Where is information lost when work passes from one department to another?
Working Across Boundaries
Each department does its part. Work still breaks down between them
Delays, rework and escalations often arise at handover points, where objectives, criteria and responsibilities become unclear.
A familiar situation
The problem may not be where it first appears
Sales hands over to Operations. Operations relies on Technology. Headquarters sets direction and business units deliver. Each department can show that it has fulfilled its role while the overall outcome still fails. No one is incompetent; what is missing is the ability to manage work across departments.
Before choosing a response
What is really happening?
You do not need to write down your answers. Read slowly and notice the questions that are hard to ignore.
Do departments share criteria for what a complete handover means?
What happens when departmental priorities conflict?
Are problems resolved directly, or repeatedly escalated up the hierarchy?
Who takes responsibility for an outcome that depends on several departments?
Related case · Public-sector organisation
The departments worked. Coordination between them did not
Working with leaders from different departments created more direct relationships, shared reference points and improvement commitments across functions.
If this situation sounds familiar
We can start by understanding what is keeping the problem in place
An initial conversation helps clarify the context, who needs to be involved and what change would really make a difference.
Start a conversation
We can start with what you already know
Tell us what is happening — even if you have not fully defined the challenge yet.
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