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?
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.
We partner with businesses across diverse industries, including finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, engineering, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, legal, government, and military sectors.
Workday
ALS Life Sciences
DFDS
YearUp.org
Deliotte
Philips
MacDonald Humfrey (Automation) Ltd.
Trayport
Ericson
New Signature
Microsoft
Big Data for Humans
Lean SA
Teleplan
Lockheed Martin
Freadom
Sage
Hubtel Ghana
Department of Work and Pensions (UK)
New Hampshire Supreme Court
Washington Department of Transport
Nottingham County Council
Royal Air Force
Ghana Police Service
Hubtel Ghana
Lean SA
Higher Education Statistics Agency
DFDS
Ericson
YearUp.org