Reducing Organizational Friction as a Managing Director in Global Development

Authored by: Stephanie Zabriskie

In large scale development, progress rarely stalls because of a lack of vision or talent. It slows because of friction. Unclear ownership. Delayed decisions. Misaligned timelines. These small inefficiencies quietly drain momentum long before strategy ever fails.

As a managing director working across complex global projects, I have learned that reducing friction is not a soft leadership trait. It is an operational discipline. When teams span geographies, cultures, and technical domains, friction management becomes the difference between steady execution and chronic drag.

These are three practices I use to reduce organizational friction, strengthen trust, and sustain performance across long timelines and long distances.

1. Design Responsibility Around Strength, Not Titles

One of the most common sources of organizational friction is misaligned responsibility. Tasks are often inherited by title rather than capability, and inefficiency compounds when ownership drifts away from individual strengths.

On a billion dollar destination development project for Harmony Cove Jamaica, involving teams across the Bahamas, Florida, and China, we regularly paused to ask a simple question: Who is best equipped to own this decision right now? Not permanently. Not politically. Practically.

In some cases, that meant delegating authority downward to specialists closest to the work. In others, it meant supplementing teams with additional support rather than overloading high performers.

The result was not only better outcomes, but faster ones. When people operate in their zone of strength, decision quality improves and resistance drops.

Takeaway: Clarify ownership based on capability and context, not hierarchy. Revisit it often.

2. Make Silence a Decision, Not a Delay

In multidisciplinary environments, work often stalls while teams wait for feedback. Drawings, budgets, or proposals are submitted and then followed up on repeatedly, with no clear signal of approval or objection.

To address this, we implemented explicit response windows. Every submission was paired with a defined review timeframe—48 hours, 72 hours, five business days, or longer depending on complexity and the overall delivery schedule.

Crucially, everyone understood in advance that no response within the window meant acceptance.

This single rule transformed behavior. Reviews became timely. Decisions became documented. And future disputes were avoided because approvals were clearly recorded.

Takeaway: Define response windows and make non-response a formal outcome. It creates accountability without micromanagement.

3. Shift Communication Earlier, Not More Often

Many organizations attempt to fix misalignment by adding meetings. In reality, friction is reduced when communication happens earlier, not more frequently.

Before major decision points, we scheduled brief alignment windows in advance. These were not status meetings. They were designed to surface risks, dependencies, and objections before teams invested significant time.

By the time formal submissions were made, most collaborative clarification had already happened. This preserved autonomy while protecting timelines.

Over a one-year design and planning cycle, this approach allowed geographically dispersed teams to maintain sustainable performance without burnout.

Takeaway: Structure communication opportunities ahead of submissions and decisions.

Reducing Friction Is a Leadership Commitment

Reducing friction is not about controlling people. It is about designing conditions where clarity replaces tension and progress becomes the natural outcome.

When teams understand ownership, decision pathways, and response expectations, trust compounds. Autonomy expands. Execution accelerates without constant oversight.

In complex global environments, that clarity is not optional. It is the foundation of sustainable leadership. It is what allows leadership to scale.

Author Bio

Stephanie Zabriskie is a global development executive and managing director leading large-scale international projects across finance, design, and destination development. She is the founder of Humanculture, an Indigenous-led nonprofit advancing community-driven systems for water and health access, education, food security, and women’s economic independence.