Aglet

Triage a blocked team handoff without losing context

A blocked handoff is a state of the work, not a judgment about the people involved. Triage should identify the exact missing condition, preserve context across the boundary, and prevent both teams from starting parallel interpretations of the same request.

Establish what is happening

  1. Compare sent and received context

    List the outcome, current state, evidence, assumptions, dependencies, and requested action that were sent. Ask the receiver which specific field, decision, access, or artifact is missing and record the answer in their terms.

  2. Name the blocker

    Classify the blocker as missing information, authority, access, dependency, capacity, or acceptance. Verify the classification with evidence and avoid using blocked as a substitute for a vague status or an interpersonal complaint.

  3. Define the unblock step

    Assign the next action to the role that can remove the blocker, set a review point, and state what the receiver will do afterward. Preserve the original scope if the handoff needs to be split.

What to carry forward

The output is a blocker record with missing condition, responsible unblocking role, receiver action, and review point. Stop triage when both sides can state the same next step; if the blocker is disputed, route the decision rather than marking the handoff complete.

Keep the decision with the work.

Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.

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