Why drift checks exist
Entropy hits every system.
Receipts slip. Lane rules bend.
Decision paths fork when pressure rises.
No one intends it. It just happens.
Quinn treats stability as a product.
Drift checks are tiny audits that catch decay early, fix it fast, and move on.
The targets to protect
- Receipts reality: time spent is counted and on time.
- Lane integrity: work matches entry rules at commit.
- Decision velocity: asks move with the right facts, fast.
- Freeze fidelity: midweek changes follow the single path.
- Evidence trace: decisions and exceptions have receipts.
The Drift Check set (lightweight, recurring)
1) Receipts Spot-Read
Pull five random team entries weekly.
Verify categories, totals, and any change receipts.
Flag misses in-line on the same page.
Outcome: fix before Monday review.
2) Lane Door Audit
Pick three delivered items per lane.
Check entry criteria, owner, acceptance proof.
If two fail, freeze that lane for a week and retrain.
Outcome: integrity over speed.
3) Path Ping
Submit a dummy ask with minimum facts.
Measure time to accept or deflect.
If it exceeds the target by 2x, adjust path ownership.
Outcome: timer respected, owner accountable.
4) Freeze Challenge
During the week, attempt a mid-sprint change.
Confirm it travels the single path. Confirm receipt.
If someone can bypass the path, lock permissions.
Outcome: freeze means freeze.
5) Decision Traceback
Choose one late item.
Reconstruct the chain: ask → decision → change → delivery.
Note the first miss and who could have stopped it.
Outcome: fix the earliest break, not the symptom.
Cadence and ownership
- Weekly micro-checks: Receipts Spot-Read and Path Ping by Friday 4 pm.
- Biweekly lane checks: Lane Door Audit and Freeze Challenge.
- Monthly tracebacks: one late item postmortem.
- Owner: the Ops PM who owns the entry path and the Proofline page.
- Time budget: 45–60 minutes per week total.
What triggers action
- Receipts Spot-Read: more than one incorrect of five → withhold new commits until fixed.
- Lane Door Audit: integrity below 85% → freeze lane for one week.
- Path Ping: median above target by 2x → reassign owner or narrow facts.
- Freeze Challenge: bypass found → permissions change within 24 hours.
- Decision Traceback: repeat root cause across two months → rule update.
The wall poster (so everyone knows)
- Receipts due by Friday 5 pm.
- Lanes require criteria before commit.
- One path in. One owner. One timer.
- Freeze windows hold. Exceptions documented.
- Decisions have receipts.
Anti-ceremony rules
- Checks live on the same page as the Proofline Dashboard.
- Red only marks action. No green.
- No separate slide. No narrative decks.
- If a check never triggers change for two months, remove or replace it.
Example playbook entries
Receipts fix: Send a three-line correction, not a meeting.
Lane freeze: Post the freeze note on the page, list retrain date.
Path repair: Publish the new owner and timer.
Rule update: Version the entry criteria with the date.
Metrics that show the checks work
- Receipts accuracy: sample pass rate trending to 98%+.
- Lane integrity: 90%+ sustained for six weeks.
- Decision velocity: holds target range with lower variance.
- Freeze compliance: zero unauthorized changes in two cycles.
- Rework rate: declines for items that once bypassed rules.
What changes when it works
- Exceptions become rare and explicit.
- Status time drops; decision time tightens.
- People trust the numbers because the numbers get audited.
- Leaders steer by principle, not anecdotes.
Start this week (30 minutes)
- Add a Drift Checks row to the Proofline page.
- Run a Receipts Spot-Read on five entries.
- Do one Path Ping and publish the time.
- Mark actions in red, with owner and date.
Operating principles
Check small. Fix fast.
Audit the rules you use.
Remove any check that never changes behavior.
Cheat sheet (print and tape up)
Receipts spot-read. Lane door audit. Path ping. Freeze challenge. Traceback.
Five checks. One page. No drift.
Quinn’s note to operators: Stability compounds. Guard it.
Next episode (30): The Interface Ledger
Turning interface points into explicit contracts with limits, owners, and costs so cross-team work stops bleeding time.
