New Column: Why Escalation Matters

I once encountered a situation like this while working on a development project for an AI-driven system designed to improve operational efficiency.

The sales team kept bringing in new projects one after another. From the company’s perspective, this was good news.
 

On the development side, however, there were simply not enough engineers or programmers to handle the workload.

Resignations made the situation even more difficult. The burden gradually fell on the remaining members of the team.
 

Deadlines were missed, delays became frequent, and clients began to ask uneasy questions: “Will things really be different this time?”

Even so, the people on the ground kept trying to make things work.
 

They focused on the tasks in front of them and did everything they could to stabilize the situation.

But the situation did not improve.

The problems were known and shared, yet they never led to the kind of decisive action that could truly move the project forward.
 

Instead, what slowly accumulated was the exhaustion of the team.

Whenever I encounter situations like this, I find myself reflecting on the meaning of escalation—raising an issue to someone with the authority to make a decision and asking for guidance.

For many people, the word escalation carries a slightly negative tone.
 

They may worry that raising a problem upward will make them appear incapable of solving it themselves. Or they may fear being seen as the person who created the problem in the first place.

For these reasons, I have seen many situations where people hesitate to escalate.

But escalation, in its true sense, is not simply about reporting a problem.
It is one of the most important ways to move a project forward.

There are limits to what a team on the ground can do.

Should additional staff be assigned?
Should the scope of development be narrowed?
Or should the schedule be revised?

These are not decisions the team alone can make.
 

That is why the situation must be clearly organized and escalated to those who have the authority to decide.

Escalation is a powerful tool, but it also requires careful judgment.

First, the outcome of escalation may not always be comfortable for the team on the ground.
Changes in staffing or project structure can cause confusion. Yet trying only to keep everyone comfortable does not necessarily solve the problem.

Second, it is critical not to misidentify the root cause of the issue.
If countermeasures are proposed without properly understanding the cause, the situation will not improve. That is why escalation should be based on facts rather than emotion.

Third, it is important to consider who the escalation should be directed to.
Someone may hold a senior title yet still lack the authority to make the necessary decision. Identifying the right decision-maker is itself an important responsibility for a project manager.

There is one more important point.

Escalation can also protect the members of the team.

When an unsustainable situation is left to the team alone, exhaustion gradually builds.
Communicating the situation clearly and seeking a decision from leadership is also a way to protect the people doing the work.

Escalation is not simply about passing a problem upward.
It is a responsible decision made to move a project forward and to protect the members of the team.

That is why escalation matters.