The acceleration equation: What’s slowing teams down (and how to fix it)

In a landscape defined by rapid change, rising expectations, and globally distributed work, teams are under pressure to deliver faster than ever. Strategic priorities shift quickly. Leaders demand measurable impact. Employees are expected to collaborate seamlessly across time zones, functions, and tools.

But according to our latest survey of over 2,100 knowledge workers worldwide, most teams aren’t accelerating. They’re spinning. Tool overload, fragmented processes, and a lack of shared visibility are slowing teams down just when they need to be gaining speed.

Process and standardization: The foundation of agility

In fast-moving environments, processes are often seen as blockers, but the data suggests they’re actually one of the clearest paths to speed. When processes are inconsistent or undocumented, teams spend more time figuring out how to work than actually doing the work.

Nearly a third of knowledge workers say they’re recreating processes multiple times a week, pointing to a lack of centralized, reusable systems. It’s not that teams don’t want structure; it's that they don’t have access to it. In fact, respondents say that a lack of documentation is the number one barrier to following established processes, while frequent changes without adequate communication is the second greatest hurdle.

The data shows that these two challenges actually start at the executive level. 43% of executives say they struggle to manage changes and updates effectively, leaving middle management and individual contributors craving clearer protocols and clarity on ownership as their work is interrupted. When changes happen without consistent reinforcement and communication, efficiency breaks down, and teams are left to fill in the gaps on their own.

Standardization doesn’t mean rigidity. It means enabling agility across every level of the business by creating shared expectations, reducing redundant work, and allowing teams to build momentum from a common foundation.

The visibility gap: A disconnect between confidence and clarity

Visibility isn’t just about project dashboards or timelines. It’s about getting everyone on the same page around expectations, deliverables, and how work connects to broader business goals. And that understanding is where the gaps are widening.

While 93% of executives say they’re confident in project and deliverable expectations, only 74% of individual contributors say the same. And the percentage of respondents who cite team misalignment as a project workflow challenge rose from 37% in 2023 to 44% this year, highlighting a growing gap in coordination. The time it takes to build consensus has also increased compared to just six months ago, further slowing collaboration.

That disconnect in understanding is also eroding confidence over time. Our data shows a significant drop in manager confidence: 37% of managers now say they’re not confident their team will hit its goals—a sharp increase from just 21% six months ago.

As expectations rise and work becomes more complex, alignment and shared understanding are crucial to ensure teams move together in the right direction. To reach that level of collaboration, knowledge workers are clear on where they wish they had more visibility: project and development timelines, project objectives and goals, and best practices shared across teams.

Misalignment is inevitable when leaders believe projects are on track while teams are lacking clarity on process, ownership, and outcomes. In today’s fast-moving workplace, clarity can’t be optional. Leaders need to invest in the solutions and practices that provide teams with a shared line of sight into what’s happening and why so they can make better decisions, faster.

The information problem: Too scattered to move fast

If teams are struggling to move quickly, it’s often because they’re spending too much time just trying to find what they need. Project context, decisions, and documentation are scattered across too many tools, too many threads, and too many disconnected systems. It’s no surprise, then, that an overwhelming majority (85%) of workers spend up to two hours a day searching for information relevant to their roles.

That daily friction adds up. Nearly 40% of knowledge workers say they don’t know where to go to access all project resources. As a result, many turn to their own systems to find what they need, with nearly a third reporting that they rely on personal notes, saved messages, and files, while 28% turn to search functions to dig through email and other company systems. This time sink is inefficient, results in outdated information sharing, and costs teams nearly an entire workday each week.

When information isn’t easily accessible, teams default to meetings to fill the gaps, but frequent meetings and interruptions were ranked the number one roadblock to working efficiently. Additionally, over 60% of knowledge workers report leaving meetings without clear next steps, proving the very systems meant to create alignment often leave teams stuck in a cycle of confusion and rework. 

Knowledge workers are clear on what would help. Easily accessible documentation was named the number one way to reduce rework, and executives also pointed to a need for real-time data they can trust. One in five respondents felt that having access to standardized, updated process documentation would save them three or more hours a day, nearly half of a workweek. What teams need isn’t new systems—it’s clearer, more centralized information that meets them where they already work.

What it really takes to accelerate work

Despite the friction, knowledge workers aren’t asking for more tools, they’re asking for better ones. Nearly a third (28%) say outdated or inadequate tools are slowing them down. What they want instead are systems that support real progress: Their top requests include product roadmapping, task tracking, and brainstorming or whiteboarding tools. These are the kinds of solutions that drive visibility, alignment, and execution—not just more notifications.

Most organizations have the right intentions. They invest in tools. They prioritize collaboration. They encourage cross-functional work. But the day-to-day experience of employees tells a more complicated story.

The truth is, teams are working hard, but not always together. They’re overwhelmed by tools, unsure of how their work fits into the big picture, and frustrated by the time it takes to access the information they need. The systems that were meant to empower them often leave them spinning their wheels.

As leaders and organizations prioritize consistent processes, shared visibility, and reliable data and information access, clarity and alignment will power a new level of accelerated work.