The invisible workload: the hidden effort that quietly consumes your organisation after an operating model change
Every operating model promises efficiency
Cleaner lines. Clearer roles. Better flow.
But after the change, something else emerges. Something no board pack ever shows: the invisible workload. The hidden effort leaders and teams absorb just to keep the system moving.
Executives feel it long before they name it. Delivery feels heavier. Teams feel stretched. Leaders feel like they’re working harder for the same outcomes.
Not because the model is wrong. But because the human load of switching to and running the new operating model hasn’t been accounted for.
What the invisible workload looks like
Different roles, different symptoms, but the same patterns emerge: the invisible workload quietly consumes capacity and destabilises the operating model.
Example 1: The CPO who spends half her week stitching together misaligned priorities
A Chief Product Officer has a clear roadmap. Clear governance. Clear sequencing. But every week, she spends hours reconciling competing priorities across functions. Work that shouldn’t exist if the model were stable.
She’s not inefficient. She’s absorbing coordination load.
Example 2: The CTO who becomes the “translator” between teams
A Chief Technology Officer finds himself explaining decisions, clarifying intent, and smoothing misunderstandings between product, engineering, and operations.
He’s not over functioning. He’s carrying interpretation load. The work created when shared meaning hasn’t settled in.
Example 3: The COO who spends her time chasing follow through
A Chief Operating Officer notices commitments made in meetings aren’t landing in practice. So she follows up. And follows up again.
She’s not micromanaging. She’s carrying execution load. The work created when accountability isn’t stable.
Example 4: The GM in Transformation who becomes the “glue” holding cross functional delivery together
A General Manager in Transformation spends hours each week smoothing dependencies, clarifying ownership, and unblocking teams.
He’s not overstepping. He’s carrying integration load. The work created when the system doesn’t yet run itself.
Example 5: The CEO who sees leaders stretched but can’t see why
A Chief Executive Officer sees the symptoms. Leaders working harder. Teams stretched thin. Delivery slowing. Tension rising. But the workload doesn’t show up in any dashboard she has visibility of.
She’s not missing data. She’s missing visibility into the human effort required to switch to and run the model.
Why the invisible workload is so destructive
It hides in plain sight.
When the invisible workload is high:
Leaders burn out,
Teams lose momentum,
Delivery slows,
Decision making becomes heavier,
Cross functional friction increases, and
High performers become the “glue” that holds everything together.
The organisation starts believing it has a resourcing problem, when it actually has a system problem.
Operating models don’t fail because people aren’t working hard enough. They fail because people are working too hard on the wrong things.
A quick reflection if this resonates
Take 60 seconds and ask yourself:
“Where is my organisation relying on invisible efforts to keep the operating model running?”
You’ll know instantly.
If you want to go deeper, ask:
“Who are the people acting as the glue, and what would break if they stopped?”
That’s where the invisible workload is hiding.
What the reflection tells you
If you can see the invisible workload, you’re already ahead of most organisations.
The question isn’t whether people are working hard. It’s whether the system is working for or against them.
Leaders who get ahead of this don’t add more people. They remove the hidden workload that is slowing the system down.
If you’re seeing the invisible workload, now is the moment to act
You don’t need to take on the almost impossible fight to get more headcount in this economic climate. You need a system that runs without hidden effort.
If you’re ready to steady the system, let’s work on this together. Here are three ways:
Interim Executive - when the transformation needs a senior leader inside the organisation to stabilise, steer, and deliver,
Capability Building - when product and transformation leaders are expected to know how to navigate the people, politics, and performance expectations that come with their jobs, yet no one has taught them these skills during their entire career, and
Executive Coaching - when senior leaders need a confidential, strategic partner to think clearly, make decisions, and lead through change and complexity.