Aglet

Investigate why a work item status became stale

Status drift often begins at a handoff, failed automation, unrecorded decision, or ambiguous completion rule. Investigation should follow the underlying work and the expected state transition, then distinguish a process gap from a real unresolved outcome. Follow the missing transition to the point where current work and recorded state first diverged.

Build a useful investigation brief

  1. Map expected transitions

    List the status changes the work should have passed through and the evidence each transition requires. Compare that path with timestamps, linked changes, comments, dependency records, and current owner knowledge.

  2. Locate the first divergence

    Find the earliest point where the recorded status stopped matching reality or no longer had evidence. Test whether a handoff, failed check, changed scope, or missing authority explains the divergence.

  3. Write the current-state brief

    State the present work state, evidence supporting it, missing transition, and process or domain cause hypothesis. Recommend a status correction and one durable fix only when the evidence supports it.

What to carry forward

A useful brief identifies where status diverged from work, what current evidence proves, and what remains uncertain. Stop when the current state can be acted on safely; keep process and outcome hypotheses separate if the record cannot distinguish them. Keep a process gap separate from an unresolved outcome when the evidence cannot distinguish them.

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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