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Know what you’re not working on
Teams operate in silos, with work requests coming from multiple channels and priorities constantly shifting. Without a clear system for managing incoming work and current commitments, organizations default to reactive modes—responding to the loudest voice or latest crisis rather than strategically managing their capacity and focus.
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Work enters through multiple channels (email, chat, hallway conversations) with no single source of truth. Teams take on too many concurrent projects, leading to context switching and delayed delivery. Stakeholders have no visibility into team capacity or priorities, leading to unrealistic expectations and constant interruptions. Important but non-urgent work gets perpetually delayed in favor of “emergency” requests. Teams struggle to make strategic decisions about what to work on next, defaulting to whatever seems most pressing in the moment.
Perhaps most damaging, the lack of visibility into what teams are actually working on prevents strategic conversations about trade-offs. When no one can see the full landscape of potential work, discussions about priorities remain abstract and disconnected from reality. Leaders can’t make informed decisions about resource allocation because they can’t see how current commitments align with organizational goals.