In this episode of Accidental Salesforce Admins, host Robert Sur welcomes Ernest Wong, VP at Delegate, to discuss what it really takes to lead change from inside an organization, especially when dealing with broken systems, misaligned teams, and unclear mandates.

Best Moments:

(00:42) Introduction to the topic of leading change from inside an organization

(03:22) Starting with the humans, not just the technology, when fixing broken systems

(05:22) Learning through experience that technology failures are often symptoms of human system failures

(10:56) Building coalitions and finding allies to help implement significant changes

(15:27) Using French and Raven's bases of power to influence without direct authority

(20:20) Prioritization frameworks for deciding where to start with limited resources

(24:42) The value vs. cost two-by-two framework for prioritizing initiatives

(32:57) Using simple frameworks like urgency scales to make decision-making more efficient

(38:42) The critical lesson that perception is reality in organizational settings

(42:52) What people often misunderstand about how change really happens

Guest Bio

Ernest Wong is the VP of Delivery and Operations at Delegate. With over 20 years of experience in tech, Ernest has rebuilt chaotic systems at early-stage companies like Talkdesk and navigated M&A complexity at enterprise organizations like Adobe. Known for his holistic approach to problem-solving, Ernest excels at understanding how incentives, behaviors, and systems design drive momentum. His expertise spans aligning teams post-acquisition, rebuilding product organizations, and helping clients establish data foundations at scale.