Your System Isn’t Broken . . .

What if what feels broken is actually functioning perfectly? Just not for the outcome you want.

Your system isn’t broken.
It’s working exactly as it was designed to.

That might sound absurd at first — especially when things feel chaotic, slow, frustrating, or stuck.
But in our experience, that’s not failure. That’s function.

We jump to “it’s broken” because that’s easier than asking:
Was this system built to work for me? For us? For now?

And it’s not just at work.

Here’s my funny and relatable story.

A couple of years ago, I noticed my dishwasher wasn’t working.
It’s an older one — left behind by the previous tenant and I decided, “That’s it. It’s done.” So I marched myself to my local appliance store and picked out a brand-new model. The one with the third tray for silverware. Fancy.

The installer came the following week and before leaving, casually said:
“Make sure you put the salt in before you use it.”

Salt?! I thought he was nuts. I’ve used dishwashers my entire life and never once added salt. I figured it was a language thing and brushed it off. But after he left, I mentioned it to a neighbor and she confirmed it. Not only do dishwashers here use salt, but it’s sold right next to the detergent. I had just never noticed.

Turns out my “broken” dishwasher probably wasn’t broken at all.
It just needed salt.
A $5 fix.

But I never investigated. I just replaced it.

And that’s exactly what happens in organizations every day.

We call things broken — systems, processes, people — when in reality, they’re doing exactly what they were designed to do. We just don’t like the outcome anymore.

That onboarding process that feels overwhelming or disconnected?
It wasn’t built to prepare people — it was built to check boxes. (People)

That endless chain of approvals and unclear roles?
It’s not chaos — it’s a process designed to avoid blame, not enable action. (Process)

That software no one’s using right?!
It isn’t broken. It’s just not supporting the needs of today. (Platform)So here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Your system isn’t broken. It’s just producing results you no longer want to tolerate.

At Engage3P, we help leaders stop solving the wrong problems.
Because you don’t need a brand-new dishwasher.
You might just need salt.

So what do you do with that?

You stop asking what’s broken.
And start asking: What was this designed to do?
Then decide — is that still what we need?

At Engage3P, this is where we come in.
We help leaders get clear on what’s really driving the stuckness so you can redesign your system for the results (and the people) that matter most.

👉 Want to see what your system is actually built to do?
Start with our Intelligence Intake.