Interactive graph
Shadow the Work
Table of Contents
I watch one person do the real job before I redraw the process or the slide.
Key Concept
Flowcharts lie politely - shadowing doesn't.
Shadow the work means sit with one nurse, one cashier, one new hire while they finish the task - then cut what actually slows them. People-Centered Design is the principle; this is the move. Listen Before Fixing hears the complaint; shadowing sees the friction they stopped mentioning because it's “just how it is.”
I watch one person do the real job.
Before I redraw the process or the slide.
Examples
- The clinic cut three chart fields after I watched one nurse chart through a full shift - shadow the work beat a committee debating the template.
- I stood behind the counter for three lunch rushes before we removed the extra checkout tap - shadow the work showed where customers actually stalled.
Note Relationships
| Relationship | Wikilink | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| contradicts | Outcomes Over Pitch Decks | when the deck wins before anyone watches real work |
| extends | Listen Before Fixing | Hearing the pain plus seeing the motion |
| extends | People-Centered Design | Concrete move for people-first change |
| extends | Psychological Safety | People show real workarounds when you're not auditing to punish |
| extends | Outcomes Over Pitch Decks | Watch real struggle - not deck polish |
| implements | Workplace Principles | Concrete move for people-first change at work |
| implements | Transformation Principles | People-first move before process redesign ships |
