bottleneck
A bottleneck is the constricted point in a project that absorbs all momentum and allows progress only one drop at a time. Under the guise of efficiency improvement, it invisibly hampers every effort. Everyone treats it as a headache, yet the moment you forget its existence, it masterfully halts the entire operation. Whenever you pour more resources to fix it, a new bottleneck emerges, creating an inescapable labyrinth. It is the self-proliferating organizational dilemma that grows larger the more efficiency you demand.