Making Work Visible: Exposing Time Theft to Optimize Work & Flow

by Dominica Degrandis

The five thieves of time that prevent you from getting work done include: Too Much Work-in-Progress (WIP)—Work that has started, but is not yet finished. Sometimes referred to as partially completed work. Unknown Dependencies—Something you weren’t aware of that needs to happen before you can finish. Unplanned Work—Interruptions that prevent you from finishing something or from stopping at a better breaking point. Conflicting Priorities—Projects and tasks that compete with each other. This is exacerbated when you are uncertain about what the most important thing is to do. Neglected Work—Partially completed work that sits idle on the bench.

You know Thief Unknown Dependency is stealing time from you when: Coordination needs are high, and project managers run around trying to get everyone aligned. People aren’t available when you need them. A change in one part of the code/outline/plan unexpectedly changes something else.

Another indicator conflicting priorities are bogging down your work is when you find yourself spending countless hours in meetings discussing priorities.

Busy people, however, do not signal productivity—delivered value does.

Zombie projects are low-value projects that are barely alive. They lurk around looking for handouts, but they get no love. They are starving for money, resources, and people.

When you discover a zombie project, kill it. Kill it so the more important work will be delivered sooner and with fewer interruptions.