Team Cognitive Health playbook/Module 1 · Why it matters

Day 06 / 100 · Why it matters · Signs of an overloaded team

Overload leaves tracks.

Teams rarely announce they're overloaded. The signs show up first in the work, the conversations and the calendar.

In the work

What You Can See

  • Rework and escaped bugs rising
  • WIP growing, little finishing
  • Estimates quietly slipping

In the room

What You Can Hear

  • Retros go quiet
  • More “it's fine”
  • Less challenge, more nodding

In the clock

What The Timestamps Say

  • Messages late at night
  • 1:1s and learning time cancelled
  • Leave not being taken

Watch the work, not just the words.