Human Friction Snapshot: What Leaders Are Experiencing

At the 2026 ASQ Lean Six Sigma Conference, we asked leaders where friction shows up most in their organizations. Their responses revealed a clear pattern. The breakdowns weren’t in strategy or systems, but in how work is carried out day to day. The results offer a snapshot of the barriers that slow execution, drain energy, and create misalignment across teams.

We asked a simple question:

Where does friction show up most in your organization?

Top Themes

17%
Competing goals across teams.

When priorities compete, execution slows and
accountability becomes unclear.

14%
Accountability without authority.

People are expected to deliver results without the decision rights or support to do so.

12%

Energy drains faster than it’s restored.

Energy loss is not a side issue. It changes how people show up, work together, and carry the weight of the day.

12%

Workarounds replace real conversations.

Instead of addressing issues directly, teams find ways around them.

What This Tells Us

The biggest friction points were not technical. They showed up in how people work together, navigate competing priorities, and carry the strain of keeping things moving.

Friction lives in the day-to-day
is not a side issue

It shows up in competing priorities, murky expectations, and the strain of trying to keep things moving.

The Human Side of Performance

55% of the friction leaders reported came from just four issues.

When friction builds, decisions slow down, rework increases, and teams start to disengage. Performance does not break all at once. It wears down through friction.

Strategy does not usually fail on paper.

It breaks down in how people work together.

Curious where friction shows up in your organization?

About The Data

At the 2026 ASQ Lean Six Sigma Conference, we asked leaders where friction shows up most in their organizations. Their responses offered a clear snapshot of the everyday barriers that slow work down, drain energy, and make execution harder than it needs to be. While this was not a formal study, the themes were strikingly consistent and closely aligned with what we see in organizations every day.