Is Value Flowing or Pooling?

Does value in your system tend to accumulate in a few nodes (individuals, departments, accounts) rather than flowing through to where it is needed?

Are there actors in your system who receive resources but rarely pass them on — creating reservoirs rather than channels?

Does a significant portion of value leave your system entirely (through extraction, fees, or administrative overhead) rather than recirculating?

Are there points where value converts from relational (trust, obligation, reciprocity) to transactional — and stops generating further flow?

Has the speed at which resources move through your system been declining, even as the total volume of resources has grown?

Are there structural bottlenecks (approvals, intermediaries, compliance layers) that slow circulation without adding proportionate value?

Is participation in your system primarily transactional (exchange closes, relationship ends) rather than relational (exchange creates ongoing obligation and access)?

Does your system lack mechanisms for recipients to become contributors — i.e., is there no pay-forward or recycling pathway?

When capital completes a cycle in your system, does less return than was originally deployed — i.e., is the recycling rate below the break-even threshold?

Is your system's health measured primarily by volume (how much is held or produced) rather than velocity (how freely value flows through relationships)?