In this episode, we break down why drive-by requests keep pulling teams into chaos — and how to stop them without damaging trust or slowing delivery.
What’s really happening
Stakeholders bypass process, Slack becomes the intake system, and every request feels urgent. The team becomes reactive instead of focused.
Why it keeps happening
Most organizations don’t have a clear difference between “help me now” and “plan this work.” Without that clarity, escalation becomes the default.
What to do this month
We walk through a simple system built around two doors:
a Support lane for real-time needs
a Roadmap lane for planned work
You’ll also see how to use response scripts and office hours to keep things moving without becoming the “no” team.
How to tell it’s working
Interruptions per week go down
Work-in-progress (WIP) stabilizes
Teams regain focus without losing responsiveness
Next episode: Why “small content changes” hijack engineering
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Episode 34