Downstream

Ask who receives the output and what it costs them. Follow the work forward past your current stopping line to the people who wait on it, rework it, or absorb the damage, and let their pain count as part of the problem.

Ask who receives the output and what it costs them. Follow the work forward past your current stopping line to the people who wait on it, rework it, or absorb the damage, and let their pain count as part of the problem.

Example

Trace the slipping project forward: support handles 40 extra tickets per release because the team ships untested to hit dates, and sales delays two client demos. That reframes the problem from team speed to release quality, so you fix the deadline pressure instead.