Three columns are enough
To do, in progress, done. Why a minimal kanban almost always beats the twelve-column board.
Every task tool eventually offers custom columns, labels and sub-statuses. It is tempting. Most of the time it is also an elegant way to put off the actual work.
What three columns force you to do
With only To do, In progress and Done, one question keeps coming back: what am I doing now? There is no "To think about" column to hide fuzzy tasks in. A task is ready, or it does not belong on the board.
The middle column matters most
Cap "In progress" at three cards. Beyond that you are not working on several things, you are abandoning several things. When the column is full, the only way forward is to finish something.
In practice
- On Monday, clear "Done" and reread what was in it.
- Every morning, pull at most one card into "In progress".
- If a card stalls for more than a week, split it.
A simple board does not make the work simple. It simply makes visible what is not.