As part of our 25in25 series, we’re highlighting the people who’ve helped shape our work this year. Today, we’re recognising Jim Abbatt, whose practical approach to interface mapping has supported several teams working in complex environments.
Jim has a real ability to make the important connections visible – helping people understand how their work fits together, where the pressure points sit, and what needs attention next. This work that often goes unseen but makes a noticeable difference to how teams operate day to day.
His spotlight reflects the thoughtful way he approaches collaboration and the impact he’s had across multiple programmes this year. Read on to find out more:
“Most of my work sits at the busy intersection of people, process and pressure. With ResoLex I help teams map the interfaces that matter, turn ambiguity into clarity, and create the conditions for better decisions. The aim is simple. Less noise around the work. More signal about what has to happen next.”
I first partnered with ResoLex because of the way the team thinks. The mix of disciplines is real, the curiosity is genuine, and the work is grounded in delivery rather than theory. On complex programmes, there are always frictions at the handovers: design into delivery, programme into project, engineering into commercial. Interface clarity makes those handovers visible. Once you can see the work, you can govern it, resource it and protect it.
“The value is not the map on the wall. It is the conversation the map unlocks. Roles get clearer. Risks surface sooner. Decisions happen at the right level, at the right time.”
This year, the focus has been on three things. First, agreeing on what “good” looks like for each critical interface, from information flow to decision rights. Second, building lightweight artefacts that teams actually use: simple RACI shifts, meeting cadences that respect time, and visual logs that track dependencies without creating admin. Third, strengthening the behaviours around the system so collaboration holds when the pressure rises.
“What I enjoy about ResoLex is the climate. It is psychologically safe to explore an idea, invite a challenge and refine it together. That is how you move from clever slides to practical outcomes.”
There have been several moments this year where seeing how parts of the organisation actually fit together, rather than how people assumed they fit, has prompted challenging conversations. The difference is that those conversations remained anchored to reality, rather than a desktop view, and that is where progress came from.
Results show up in the day-to-day. The time to decision shortens because owners are explicit. Reviews are more likely to go through the first time because expectations are aligned. Escalations are calmer because the path is agreed and visible. None of this is flashy. It is disciplined, humane, and quietly powerful.
“Complex programmes do not need more slogans. They need clearer interfaces, steadier rhythms and leaders who make it easy for others to do their best work. That is the craft I bring to ResoLex, and why I keep coming back.”
A thank you to Sam Platten and Richard DaGama, two excellent consultants, and to the broader team for their engagement. It has been a pleasure working together this year.
I am proud to work with a team that blends different backgrounds yet shares the same values. The ResoLex approach respects context, invites honesty and leaves clients with tools they can run without us. That suits me. Help people hear the signal, then help them own it.
We’re grateful to our Associates for bringing their expertise, living our values, and helping clients achieve their desired project outcomes.
To find out more about interface mapping, read our article ‘From Friction to Flow: The Power of Interface Mapping in Major Projects’ on our website.