What If Our Workflows Took Care of People, Too?
A Note from Josh:
I’ve worked in high-stakes environments long enough to know one thing:
When people don’t feel supported by the systems they’re working in, they don’t burn out because they don’t care.
They burn out because they do.
Over the last decade, I’ve worked alongside over 200 communities impacted by disaster, mass violence, and complex loss. I’ve witnessed what happens when systems break down and what becomes possible when we rebuild with intention.
This Lab Note is about one of the biggest shifts I believe we need to make: Rethinking our workflows as tools for healing, not just output.
The Question That Keeps Coming Up
A lot of teams I support ask me the same thing:
“How do we fix our internal structure without breaking trust or momentum?”
That’s a smart question and it reveals something deeper:
Leaders aren’t just looking for productivity hacks. They’re looking for systems that care.
Workflows aren’t just logistics. They’re lived experiences. They shape how people feel, how they relate to one another, and whether they feel safe showing up fully.
3 Signs Your Workflow Is Failing Your People
Decisions bottleneck in one person
Teams feel stuck, confused, or dependent on one person to move anything forward.Meetings are draining, not clarifying
Instead of resetting energy and focus, meetings leave people overwhelmed and unclear.Responsibility is blurred or duplicated
People either avoid tasks because they’re unsure it’s theirs or get burned out from doing double the work.
If these feel familiar, it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means your workflow was likely never built to hold the emotional load your team is carrying.
What Healing-Centered Workflows Actually Look Like
When we approach systems with a trauma-informed lens, we prioritize:
Shared ownership (so no one carries the whole weight)
Transparent permissions (so people know what they can decide)
Purposeful pausing (so urgency doesn’t erode wellbeing)
We’re not just optimizing for output. We’re designing for emotional sustainability.
Because when your workflow holds people, people stay.
What I’ve Learned from the Field
I’ve led and supported teams in some of the most emotionally intense environments imaginable.
Here’s what I’ve seen work again and again:
Simple, visual workflows that reduce cognitive load
Clear role mapping to prevent burnout due to ambiguity
Rhythms and rituals that let teams reset, not just check in
You don’t have to be perfect. You have to be willing to notice what isn’t working and build something better.
Want to Try It?
If this feels like the shift you’ve been craving, check out our free resource:
Download the JG CoLab Starter Kit
Or explore the Infrastructure Lab framework, a modular way to rework your internal systems with care.
This isn’t just about better meetings.
It’s about better leadership.
Just good work. Rooted in care. Built together.
