Govern how new work enters, so capacity is not silently re-overcommitted the moment attention turns elsewhere.
Work-in-progress limits only hold if there is a gate on what is allowed to start. Every significant new request passes through three questions before it is accepted.
| Question | Your answer for this request |
|---|---|
| Priority. Does it clear the priority bar in the current Priority Charter? If it is not a priority, it does not jump the queue. | |
| Capacity. Is there capacity available on the Load Map? If not, what must be parked to make room? | |
| Ownership. Who owns it, and what is the realistic delivery given current load? |
| Outcome | When | What you say |
|---|---|---|
| Accept now | Clears priority, capacity available | "Yes, and here is when." |
| Accept by parking | Clears priority, no capacity | "Yes, and here is what we will park to make room." |
| Defer | Matters but not now | "Not now; here is the point at which we will revisit it." |
| Decline | Does not clear the bar | "No, and here is the reason." |
| Request | Clears priority? | Capacity available / what to park | Owner | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Respectful language matters: the discipline fails if saying no feels impossible. The trade for every "yes" is stated openly rather than absorbed silently.
Your answers stay in your browser on this page and are never sent anywhere. Parked items feed the backlog in the WIP Limit Worksheet.