Workflow paralysis happens when your productivity has come to a halt or aimlessly spins out of control. This issue can put stress on your team, the User, and Stakeholders. Through my experience, I have found three reoccurring traits of a workflow that is about to become paralyzed.

This first sign of trouble is when the signal becomes noise. Communication between all parties is the most important factor to the success of a project, to say the least. When one party stops listening it sets up a chain reaction of misinterpretation that can derail the project altogether. If you sense that this is happening, do you best to bring the issue to light with all parties present. Take turns at speaking and listening in order to make sure everyone feels heard. Once all concerns have been shared, set short and long term goals to will guide everyone back to productivity. Also, its important to schedule a status update to ensure that goals are being met.

The second sign of impending doom is the Dictator. This individual may mean well, but their ego prevents them from winning the trust of his/her peers. This breeds dissent among the team, which can lead to lack of trust. The single most important trait a leader must have is the trust of his/her teammates. The solution to this can be tricky. It may not be that easy to communicate the problem , especially if they believe that everyone else is the problem. In this case, it is up to you to decide if it is worth feeding the ego of the leader or stick it out and hope for a sunny day.

The third and final sign of a paralyzed workflow has to do with morals. When the morals of the team are challenged, it causes them to stop and think. If the people working on the project dont believe in the work, it is doomed to fail, plain and simple. This is why I believe that employees should prepare to interview the employer as well to learn about where they draw the line between good and bad. If you are already in a situation that you feel doesnt vibe with your belief system, exit promptly. Doing bad work wont help you, itll actually make you look bad. Be rue to yourself.

These are but three of the main traits of a workflow that has been paralyzed. Do your best to get out of it, surround yourself with positive people, and get really uncomfortable.