Whose Lane Is It Anyway?
A few weekends ago, my stepdaughter graduated from high school. It was joyful, it was celebratory, and the whole family showed up. We’re an active, blended family: two biological parents, two stepparents, one biological grandma, a step-grandma, an uncle, a step-uncle, a biological brother, a stepbrother, and a boyfriend. After the ceremony, dinner logistics required everyone to be in the loop, communicate, and coordinate.
At graduation, her mom arrived early to hold seats (armed with multiple scarves to mark the territory). Stepdad was keeper of the wristbands, meeting arrivals like me and grandma outside to get us in. He also had to retrieve Grandma and brother (whose job was to escort her and carry everyone’s bags) when they got lost. Dad lit the cigars, booked karaoke, and picked the wines. I planned the dinner, confirmed the seating chart with Mom, got there early, and set up the table with a few surprises. The grandmas showed up kvelling, as we say, with gifts in hand and their so-proud-to-be-here energy.
The day was a huge success because everyone knew their role, and more importantly, stuck to it.
What Families (Sometimes) Get Right That Workplaces Often Don’t
To be clear: a workplace is not a family.
Read that again. As many times as you need. It’s an overused metaphor, especially in hospitality, and it can do real damage. You can care deeply about your coworkers. You can feel close. But they are not your family. You don’t furlough your kid when times get tough and call them six months later to reinstate their role.
However, like a family, teams function best when there’s clarity. When people know their role, what’s expected of them, and what success looks like.
Whose Job Is It Anyway?
At the restaurant level, role clarity seems to be second nature. A prep cook doesn’t come out and take orders. A food runner doesn’t suddenly decide to work the grill station. Everyone understands their position and, for the most part, things run smoothly because of it.
But that same clarity seems to fall short at the corporate level. And when it does, it rolls downhill right onto the restaurant-level teams.
Duplicated work. Silent resentment. Conflicting directives. People asking each other, “Wait, I thought that was your thing?”
When roles aren’t clear, trust in leadership erodes, things get muddy, and even the most well-meaning teams can get caught up in a loop of misfires and cleanup.
Unfortunately, the tool we rely on most for this clarity, job descriptions, isn’t always up to the task.
Why Job Descriptions Aren’t Enough
Don’t get me wrong, JDs serve a purpose, but typically they’re written to attract talent, not guide daily work. They use future-focused, aspirational language like “You will drive strategic financial insights...” or “You are a self-starter who thrives under pressure…” All well and good until you’re self-starting a project that someone else thought was their baby and now everyone is confused.
Even when well-written, they’re often written by one leader or department in a vacuum, and other leaders have no idea what’s in them. Not to mention they’re outdated within six months. So what do you use instead?
That’s where swimlanes come in.
Swimlanes: A Simple, Flexible Way to Define Who Does What
My friend Jacqui introduced me to the swimlane concept when we worked together. She was VP of People, I was VP of Ops, and she laid it out perfectly:
“Given the often fuzzy lines between the different operations within a team, swimlanes of responsibility and ownership are helpful. They’re intended to outline ownership, not sole responsibility. There is always a high level of cross-team (and cross-department) work in practice.”
Think of swimlanes as a living document that says: Here’s what we do. Here’s who owns it.
NB: This isn’t the same as the traditional project management swimlane flowchart. Same name, a slightly different game. The version we’re talking about is less about mapping a process and more about creating shared clarity in the day-to-day work of running a department.
How to Build Your Own Swimlanes
Step 1: Identify Core Work Areas
Group your work into broad functions, not roles.
Think: “Scheduling,” “Inventory,” “Training,” “Guest Experience.”
Step 2: Assign Ownership
One person owns each lane. That doesn’t mean they do it all, it means they’re accountable and know when to pull others in.
Step 3: Agree on What Ownership Means
Define it clearly. Example:
“Ownership means you’re accountable for everything in your swimlane. You ask for help and delegate when needed, and keep the team updated on progress.”
You can start by drafting the lanes yourself and having the team react, or take a more collaborative approach by trying a quick whiteboard session: ask everyone to jot down their responsibilities - one per Post-it, rapid-fire, two minutes max. Then group the notes into themes. Patterns will emerge, and so will your lanes.
Here’s an example of a chart Jacqui did for an HR/People Department using swimlanes.
Clarity Is Kind: The Benefits of Swimlanes
Clarity Amidst Chaos
When lots of people are involved, things get messy. Swimlanes make it clear who owns what so work doesn’t get duplicated, dropped, or misunderstood.Less Micromanaging
You don’t need to hover when people know their lane. Swimlanes reduce the need for constant check-ins.Identify the Gaps
Clear swimlanes make it easier to see where support, skills, or resources are missing, and step in early.Builds Trust
When ownership is clear and visible, people consistently follow through. That consistency builds trust, increases psychological safety, and decreases second-guessing.Adaptive, Not Rigid
Unlike static job descriptions, swimlanes can flex and evolve, and take a lot less effort to revisit.
What to Do Next
Take a look at your team. Would a swimlanes exercise help clarify who is accountable for what?
If you need help clarifying roles on your team (or a friendly ear to listen to you complain about your family), reach out. I’m good at both!
