Friction as a Signal
- Lisa Askins
- 14 hours ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 11 hours ago
Operational clarity in the age of AI.
We are drowning in dashboards and still can’t find what we’re looking for.
The challenge isn’t the lack of information.
It’s figuring out what matters.
I try to pay attention to where things get stuck.
Where do decisions stall?
Where does information get re-entered?
Where do handoffs break down?
Where do teams lose visibility?
We usually think of friction as a problem, but it isn't.
Friction is a signal. It shows us where something needs attention.
For example, implementation fatigue can be a form of friction. It often appears when priorities multiply, systems remain disconnected, and teams spend more time navigating complexity than moving work forward.
As organizations become more connected, these problems can get even worse.
Work now moves across different teams, systems, and departments more than ever.
When it’s tough to see how things fit together, everything starts to feel more complicated.
It’s not that people aren’t capable.
It’s because the environment is harder to navigate.
The truth is, AI will give us even more insights. But those insights only help if our environment can make use of them.
AI depends on data.
Workflows.
Processes.
Operational architecture.
If those foundations are fragmented, AI often inherits the fragmentation.
If they are more coherent, AI will enhance our capabilities.
Getting operations aligned isn’t about building perfect systems.
It’s about making things clear enough to see where work moves, where it gets stuck, and what we can learn from those trouble spots.
Let’s talk. You don’t have to navigate changing work environments alone. If you’re exploring what comes next, trying to better position your experience, or looking for more clarity about where you fit in a changing market, I’d be happy to connect.
