The 7 Principles of Work Management (Explained With Examples)

Work Management is built on seven simple, powerful principles. These principles act as the foundation for clarity, coordination, and better execution.

Let’s break each one down with practical examples.

1. Clarity Over Chaos

Teams thrive when expectations are clear.

Example:Instead of “Marketing to publish the blog,” use:

• Owner: Sarah

• Task: Publish blog

• Due date: Friday

• Steps: Draft → edit → review → publish

2. Flow Over Friction

Reduce unnecessary steps, blockers, and approvals.

Example:Use one centralized workflow instead of five disconnected documents and emails.

3. Systems Over Silos

Work should be visible and aligned, not hidden.

Example:Use one shared tool for project planning rather than separate spreadsheets per team.

4. Visibility Over Assumptions

Teams need a shared understanding of progress.

Example:A simple dashboard beats endless status update meetings.

5. Intelligence Over Intuition

Use data to make decisions — not guesswork.

Example:Look at cycle time and throughput before deciding to hire more people.

6. Progress Over Perfection

Move work forward even if it’s not perfect yet.

Example:Ship version 1.0 of a workflow, then improve it weekly.

7. Humanity Over Tools

People are the center of all work.

Example:Check alignment, reduce overload, celebrate wins — this matters more than automation.