2. Interpersonal & Communication Band-Aids
2-Minute Standup Huddles
At the start of every shift/day: 2 minutes max per person: what they need, what’s blocked.

Prevents cascading inefficiencies and builds morale quickly.

“No-Explain” Error Tokens
Give staff 3–5 tokens per month they can “drop” when they make a mistake — no justification needed. Encourages honesty, reduces fear, saves time on blame allocation.

Escalation Whisper Network
Quietly identify “go-to fixers” in each department (people who know workarounds, fast fixes).

Make their advice a shared Slack channel, desk cheat sheet, or bulletin board, so everyone benefits from their tacit knowledge.

3. Cognitive & Emotional Load Reduction
Staggered Stress Relief Rotations
Create micro-break shifts (10–15 mins) once per 2 hours where one staff member can fully disengage (walk, breathe, music).

Someone else lightly covers. This lowers error rate and burnout.

“Red Flag” Forms
Allow staff to flag a recurring issue (bad form, confused caller, broken login).

Have 1 admin per week tasked with resolving/patching these pain points, even with quick workarounds.

Quiet Work Zones (or Times)
Designate a no-interruption hour each day or a physical corner/room to reduce overstimulation. Even 30 mins/day lowers cognitive fatigue.

4. Physical Tools & Workflow Hacks
Physical “In/Out” Folders (or digital equivalents)
Reduce ambiguity of where a file is in the process.

Label folders: “To Action”, “Waiting on Reply”, “Complete but needs Sign-off”.

Checklist Lanyards / Printouts
Equip staff with laminated quick-check cards around their necks or desks.

Especially useful for frontline (nurses, counter staff, call takers) to reduce mental load during repetition.

Post-it “Do Not Disturb” Flags
If someone is processing a heavy task, let them post a simple flag. Keeps focus and reduces minor interruptions that break flow.