Getting out of Chaos

Introduction: Familiar Chaos

You know that feeling? Being overwhelmed by a growing pile of tasks, ideas, and requests, a gigantic "to-do pile" that never stops growing. You try to bring order to it, but the options always seem to oscillate between pure chaos and tools so rigid they suffocate any flexibility.

In reality, the real goal, beyond "tidying up", is to move from "a lot of things we should do" to "things that actually get done."

What if there were a simpler way to get there, while keeping the flexibility you really need? An approach that gets you out of disorder without falling into a rigid system. This article walks you through a shift in perspective, in 5 steps, from common but naïve solutions to a powerful and universal framework that can transform the way you organize your work.

1. The Illusion of the database: Mistaking storage for process

One of the most common traps in teams is believing that a large database is enough to "organize" work. Faced with a lot of information, the instinct is to centralize everything in a massive Excel file or a modern database. Once it's digital, we assume the problem is solved.

But that's a classic mistake: confusing passive storage with an active process. A big table of data captures information, but it does not make work move forward. It doesn't tell anyone "where to start" or "what the next step should be."

In reality, digitized information can support a process, yes. But it does not create one.

True organization requires more than a container of information. It requires clear steps that turn information into progress.

2. The "Simple Kanban" Trap: When the "To Do" Column turns into a black hole

The second common approach is using an oversimplified Kanban board with columns like "To Do / Doing / Done." It's appealing because it's simple. And it works. But in extremely limited cases.

But in most professional contexts, this model quickly reaches its limits. The main issue: the "To Do" column grows infinitely. It becomes a black hole where tasks accumulate endlessly, making prioritization nearly impossible. This approach fails because it's missing a crucial step: a strategy phase, where we decide what deserves to enter the operational flow.

3. The Breakthrough: Letting go of the Perfect view in favor of dedicated boards

Instead of searching for a single perfect view that will magically manage everything, the real solution requires a shift in perspective. A strong organizational system can show the same information across different boards, each built for a specific purpose.

It's the embodiment of Klaro Cards' simple but powerful principle: the right information, for the right person, at the right moment.

In practice, this means having dedicated boards for each moment of the workflow. The most effective way to do this is through a structured process with 4 distinct steps, which we'll now detail.

4. The Power of the Cycle: Work isn't a straight line, it's a Loop

Tracking work is not a linear process. It's a cycle, which can be broken down into 4 major steps. Each one deserves its own dedicated board.

1. Collection: Capturing tasks, ideas, and requests without friction. The goal is to empty your mind and reduce mental load. You write things down as they appear, in a call, an email, or even a thought on the subway.
2. Strategy: Prioritizing. This step is non-negotiable because there are always more things to do than capacity to deliver. It's the essential filter between infinite inputs and finite operational capacity.
3. Operational: Moving work forward. Here, the selected tasks progress through a clear workflow toward completion.
4. Communication: Informing stakeholders once the work is done.

The most important insight is this: Communication (step 4) isn't the end. It's the beginning of the next cycle. By informing stakeholders, you generate a feedback loop: new ideas, new requests, new needs which feed right back into the Collection phase.Work keeps flowing because you keep communicating.

5. A surprisingly Universal Model: From freelancers to software teams

The beauty of this 4-step model (Collection, Strategy, Operational, Communication) is its flexibility. It applies to completely different contexts because the underlying logic of "tracking work" is always the same.

1. A freelancer managing several clients collects their requests, prioritizes the week (strategy), works (operational), then communicates updates.
2. A sales team collects new leads, decides which ones to qualify (strategy), moves forward on commercial actions (operational), then communicates results.
3. A Product Owner collects feature ideas and user feedback, prioritizes the backlog (strategy), oversees implementation (operational), then communicates new releases.

The common thread isn't the nature of the task. It's the consistent passage through these 4 stages.

Conclusion: Rethinking the Process, not just the Tool

Most teams go searching for a better tool. But a tool alone never transforms how you work.What transforms your work is the process you build inside it.

Start by asking these 4 questions:

1. Where does your Collection happen?
2. How do you decide what is truly a priority?
3. Which board supports your operational workflow?
4. How do you inform your stakeholders?

If even one of these steps is missing, chaos comes back. Always.

And that's exactly where Klaro Cards makes a difference: it doesn't impose your process, it helps you clarify it, structure it, and execute it. Simply. Visually. Collaboratively.

This is what we presented in Klaro Cards Session #06. Watch the replay (in French)

Getting out of chaos isn't about finding the perfect tool. It's about building a clear process. Klaro Cards handles the rest.

Cover image designed without AI by Freepik