How to Identify Workflow Friction in Teams

If I were starting a new role as a Process Engineer, here's exactly what I’d do to understand the flow: 🔍 1. Walk the process — and don’t rush. I’d spend hours just watching. No stopwatch. No clipboard. Just observe. Patterns reveal themselves when you’re patient. 👂 2. Talk to the operators — and really listen. I'd ask: “What’s the most annoying part of your day?” “What slows you down?” “What do you wish was different?” And then I’d shut up and listen. ❓ 3. Ask tons of questions. Even the obvious ones. Especially the obvious ones. “Why do we do it this way?” “What happens if we skip this step?” Curiosity uncovers the real process—not the one on the SOP. 📷 4. Sketch the flow. No fancy software. Just a pen and paper. I'd map what I see, not what’s supposed to happen. Because often, those two aren’t the same. 🧩 5. Connect the dots — from raw material to finished product. I’d try to understand: Where are the delays? Where’s the rework? Where are people waiting on machines — or worse, machines waiting on people? Why bother doing all this? 📌 Because if I jump to solutions too fast, I’ll miss the root cause. 📌 If I rely on reports, I’ll miss the reality. And if I don’t listen to the people in it every day, I’ll never earn their trust. Understanding the flow takes time. But that’s how you find the friction. And friction is where real improvement begins. ✨ DM me if you’re stuck in a messy flow and want a second pair of eyes. Let’s find the friction — and fix it. #ProcessEngineering #ContinuousImprovement #processflowoptimization

80% of workflow bottlenecks are hiding in plain sight. But most teams don’t look closely enough to see them. When I design workflows, I don’t add new tools right away or build complex systems. I start by mapping the current process. Without knowing every step, we’re just guessing at what’s slowing us down. Here’s my go-to checklist for spotting the hidden issues: 1 - Map every step Document each click, handoff, and decision. Most teams skip this, but it’s where the real insights are. 2 - Spot repetitive tasks Repeated steps often go unnoticed. They feel like “just part of the job” but usually add no real value. 3 - Measure task times Check how long each step actually takes. When times drag, it’s a sign of inefficiency that needs fixing. 4 - Look for approval delays Every extra approval is a potential bottleneck. Too many checks can slow things down more than they help. 5 - Align skills with tasks Ensure tasks fit the person’s skill level. If experts are doing routine work, it’s time to rethink the setup. 6 - Automate simple tasks Automation isn’t about flashy tools. It’s about freeing up your team’s time for critical work, not admin tasks. It’s surprising how often these basics are ignored. Do this if you want to do more with less. Or skip it if you’re okay with unnecessary delays and wasted resources.

Ever worked on a product team where no one admits something’s broken, but everything feels harder than it should be? Timelines slip. Decisions drag. Standups are just status theater. And yet someone always says: “It’s not that bad.” It is. Those people have just gotten used to the dysfunction. If your product team has lost its momentum, read on. To shake them out of it, I encourage them to see their work with fresh eyes. I help them feel the friction they’ve stopped noticing. My favorite tool for this wake up call? A process map. A great process map makes everyones work visible. It shows how information flows across the organization. At one company, the process map created buy-in across all of R&D for a restructuring of roles which dramatically increased their productivity. Afterwards one product manager told me how he hadn’t realized he was missing out on half the puzzle beforehand. Turn their daily workflow into something visual and colorful, and suddenly the chaos is clear. Handoffs, ping-pongs, and redundant steps pop off the page. Now they want to change. Tip: make sure to highlight dead ends where a project falls off a cliff. Not only does that slow down getting stuff done, but it’s also the moment that’s killing morale on your team. Want to see how I use process maps to unlock stuck teams? I break it down here → https://lnkd.in/gxEKJB5z

What if your leadership is your team’s biggest obstacle? The best leaders clear paths—they don’t block them. Ever felt your team’s productivity stalls for no reason? Here, you’ll learn how to reduce friction in your teams and organization using the 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝘅 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸—a simple way to transform chaos into clarity. After decades of consulting leaders and teams, I’ve learned that nobody 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 creates friction, but they do. It starts small—like when I proudly rolled out a new “innovative” approval process. The result? My team spent hours navigating it instead of working efficiently. My good intentions created bad friction. Sound familiar? Here is the 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝘅 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 (adapted from 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 by Sutton & Rao): 1️⃣ Reframing: changing perspectives 📌 Purpose: Reduce friction by shifting perspectives. 🛠️ Actions: Reframe challenges as opportunities for growth or innovation. 💡 Example: A team facing budget cuts turned limitations into a chance to develop creative, cost-effective solutions. 2️⃣ Navigating: finding paths through obstacles 📌 Purpose: Help teams overcome barriers. 🛠️ Actions: Train employees to identify bottlenecks and develop workarounds. 💡 Example: During COVID-19, organizations embraced digital tools to navigate remote work challenges. 3️⃣ Shielding: protecting teams 📌 Purpose: Prevent unnecessary burdens from overwhelming employees. 🛠️ Actions: Leaders buffer teams from excessive meetings, bureaucracy, or toxic behaviors. 💡 Example: Pixar fosters creativity by shielding its teams from corporate red tape. 4️⃣ "Neighborhood" design & repair: local improvements 📌 Purpose: Optimize team environments for collaboration and efficiency. 🛠️ Actions: Simplify workflows, enhance communication, and foster supportive cultures. 💡 Example: A hospital redesigned its ER workflow, drastically cutting waiting times. 5️⃣ "System" design & repair: long-term improvements 📌 Purpose: Reimagine organizational structures for lasting impact. 🛠️ Actions: Implement large-scale changes, like rethinking hierarchies or systems. 💡 Example: Spotify’s squad model enabled faster decision-making and adaptability. Not all friction is bad. Take Amazon’s memo system: teams must write detailed narratives instead of slides. Why? It forces deeper thinking and clarity, ensuring better decisions before action. ✅ Good friction: Sparks debate, critical thinking, and better outcomes. ❌ Bad friction: Drains morale, slows progress and hinders productivity. What’s the most ridiculous process you’ve ever created or endured? Share below—we’ll laugh and learn together!

I watched a $50M hospital expansion get delayed by 8 months because of one email sitting in someone's inbox. The approval was ready. The budget was approved. The contractors were waiting. But the project manager had no visibility into where things stood. After working with 200+ organizations, I've seen the same manual workflow mistakes destroy project timelines and team morale. Here are the 5 most damaging ones: → Spreadsheet dependency for project tracking Teams lose hours updating multiple versions, and critical details slip through the cracks. One outdated cell can derail an entire milestone. → Chasing approvals through email chains Decision-makers get buried in their inboxes while projects sit idle. What should take 2 days stretches into 2 weeks. → Disconnected systems creating data silos Finance uses one tool, operations uses another, leadership gets reports from a third. Nobody has the complete picture. → Manual status reporting that's outdated before it's sent By the time you compile that weekly report, three new issues have emerged and two "green" items turned red. → Lack of structured accountability When everything is tracked informally, nothing gets tracked consistently. Problems surface too late to fix them effectively. Behind every delayed project are dedicated professionals trying to deliver value to their communities. They deserve better than being trapped in operational chaos. The solution isn't just better software. It's structured workflows that create transparency and accountability from day one. What workflow challenge is slowing down your current projects?