Stage 5 · Lesson 2 of 7
Raising blockers and risks early
A is anything that stops your progress or puts a date at risk. Tell the right person as soon as you see it, not on the day the work was due. Say what is blocked, what you tried, what would unblock you and what happens if nothing changes.
Raise it in , in the ticket or directly with the person who can help. If nothing moves, follow up, and consider it to your manager or lead. Early bad news is a change of plan.
Late bad news is a missed deadline and a trust problem. Managers rarely mind problems; they mind surprises. This habit is the core of later in this stage.
Common traphoping to catch up quietly with late nights, then announcing the slip when it is too late to help.
A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 1 cheat sheet entry come when you add the roadmap to your account. Add it
Resources for this stage
Start with· follow one of these
- GuideFreeGet Your Work Recognized: Write a Brag Document
Julia Evans
Julia Evans on keeping a record of your work, with a template you can start this week
- GuideFreeThe Update, the Vent, and the Disaster
Michael Lopp
Michael Lopp on what one-on-ones are for and how to make them worth the time