Not all delays are the same

TL;DR; Not all delays are equal; waiting for approval is different from being blocked by missing dependencies. Treating all delays as blocks hides real workflow issues and reduces accountability. Make delay sources explicit, track idle time, and highlight true blockers to identify and fix underlying problems.

Published on 15 February 2025

Written by Martin Hinshelwood

1 minute read

https://nkdagility.com/resources/pgCUc2qV2_q

Not all delays are the same.

A task waiting on legal approval isn’t blocked, it’s in a waiting state. A task that needs a missing dependency to proceed is actually blocked. These distinctions matter.

Why? Because treating “waiting” as “blocked” distorts your workflow. It hides the real problem areas and makes it harder to optimise the system. It also encourages teams to wash their hands of responsibility, “It’s in blocked, so it’s not on me.”

A better approach? Make the source of delay explicit. Use tags, highlight blockers visually, and, most importantly, track how long work sits idle. The goal isn’t just to know something is blocked; it’s to fix the systemic issue behind it.

How does your team make these distinctions visible?

Also published on: LinkedIn

Connect with Martin Hinshelwood

If you've made it this far, it's worth connecting with our principal consultant and coach, Martin Hinshelwood, for a 30-minute 'ask me anything' call.

Our Happy Clients

We partner with businesses across diverse industries, including finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, engineering, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, legal, government, and military sectors.