# When Work Looks Busy but Does Not Move Use this path when activity is high but movement is low. The first move is not to ask people to try harder. The first move is to make the hidden system visible: active work, interruptions, waiting, decision gates, dependencies, and readiness gaps. ## Field signals - Many things are “in progress”, but few are finished. - People say they are blocked, but blockers are scattered across channels. - Urgent requests arrive during execution and consume specialist capacity. - Requirements, decisions, or approvals appear after work has already started. - Meetings increase, but shared understanding does not. - People feel overloaded and still keep accepting new work. ## Likely mechanisms - [[Context Switching Is Hidden WIP]] - [[Cognitive Load Is a Flow Constraint]] - [[Late Discovery Creates Queueing Cost]] - [[Full Kit Prevents False Starts]] - [[Invisible Gaps Create Operational Drag]] ## Start with observation Run one or two short tools: - [[Where Time Goes (10 min)]] - [[Hidden Queue Detector (10 min)]] - [[Work Visibility Snapshot (10 min)]] - [[WIP and Focus Check (10 min)]] ## Then frame the system Use: - [[Flow Readiness and Cognitive Load Map]] - [[Flow Physics Map]] - [[Predictability and Readiness Map]] - [[Coordination Cost Map]] Ask: - What is active? - What is waiting? - What is repeatedly rediscovered? - What is missing before work starts? - Which decision, dependency, or approval controls the pace? - Which specialist capacity is overloaded? ## Next moves If too much is active: - [[WIP and Focus Check (10 min)]] - [[Focus Protection Review (10 min)]] If work starts blocked: - [[Readiness to Flow Check (12 min)]] - [[Work Readiness Check (DoR + Full Kit) (10 min)]] If dependencies are unclear: - [[Dependency Handshake (10 min)]] - [[Dependency Contract (10 min)]] If the same uncertainty keeps returning: - [[Decision Handoff Clarifier (10 min)]] - [[Decision Rationale Check]] ## Good output A useful session produces a short statement like: > We are not primarily short on effort. Our flow is being limited by ___, so this week we will make ___ visible, pause ___, and resolve ___ before starting more work. ## See Also - [[Work That Looks Busy Can Still Be Messy]] - [[Operating Shape Makes Work Discussable]] - [[Decision Rationale Must Travel With the Decision]] - [[Safety as Sensing Infrastructure Map]]