The Story Behind Invisible Labor
For years, I found myself asking the same question - Why does work feel harder than it should?
No matter the organization, industry, or team, I saw talented people spending an extraordinary amount of time coordinating, clarifying, following up, solving preventable problems, and compensating for inefficient systems. The work that consumed so much time and energy often wasn't part of anyone's job description, wasn't measured, and rarely received attention—yet it quietly shaped performance, leadership, employee experience, and organizational capacity.
That observation became the foundation for my research into Invisible Labor. Through years of leading teams, studying organizational challenges, and speaking with leaders and employees across industries, I began developing a framework that helps organizations identify the hidden work limiting performance and redesign work in ways that create healthier systems and greater capacity.
Today, I work with organizations through keynote presentations, virtual advisory services, learning experiences, and strategic consulting to help leaders see work differently. My approach combines practical leadership experience with systems thinking, helping organizations move beyond treating symptoms to understanding the underlying conditions that make work more difficult than it needs to be.
My mission is simple: to help organizations—and the people inside them—reclaim capacity by making invisible labor visible.
About Margot Lawless
Margot Lawless is a researcher, speaker, advisor, and organizational leader focused on helping organizations uncover and reduce Invisible Labor. With more than two decades of leadership experience, she works with executives, managers, and teams to identify hidden work, improve organizational capacity, and redesign work for better performance.
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Every organization experiences invisible labor differently. Let's talk about what's happening in yours and where the greatest opportunities may be.