Why can't they just...? Revisited

Originally posted Apr 22, 2026 • More resources on effective communication

(This is an updated version of a post I first wrote in 2017. Given everything happening in tech today, it felt worth dusting off.)

The question “Why can’t they just…” has been a common refrain I’ve heard throughout my career. “Why can’t they just X” is, at its core, a great question—“why can’t they just find spending cuts elsewhere?” or “why can’t they just tell us what the technical strategy is?” or “why can’t they just tell engineers to write more tests?”—these are all valid questions that come from a place of deep concern.

I hear this from all sides of the same challenge. Let’s use AI mandates as an example:

• Engineer: “Why can’t they [senior leaders] just let us keep using the tools that we already know and are frankly more productive with?” and “Why can’t they [managers] see that just because they’re finding manager work more productive with these tools, it doesn’t feel the same way with engineering work?”
• Manager: “Why can’t they [senior leaders] understand that mandates don’t work?” and “Why can’t they [engineers] just try these tools out and see what happens?”
• Senior leader: “Why can’t they [managers] just get their teams moving faster?” and “Why can’t they [engineers] just get on board? This ship has sailed.”

There’s always a reason why we “can’t just X”. It’s often deeply hard to “just do X.” Maybe there are legal constraints or tax constraints; maybe we are working on it but changing X takes a really long time. Maybe we’ve already done X, but not in a way that’s landed with you.

Don’t fault the question-asker

By and large, those who ask, “why don’t they just” aren’t yet in the weeds with the problem, or haven’t had experience with this problem before. This makes sense: if you already had the experience in it, you would probably be trying to figure out why they don’t just, or you’d be actively working to fix it based on your past experience.

For instance, a coworker once shared with me his realizations about why reorg communications are incredibly hard; in the past, it was easy to say “why don’t they just”, but he once he became responsible for it, he saw why it’s much more nuanced and challenging than the tip of the iceberg he saw before.

Whatever is in the way of X typically isn’t any of the following often-cited guesses from people in my conversations about “why can’t they just”:

• A lack of understanding that X is a problem
• A lack of feeling urgency about this problem
• A lack of willingness to make hard decisions
• Disagreement at the senior level

The question “why can’t they just” is valid, because it’s coming from a place of concern, about something that is either deeply affecting someone’s ability to get work done, or affecting their trust in senior leadership, or affecting their trust in the company.

We shouldn’t avoid this question. So how do you face it head-on?

What to say in response to “why can’t they just”

Whenever I’m faced with this question, my response usually comes in three parts:

1. First, here’s my take based on my scope of authority. Here’s how this relates to my part of the org, the primary group of people I feel responsible for and accountable to. Here’s my stand on this topic, as the leader of this area. Here’s my opinion on it, here’s how I’ve thought about it, and here’s what I am or am not doing about it, with my core job responsibilities in mind.
2. Beyond my core scope of responsibility, here’s what I’m seeing others (often senior leaders) do or think. Here’s how I sense they’re approaching it - here’s what questions they may be asking themselves, here’s what they may be weighing. With my seat at that table, I can share some more insight into what is already being worked on, or what blockers are coming up.
3. Given all of that, where do you fit into this question? What do you have influence over, or how are you tackling this question? What data are you gathering? Where are you getting your hands dirty, where are you helping to enact change? In what ways do you not feel empowered to step up into this work? What can I do to change that?

By the end of that—after my personal take, what I’m seeing others do, and questions about what you’re doing—the conversation is usually in a really different place. I’ve owned my part of it, I’ve shared some light on what the person I’m speaking with may not be clued into, and I’ve asked some genuinely curious open questions to get their problem-solving brain engaged. I’m not saying “bring solutions, not problems” (because that doesn’t really work); I’m trying to collaborate on next steps.

This moves the conversation from “why can’t they just” into “what do we do now?” which gives you a solid jumping-off point. You can focus on where you each have influence and control, while still acknowledging the frustration about what you can’t influence or control.

If you’re asking “why can’t they just”

While it’s true that you may not feel empowered to effect the change you’re looking for, or want other leaders to just do the thing you think is right, I encourage you to think through that third set of questions. You do have influence, if not authority; your influence can take the form of genuine curiosity. The answer to “why can’t they just” might be a three-hour answer, because if there was a short answer, they’d probably have done it already. :)

Find someone to support you through this process (a coach, your manager, another person with influence/power at the organization). They may ask you challenging questions, and push you to do more research and listening, but in return they could give you their personal take and what they’re seeing other teams or leaders do. It’s worth finding that person; even one conversation can shift how you’re thinking about it.