Explains the difference between waiting and blocked tasks, why clear distinction matters in workflows, and how to track and address sources of delay for better optimisation.
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.
Slicedbread
SuperControl
Kongsberg Maritime
Emerson Process Management
Alignment Healthcare
Epic Games
Healthgrades
Lockheed Martin
Big Data for Humans
DFDS
Milliman
Brandes Investment Partners L.P.
Illumina
Bistech
Philips
ALS Life Sciences
Deliotte
Teleplan
New Hampshire Supreme Court
Ghana Police Service
Nottingham County Council
Department of Work and Pensions (UK)
Washington Department of Transport
Royal Air Force
Teleplan
Bistech
DFDS
Schlumberger
YearUp.org
New Signature
