23. The Tyranny of One More Trip

Tuesday, 16 June 2026

Productivity is rarely destroyed by major failures. More often, it is lost one small inefficiency at a time.

Drawing on observations from a hospital ward, this essay explores the hidden cost of monotasking and fragmented work. A missing item requires another journey. A second request triggers another interruption. A simple task becomes three separate trips.

Each delay appears insignificant. Together, they consume hours.

The Tyranny of One More Trip examines why organisations often optimise for individual tasks rather than complete outcomes, and how millions of small inefficiencies accumulate into a significant productivity problem. The lesson is simple: when work is organised around journeys instead of results, everyone becomes busy, but little moves faster.