U nlocking unblocking

When I was working as an engineering squad lead, I realized I had unlocked a new skill: unblocking things.

Turns out, progress at work isn’t just about writing code.

Sometimes, the most helpful thing you can do for the team is to make sure stuck things move forward.

Waiting won’t save you

I used to think if a task was blocked, I just had to wait.

Wait for someone who knew the answer.

Wait for a reply in the thread.

Wait for “someone else” to help.

But that mindset can stall progress for days.

Unblocking is about initiative

What I’ve learned is: unblocking isn’t about “knowing everything” — it’s about taking initiative. Small efforts can push big things forward.

So, what can you do?

You can create a small group chat with the right people. Often the problem crosses teams or roles, and everyone thinks, “This isn’t my job.” Once you bring them together, suddenly things click.

You can escalate to a manager or senior. That’s not giving up — sometimes they have the social capital you don’t yet have. They can poke a stakeholder or get that long-awaited reply.

Or you can dive deep yourself. Yeah, it’s tiring — reading old code, tracing errors, trying things out. But when you find the answer, that’s real growth.

It’s not about code

I realized helping the team move past blockers can be way more impactful than adding 20 lines of code to your own ticket.

And slowly, it hit me: this is what ownership feels like.

A leadership skill I didn’t expect

So yeah, this became one of the key skills I developed as a lead — not about being better at coding, but about spotting blockers and pushing the team forward.

Something I probably wouldn’t have learned this fast if I hadn’t been in a leadership role.