Does limiting work-in-progress (WIP) sound counter-intuitive to you? You’re not alone. Many leaders hesitate at the idea of deliberately keeping employees from being 100% utilized. Isn’t the goal to keep everyone busy? After all, busy teams are productive teams… right?
But let me ask you this: Is your ultimate goal to keep people busy, or is it to deliver value to your customers? If it’s the latter (and it should be!), limiting WIP is one of the most effective ways to improve outcomes, motivate teams, and create a flow of value.
Let’s explore why limiting WIP might be the most important change you make—and why, once you do it, you’ll never look back.
What Does Limiting WIP Mean?
Limiting WIP is about capping the number of tasks, projects, or deliverables a team or individual works on at any given time. This principle comes from Kanban and other flow-based systems, but it’s effective in almost any workplace.
Instead of juggling 10 tasks at once, imagine focusing on just 2 or 3 until they’re completed. It’s about managing focus and flow, rather than sheer workload. And while it might feel counter-intuitive, the results will quickly prove the value of this approach.
The Benefits of Limiting WIP
1. Faster Delivery
When teams focus on fewer tasks, those tasks get done faster. Without the bottlenecks caused by spreading attention across multiple priorities, teams deliver results sooner.
Example: Think of a restaurant kitchen. If a chef tries to cook 10 meals at once, orders will take longer. But focusing on 2 or 3 dishes at a time ensures faster, higher-quality meals for the customers.
Watch this wonderful example of Multiple WIP vs One Piece Flow by Henrik Kniberg:
2. Greater Responsiveness to Customer Needs
Limiting WIP means teams aren’t bogged down with half-finished work. This flexibility allows them to shift focus quickly when customer priorities or business needs change.
Key Insight: The real value of agility isn’t speed for speed’s sake—it’s the ability to adapt quickly when it matters most.
3. Reduced Time Lost to Context Switching
Multitasking is a productivity killer. Every time someone switches between tasks, there’s a mental reset required. Limiting WIP minimizes this waste by allowing teams to focus deeply on one or two priorities at a time.
Did You Know? Research shows that task-switching can reduce productivity by up to 40%. A focused team is a more effective team.
4. Boosted Team Motivation
Overloaded teams quickly become overwhelmed. A clear, focused workflow with manageable WIP limits gives teams a sense of control and progress. This clarity drives motivation and reduces burnout.
Analogy: Think of a hiker with a light backpack climbing a trail. With a manageable load, they feel accomplished. With an overloaded pack, they just feel stuck.
5. Improved Quality
When teams spread themselves too thin, quality inevitably suffers. By focusing on fewer tasks, they can give each one the attention it deserves, reducing errors and rework.
“Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.” – Steve Jobs
Why Limiting WIP Feels Counter-Intuitive
For years, organizations have equated busy teams with productive teams. This mindset leads to overloaded backlogs, endless “in progress” tasks, and frustrated teams. But productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about delivering value.
Once you start limiting WIP, you’ll see the transformation: faster workflows, happier teams, and higher customer satisfaction. It may feel counter-intuitive at first, but it’s worth the leap.
Here is a great illustration of the 100% utilization trap by Henrik Kniberg again:
How to Start Limiting WIP
Here’s how you can put WIP limits into practice:
- Visualize Your Workflow: Use a Kanban board or similar tool to make your current tasks and states visible.
- Set Reasonable WIP Limits: Start with manageable caps for each workflow stage (e.g., 5 tasks per team in progress).
- Communicate with Your Team: Explain why WIP limits help everyone—teams, leaders, and customers alike.
- Monitor and Adjust: Observe how the team adapts to WIP limits and tweak them as needed.
Pro Tip: Use activities like the ones in my Agile Games Collection to teach your team the benefits of limiting WIP in an engaging, hands-on way.
Conclusion
Limiting work-in-progress might feel strange at first, but it’s one of the most effective ways to improve focus, quality, and responsiveness. It’s not about keeping people busy—it’s about delivering real value to your customers and creating a better flow of work.
If you’re ready to take your team’s performance to the next level, check out my ACE Program, where I teach actionable strategies like limiting WIP to make agility work in the real world. Let’s transform how your team works—and what they can achieve.