was an old colleague from a previous company, now working in talent management at a rapidly growing organization. They caught up, and the HR lead couldn’t help but mention the growing pains WonderBiz was facing. They shared how the HR, marketing, and admin teams were overwhelmed by the demands of the business. Their colleague, a seasoned professional in talent management, nodded thoughtfully.
“How’s it going on your end?” the HR lead asked.
The HR lead was intrigued. “Tell me more,” she urged.
“Sure,” the colleague said. “We use this framework to ensure that every task, from hiring to project execution, is carried out with proper planning and accountability. It starts with Spec—where we define what exactly needs to be done.
We ask questions: Why is this needed? What is the goal? When should it be done? Who needs to be involved? How will it be done? Once the task is well-defined, we move to Design—creating the plan of action. After that comes Plan, where we break it down into specific steps and timelines.
Execution comes next, where we carry out the plan with precision. If you really do the Spec, Design and Plan, Execution will be a cakewalk! Finally, we Learn from each task—documenting lessons, refining processes, and making sure we get better with each iteration.”
The HR lead’s mind raced. This was it. This was the framework that could help WonderBiz. The problem wasn’t a lack of talent or dedication from the support team—it was the lack of structure. They weren’t planning properly, and as a result, they were reactive rather than proactive. This framework could help them shift gears and operate like a high-performing team, just like the development team did with their agile processes.
The very next day, the HR lead couldn’t wait to introduce the new approach. They gathered the support team together—HR, marketing, and admin—and shared the Spec, Design, Plan, Execute, Learn framework.
“At WonderBiz, we’ve been a little too reactive,” the HR lead explained. “We’ve been handling things as they come, without properly planning ahead. That’s going to change today. We’re going to follow a structured approach to tackle everything. Just like our dev team works with agile sprints, we’ll apply a similar framework to our work.”
The team was curious but excited. They were eager to see if this new approach could bring some much-needed clarity and efficiency to their work.
The HR lead kicked off the first task: Recruitment. “First, we need to create Spec of the process. What’s the purpose of this recruitment drive? What skills are we looking for? What’s our timeline? What’s the hiring process?”
The team brainstormed, asking questions and defining every step. Once the task was clear, they moved to the Design phase. “Now, let’s think about how we’ll do this. What resources do we need? Do we have the right tools in place for screening? What’s our plan for outreach?”
Once the plan was laid out, it was time for the Plan phase. Each member of the HR team took ownership of specific tasks—posting job openings, screening resumes, scheduling interviews—each with deadlines and clear expectations.
The Execution phase followed. Recruitment ads went live, interviews were scheduled, and assessments were completed. The process wasn’t rushed; it was methodical and carried out with focus.
Finally, after the recruitment drive was complete, the HR team sat down for the Learn phase. They reflected on the process—what went well, what could be improved, and what lessons they could apply for the next drive. They updated their checklist, created new templates for faster screening, and made sure that the process would be more efficient and smoother next time.
This structured approach didn’t just work for recruitment. The marketing team started using the same framework to plan campaigns. No more last-minute scrambling. Admin tasks became more streamlined. Everything had a clear purpose, a design, and a plan. Execution was precise, and after every task, the team documented what they had learned to improve continuously.
The most significant impact was on the development team. The constant delays and poor-quality support from HR, marketing, and admin were no longer an issue. The support functions had learned to operate with the same discipline and efficiency that the development team used, and that made a huge difference. The Dev team no longer had to deal with delays, missed deadlines, or poor-quality work from the support functions.
As a result, the company saw an improvement in overall efficiency:
1. 10% lesser effort spent on ad-hoc tasks and firefighting.
2. 10% improvement in the quality of deliverables, with fewer mistakes and faster execution.
1%
Looking back, the HR lead reflected on how an early morning workout and a casual conversation with an old colleague had led to a transformation at WonderBiz. The adoption of the Spec, Design, Plan, Execute, Learn framework had turned the chaotic, reactive support functions into a highly efficient, proactive team. WonderBiz had moved from being constantly behind schedule to delivering high-quality work on time, every time.
The adoption of this structured approach had aligned the support functions with the rest of the organization, enabling everyone to work in a more organized and efficient manner. It not only made day-to-day operations smoother but also ensured that the company could scale without compromising on quality. Planning ahead, executing with purpose, and learning from each task allowed the company to reduce effort, improve quality, and ultimately deliver better results—on time, every time.
If your support functions are slowing down your company, it might be time to implement a structured framework. Planning ahead, executing with precision, and learning from each task can lead to significant improvements in both efficiency and quality.
Let us know—how do you ensure your support functions work in sync with the rest of your team? Share your thoughts below.
Key Takeaway
Our support team stopped reacting and started planning with Spec, Design, Plan, Execute, Learn.
Turns out, structure having a clear structure made all the difference.
