A self-led discovery exercise
A week of observations.
One shared picture.
Use notebooks, five sticky notes per person, a whiteboard, and 30 minutes together. Invite people from the functions involved in moving work through the business.
During the week
Ask each person to record five recurring problems they observe. Capture a specific instance: what work was waiting, what was missing, where it happened, and what effect it had. Describe the work, not someone’s character.
The 30-minute meeting
- 5 minutes: place everyone’s notes on the board and read them.
- 10 minutes: group related observations. Keep disagreement visible rather than forcing consensus.
- 10 minutes: compare the groups for frequency, delay, rework, and business impact. Identify what is known and what still needs checking.
- 5 minutes: choose one issue to investigate, assign an owner, and agree on a follow-up date.
What happens next
Follow actual work to test the priority. A large cluster shows a shared concern, but it does not by itself prove the root cause or the constraint limiting output. Gather evidence before committing to a solution.
The useful outcome is an agreed investigation with a responsible person and a next step. It is fine to leave the meeting with a better question.