Failure Mode / 04
Centralization created another bottleneck
Signal
A central team becomes the queue for the organization.
Root cause
Standardization, visibility and ownership were treated as the same thing.
Consequence
The center accumulates coordination work and slows the edges.
Redesign principle
Centralize standards and visibility; distribute operational accountability.
Why this happens
Central teams are often created to make work consistent, but consistency is confused with routing every decision through one place. The center then becomes responsible for coordination that should remain close to the work, while the edges lose the authority to act.
Diagnostic question
What must be standardized centrally, and what could the people closest to the work decide within those boundaries?