Waiting for a decision, an approval, or input from another team can make work feel stuck. The cause is often structural, not a lack of effort or attitude. Agency means being clear about what we can move ourselves, where we can influence, where we depend on others, and where we stop investing energy for now. It does not mean pretending everything is in our hands — but when teams see that their actions move things forward, their energy and self-efficacy can grow.
Four areas help sort any blocker. What we control: decide, start, stop, prioritize, or try a small experiment. What we can influence: ask, involve people, offer options, and make consequences visible. Where we depend on others: clarify what exactly we need, from whom, and by when; show the cost of delay, bring a clear recommendation, agree on a decision date — and keep working on what can run in parallel. And what we can't move for now: accept it for the moment, adjust plans, protect capacity, and check back when things change.
Watch out for the common pitfalls: treating structural problems as a mindset issue (positive thinking won't produce a missing decision), taking on what isn't yours, waiting silently because “it's out of our control”, going in circles on the same blocker every week, and planning instead of acting. A five-minute agency check in your team meeting or retro helps: Where did we move something ourselves? Where did we get stuck waiting? What could our next step be? And notice hidden progress — not all progress shows up as a finished task.