Coordination Waste

Factories learned to see waste in materials and motion. The waste that goes unmeasured is coordination waste: the cost of mistrust, vague requests, unspoken expectations, and promises that quietly break. It hides in failed projects, duplicated work, useless meetings, and the late-stage surprise.

Chauncey Bell named it plainly: it is the most expensive, least-seen waste in modern organizations. The good news is that it is recoverable capital. Restore the conversations, and the waste turns back into capacity.