Waterline Model
The Waterline Model
"Your only goal as a manager, if you do nothing else, is clear roles and clear expectations." — Molly Graham
What It Is
Imagine a team as a boat. Problems below the waterline sink the boat. Leaders often dive deep (scuba) to fix "people problems" first, but they should snorkel first. Start at the surface with structural issues (goals/roles) before addressing interpersonal dynamics.
When To Use
- Friction, confusion, or underperformance within a team
- Before assuming conflict is due to "difficult people"
- When teams are fighting over responsibilities
- As a diagnostic before any team restructuring
The Model
🌊 SURFACE (Snorkel First)
More from coowoolf/insighthunt-skills
gamification-triad
Use when designing retention mechanisms, habit loops, or auditing why users drop off despite engaging with core features, to structure gamification beyond superficial badges
46gardening-mindset
Use when dealing with ecosystems, network effects, or high-uncertainty environments where the right answer cannot be known in advance, when rigid planning consumes more value than it creates
45minimum lovable product (mlp)
In an era where AI lowers the cost of building software, viability is obsolete. The differentiator is joy and emotional connection. Prioritize "Wow" over "Aha"—brand is product interaction.
16three-layer-agent-stack
Use when building AI-powered products or agents, when raw model intelligence isn't enough to solve user problems, or when designing the architecture for agentic workflows
15pre-mortem-kill-criteria
Use before launching products or signing contracts, when needing to combat sunk cost fallacy, or when standard pre-mortems fail to change behavior
14curiosity-loops
Use when facing a significant decision (career pivot, product direction, technical choice) and feeling stuck or indecisive, when seeking contextual advice rather than generic recommendations
13