Behind every project are people making quick decisions, holding space for ambiguity, and finding clarity in the middle of moving pieces. This Team Speak, we spoke to two of our colleagues, Sukanya Guha Roy (Senior Consultant) and Zeba Siddiqui (Consultant) from our MERL team, who bring very different experiences but share a steady, grounded approach to solving problems.
Whether it’s picking up the pieces after a long project pause or steering a diverse team toward alignment, their reflections offer a window into the real work behind deliverables — the listening, the stepping back, and the habit of asking: What can we do, right now, that moves us forward?
Zeba (Z): For me, the challenge was more about getting a very diverse team to work in sync. We had in-house and external experts, all with different working styles and methods. While this was positive for successful culmination of our project, it sure came with its fair share of challenges. In the beginning, there were a lot of misalignments, especially around responsibilities. Everyone was doing a bit of everything, and it slowed things down.
What helped eventually was a conversation where we stepped back and said — okay, what are we each good at, and how do we divide the work strategically instead of evenly? We aligned responsibilities with people’s strengths. This greatly helped to accelerate the progress, generate high quality deliverables and streamline the overall project management. We learnt that involving everyone in everything may seem plausible but could sometimes prove to be counterproductive.
Sukanya (S): I can relate to that. One of the trickiest moments I faced was when a project hit a critical phase with a very tight timeline, and a few unexpected delays threw our schedule completely off track. There were dependencies beyond our control — shifting client priorities, and internal resource constraints. It was one of those moments where I had to pause.
What helped was breaking things down into smaller steps. I made checklists, re-prioritized tasks, and kept communication open and honest with everyone involved. Instead of pretending everything was okay, I explained what had changed, what it meant for the project, and how we can adjust. It built trust and helped everyone stay aligned. My instinct to stay calm and focused on structured problem-solving made the difference.
S: For me, it’s all about staying solutions focused. When things start going off-track, it’s easy to slip into, “why did this happen?” or “this should’ve been different.” But in the moment, I’ve found it more useful to ask, “what can we do about it now?” That shift in mindset — from analysing the failure to actively looking for a fix is something I try to bring into every project. And honestly, I see that across Athena too. There’s this shared ability to not get stuck in the mess, but to move forward with intention. I have also learned that the simplest solution is often the best — if it is clear, doable, and helps us get unstuck, it is usually worth trying.
Z: Yes, and to add to that — I think a big part of problem-solving is knowing when to respond, and how. In consultancy, we’re often balancing multiple stakeholder expectations, shifting deadlines, and team dynamics. I’ve learned that reacting quickly isn’t always the answer. Sometimes we need to understand to be responsive instead of reactive. That space makes a huge difference — especially in team settings where everyone’s managing their own share of pressure.
