In this episode of Process Debt, Chris and Toby explore one of the most overlooked issues in modern business: the invisible constraints that shape our work as knowledge workers. Unlike physical jobs, where constraints are visible and immediate—think long lines or broken machinery—knowledge work is plagued by hidden bottlenecks, shifting priorities, and the chaos of constant context switching.

Together, they explore:

• Why visibility matters—and how invisibility in knowledge work kills productivity
• How post-COVID workplace structures misread productivity signals
• The cost of endless communication and the myth of “inbox zero”
• Context switching and the surprising stat that it takes 24 minutes to refocus
• What managers and ICs can do to reduce friction: tracking blocks, guarding time, clarifying priorities
• Why “planning at 100%” is a recipe for burnout
• Lessons from Drucker, Cal Newport, and some real-life team fails (and recoveries)

This episode is a conversation about how we work, why we get stuck, and what we can do—individually and as leaders—to make invisible constraints visible and manageable.