The Invisible Work That Makes Everything Else Possible

My kids LOVE camping. The dirt. The fire. The sleeping bags. The exploring. The freedom. They think it’s the greatest thing ever.

And I do too.

Until I remember that somehow, I am the one responsible for making camping happen.

The packing.

The food.

The clothes.

The extra clothes.

The things they forgot they needed until we’re already there.

The snacks.

The sunscreen.

The bug spray.

The “where is my…” conversations.

The unpacking.

The cleaning.

The laundry.

You know.

The invisible work.

And it made me laugh because isn't this true in so many parts of life?

The thing everyone gets to enjoy is often made possible by a whole bunch of work nobody really sees.

The work nobody notices

At home, there is an enormous amount of work that happens without anyone really thinking about it.

Someone remembers.

Someone anticipates.

Someone notices what needs to happen next.

Someone keeps track of the details.

Someone makes sure the thing actually happens.

Because when it works, nobody really notices.

That is the point.

The lunch appears.

The birthday is remembered.

The appointment gets booked.

The supplies are there when they're needed.

The family gets where it needs to go.

Everything seems to simply work.

Until the person doing all of that invisible work stops.

Then suddenly, everyone notices.

It happens in businesses too

I see the same thing in organizations.

There are people quietly holding enormous amounts of knowledge, coordination, responsibility and context.

They know who needs what.

They know which process doesn't quite work.

They know which client needs a little extra attention.

They know where the gaps are.

They know what is likely to go wrong before anyone else sees it coming.

They are often the people who quietly make things work.

And because things are working, their contribution can become almost invisible.

Until they leave.

Or burn out.

Or simply stop picking up all the pieces.

Suddenly, everyone realizes just how much they were carrying.

Invisible work is still work

One of the challenges with invisible work is that it can be difficult to measure.

It doesn't always show up on a job description.

It doesn't always have a clear owner.

It may not even be something anyone consciously asked someone to take on.

It just accumulated.

A little bit here.

A little bit there.

Someone said, “I'll just take care of it.”

And eventually, that person becomes the unofficial keeper of an entire part of the organization.

This can happen with administration.

Communication.

Employee relationships.

Client relationships.

Operational knowledge.

Culture.

Even emotional labour.

The work matters whether or not there is a formal title attached to it.

What happens when we don't see it?

The risk is that organizations start depending on people without realizing how much they are depending on them.

That creates fragility.

If one person is carrying all of the context, what happens when they're away?

If one leader is making every decision, what happens when they are unavailable?

If one employee is constantly smoothing over problems, what happens when they stop?

Sometimes the issue isn't that people aren't working hard enough.

It's that we haven't stopped to understand where the work actually lives.

Who is doing it?

Why are they doing it?

What happens if they don't?

And perhaps most importantly:

Should it still be happening this way?

Making the invisible visible

Sometimes the first step toward improving an organization isn't another process.

It's simply noticing.

Asking people what they are actually responsible for.

Listening to what takes more time than it should.

Understanding what people have quietly taken on.

Looking at where decisions, information and responsibility are concentrated.

Because once you can see the invisible work, you can start making better decisions about it.

Maybe it should be redistributed.

Maybe it should be documented.

Maybe someone else needs to own it.

Maybe the process needs to change.

Or maybe the work is valuable and simply needs to be recognized for what it is.

The point isn't to eliminate invisible work.

Some of the most valuable contributions in an organization will never be flashy.

The point is to understand it.

And yes, this applies at home too

I'm still pretty sure my kids think camping is relaxing.

They see the fire.

The lake.

The marshmallows.

The sleeping bags.

They don't see the person who remembered the extra socks.

Or the sunscreen.

Or the food.

Or the bug spray.

And honestly, that's okay.

They're kids.

But as leaders, we have a responsibility to look a little closer.

Because the people making things work behind the scenes deserve to be seen.

Not necessarily with a big announcement.

Sometimes simply with curiosity.

What are you carrying that nobody else sees? And what would happen if we actually paid attention to the answer?