System Red Flags: Seven Signs a Process Is Working Against You

Not sure whether it is you or the process? Here are seven signs that the process is the problem. Naming them helps you stop blaming yourself.

None of these mean someone is acting in bad faith. Most systems end up like this by accident, one sensible rule at a time. But the effect on you is the same, and it helps to be able to say what is happening.

1. Nobody owns it

Everyone you speak to says it is someone else’s job. You are passed along. Nobody can say who is actually responsible for your case.

What to do: ask one person, in writing, “Who is responsible for resolving this?” See What to Do When You Keep Being Referred Elsewhere.

2. You have to prove it over and over

You send the same documents again. You retell the story to each new person. Every step asks for proof that you already gave.

What to do: keep a single folder of your evidence, and say “This was sent on [date] to [person].” The Evidence Builder Hub shows how to set it up.

3. The rules keep changing

You do what was asked, and then a new requirement appears. The goalposts move after you reach them.

What to do: ask for the requirements in writing, with a date, and keep the version you were given. See When Systems Change Overnight.

4. The process is built for someone with more energy than you

Forms that cannot be saved halfway. Phone lines open for two hours. Deadlines that ignore a flare up. The process only works if you are well.

What to do: ask for a reasonable adjustment, and put it in writing. The Low Energy Advocacy Hub gathers the shortest tools.

5. You are asked for your opinion, then nothing changes

A survey. A meeting. A panel. Your input goes in and no one tells you what happened to it.

What to do: ask what will be done with your input, and when you will hear back. See Consultation Is Not Co Design.

6. The label becomes the person

Everything you do is read through one word. “Non compliant”. “Complex”. “Difficult”. Your reasons are no longer heard.

What to do: ask what barrier sat behind the behaviour, and say it plainly. See When the System Calls You Non Compliant, Look for the Barrier First.

7. A yes that does not arrive

You are told it is approved. Weeks later, nothing has happened. The yes and the thing you needed turn out to be different.

What to do: ask “Who will do it and by what date?” and record the answer in your promise log.

When you see two or more

One red flag may be bad luck. Three or four together is a pattern. If you are noticing a pattern, you are not imagining it, and it is worth writing down, because patterns are what get systems to change. How to Turn Lived Experience Into System Change shows where to take it.

What to remember

If you are tired and stuck, it is easy to think you are doing it wrong. Sometimes the process really is the problem. Seeing the red flags lets you aim your energy at the right thing.

Madeleine x