Exactly one improvement per execution cycle — not zero…
After each workflow execution, identify exactly one improvement to implement before the next execution—not zero, not three—to enable attribution of changes to effects.
When This Fires
- After completing any workflow execution, during the reflection/debrief moment
- When tempted to overhaul multiple aspects of a workflow simultaneously
- When a workflow has been static for many executions despite known problems
- Complements Give each workflow change 3-5 executions before deciding… (3-5 execution stability test) with the single-change discipline
Common Failure Mode
Batch improvements: "I'll save up all the improvements and do a big overhaul." This feels efficient but produces unattributable results and increases the risk of cascading failures. The big overhaul changes everything, something breaks, and you can't tell what caused it. One improvement per cycle is slower but produces reliable, learnable evolution.
The Protocol
(1) After each workflow execution, ask: "What is the single most impactful improvement I could make before next execution?" (2) Choose the one with the highest expected impact — don't default to the easiest. (3) Implement the change before the next execution. Not after three executions, not "when I have time." Before the next one. (4) On the next execution, observe: did the change help, hurt, or show no effect? (5) Based on the observation: keep the change if it helped, revert if it hurt, give it 2 more executions if unclear (Give each workflow change 3-5 executions before deciding…). Then identify the next single improvement.