At 7:30 on a sunny winter day in London, I settle into a conference room with the usual low-tech tools for high-stakes teamwork: Big white Post-It pads, Sharpies of every color, and a sense of urgency. Six top executives are midway through a 12-week assignment: Figure out how thousands of employees in their $8 billion company can absorb major changes—three acquisitions, a new global IT system, and a mandate to double revenue in three years—in minimal time. Their employer has hired me to help—a job that requires me to serve as an observer, interloper, shrink, and agitator.