Part 7 · 1 chapters · ~8 min
Unblocking a Stuck Team or Project
Diagnosing why work is stuck (unclear goals, unmade decisions, missing owners, hidden disagreement, dependency waits, too much in progress), the moves for each, running a decision meeting, and escalating without blame.
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Why things get stuck, and what unsticks them
| stuck because | symptom | move |
|---|---|---|
| unclear goal | work continues but nothing feels finished | write the goal and the done criteria; get the sponsor to confirm |
| an unmade decision | the same debate in every meeting | write the options with trade-offs, name a decider and a date |
| no owner | "someone should…" | name one owner per open item, publicly |
| hidden disagreement | agreement in meetings, no action after | talk one-to-one; surface the real objection |
| dependency wait | blocked on another team for weeks | meet the other team, offer help, or find a path around; escalate with facts if needed |
| too much in progress | everything 80% done | stop starting; finish the top two items |
Escalation is a tool, not a failure: "We are blocked on X since the 3rd; it delays Y by two weeks; we need a decision between A and B by Friday" gives a leader something to act on without blaming anyone.