Capability Conversation – Work & Workflow Visibility

Work & Workflow Visibility

Make Work and Workflow Visible 

What this capability means: Make active, waiting, blocked, promised, hidden, and potential work visible together with the workflow, policies, aging, dependencies, and constraints needed for sound decisions. 

Working well when...

  1. People can see what is active, waiting, blocked, promised, and aging.
  2. Workflow states reflect meaningful changes in work and decision readiness.
  3. Hidden analysis, coordination, andshared-service demand are included. 
  4. Visibility supports decisions about finishing, capacity, and improvement.

First-pass conversation

  • What work is consuming capacity, attention, coordination, or expectations? 
  • Where does work wait, age, or become blocked? 
  • Which demand and dependencies remain invisible? 
  • Do workflow states help people make different decisions? 
  • What would become easier to control if it were visible? 

Warning signs to discuss

  • Only team tasks are visible while portfolio, analysis, or shared workremains hidden. 
  • Boards show movement but not waiting, aging, or downstream readiness.
  • Status reporting replaces conversation about flow and decisions.
  • Visible data is distrusted, outdated, or used to punish people.

Facilitator reminder

Related areas: Intake & Demand Activation, Work in Process Management, Shared Capabilities & Dependencies, End-to-End Flow