Make Chaos Optional (Part 1): Audit Before you Automate
Photo by Domenico Loia
If your team’s drowning in busywork and 5 p.m. fire drills, this is where to begin.
As we move into the summer months, I’ve been thinking a lot about chaos and how we stop it in the workplace.
I’ve been out of corporate for 3½ months now, and it’s given me space to reflect on how we work. I used to lead teams buried in operational processes. One moment that sticks out? We had five separate workflows just to terminate a single client.
If even one was missed, it triggered a domino of issues.
It’s wild that it took five workflows to say goodbye to a client.
One thing we didn’t do enough? Audit.
We rarely stepped back to ask:
What needs to be automated?
What’s outdated?
What can just go?
So if your team is buried in busywork and last-minute scrambles—start here:
Step 1: Look at the Work as It’s Actually Happening
Not what’s supposed to happen, what’s really happening.
Where are the bottlenecks?
Who’s always jumping in to fix things?
What steps are skipped or duplicated because ownership is unclear?
Sit down with your team and walk through a few recent deliverables. Ask:
“What slowed us down?”
“What confused people?”
“Where did we overcomplicate things?”
Step 2: Map the Hand-Offs
Most breakdowns happen between people, not within them.
Look at where work changes hands:
Is ownership clear at every step?
Are there too many cooks in the kitchen?
Are deadlines solid or just suggestions?
You’ll likely find approvals no one questions, unclear roles, and gaps in communication.
Step 3: Start a “Stop Doing” List
Don’t add more. Cut the clutter.
As you audit, flag:
Reports no one reads
Meetings with no point
Tasks from three managers ago that no longer make sense
Now’s the time as summer tends to move slower (hopefully). Use it to fix the processes that are burning your team out.
Less noise. Fewer fire drills. More time to be proactive instead of reactive.
Your team will thank you.
Here’s to your success.