Invisible energy losses in systems. The silent tax that compounds particle state and slows Knowledge Velocity.
The Hidden Drain is the aggregate of invisible energy losses that tax every action in a system. It's not friction you can see—it's the thousand micro-resistances that make simple things exhausting and complex things impossible.
Mental energy losses from context switching, unclear priorities, decision fatigue. Every unmade decision, every ambiguous goal, every interruption compounds Decision Latency.
Examples: Slack notifications, unclear ownership, "quick questions"
GPI Impact: +1-2 points on Decision Latency dimension
Hidden taxes in workflows. The three approvals that could be one. The form that asks for information you already provided. The meeting before the meeting.
Examples: Duplicate data entry, permission loops, status updates
GPI Impact: +2-3 points on Structural Lock-In dimension
Energy lost to organizational politics, unresolved conflicts, political navigation. The exhaustion of pretending, managing egos, walking on eggshells.
Examples: Office politics, passive aggression, trust deficits
GPI Impact: +2-4 points on Talent Flow dimension (causes exodus)
System inefficiencies that tax every interaction. Slow tools, broken integrations, manual workarounds for automated failures. Digital quicksand.
Examples: Legacy systems, tool sprawl, "temporary" fixes
GPI Impact: Exponential as systems interconnect
Actual effort = Base effort × (1 + Drain coefficient)
Most organizations operate with a Drain coefficient between 2x and 5x. This means every hour of "real work" requires 3-6 hours of total effort.
GPI insight: Reducing Hidden Drains by 50% doubles effective capacity without hiring, without overtime, without burnout. GPI drops 1-2 points.
Track where energy actually goes vs. where value is created. Map Knowledge Velocity blockers.
Find the processes, people, and systems that drain without giving. These are your particle state accelerators.
Delete before optimizing. Question before accepting. Move toward field state.
Drains grow back. Build Error Correction systems to keep them out. Re-measure GPI at 30/60/90 days.
Hidden Drains are attracted to success. The more you achieve, the more energy vampires appear. Organizations that don't actively fight drains will eventually be consumed by them, no matter how successful they appear. GPI will silently climb toward particle state.
5 targeted questions to measure your exposure to hidden drain.
Takes 60 seconds. No data stored.
Stop bleeding energy into the void. Start moving toward field state without invisible resistance.