Rules
1,053 rules · page 18 of 22
Mark workflow decision points with explicit if-then…
Mark decision points in documented workflows with explicit notation (like decision diamonds) that states 'If X, then step Y; otherwise step Z' to make conditional logic visible.
Competent stranger test for workflow steps — could someone…
For each workflow step, apply the competent stranger test: if you handed this step to a competent stranger with no additional context, could they complete it without asking a single clarifying question? Any step that fails this test is not yet atomic.
Failure localization test for step granularity — if a step…
Test workflow step granularity with the failure localization criterion: if this step fails, will I know what went wrong without further investigation? If no, the step needs further decomposition.
Handoff workflows need finer granularity than personal…
When documenting workflows for handoff or future self, use finer granularity than workflows written for immediate personal use, calibrating the competent stranger to match the least experienced actual executor.
Dependency test for adjacent steps — does step B require…
For each pair of adjacent workflow steps, ask 'Does step B require the completed output of step A?' - if no, the steps can run in parallel; if yes, they must be sequential.
Map both data dependencies and resource dependencies…
When mapping workflow dependencies, draw arrows for both input-output dependencies and resource dependencies (shared attention, tools, or collaborators), since steps sharing scarce resources are effectively sequential even if outputs are unrelated.
Sequential-by-default is a workflow smell — every numbered…
Treat 'sequential by default' as a workflow smell requiring dependency analysis - every numbered list should be questioned for which steps actually depend on which.
Position triggers at context transitions, not within…
Position triggers at transition moments between contexts rather than within stable contexts, as transitions are perceptually distinct and represent natural decision points.
Define completion as binary observables (draft exists)…
Define workflow completion criteria as binary observables ('draft exists') rather than subjective evaluations ('draft is good') to create clear termination points that prevent recursive perfectionism.
Measure actual elapsed time over 3-4 cycles before…
Before optimizing any workflow step, measure actual elapsed time across three to four execution cycles rather than relying on felt difficulty or estimated duration, because subjective experience systematically misidentifies bottlenecks.
Optimize only the single slowest step — improvements…
Direct optimization effort exclusively at the single slowest step in a workflow, treating all improvements to non-bottleneck steps as wasted effort regardless of their magnitude.
When the bottleneck is waiting, not processing — reduce…
When a workflow bottleneck is a waiting step rather than a processing step, reduce work-in-progress before attempting to speed up any active processing, because Little's Law dictates that cycle time equals WIP divided by throughput.
Four-category automation triage
Classify workflow steps as 'automate now' (well-defined, no judgment, high frequency), 'automate later' (well-defined, no judgment, low frequency), 'assist' (requires judgment but tools handle mechanical portions), or 'keep manual' (requires judgment, taste, or values only you provide).
Sovereignty check before automation — if the automation…
Before automating any step, apply the sovereignty check by asking 'if this automation produces wrong output, will I notice?' — automate only when the answer is yes through review, downstream dependencies, or verification checkpoints.
Periodically perform automated steps manually — maintain…
Periodically perform automated steps manually as calibration exercises to maintain intervention skill and detect when automation has drifted or is producing incorrect outputs.
Define workflow inputs as precondition checklists — every…
Define workflow inputs as complete checklists of preconditions—every piece of information, material, and state that must be true before the first step can execute—rather than treating inputs as obvious or self-evident.
Define workflow outputs as Definitions of Done…
Make workflow output specifications operational by defining them as Definitions of Done with explicit, checkable acceptance criteria rather than vague quality aspirations.
Inconsistent outputs despite consistent effort = missing…
When a workflow produces inconsistent outputs despite consistent effort, diagnose missing or unstable input-output specifications before attempting to fix the process itself.
Use SBAR…
Structure handoff communications using the SBAR protocol (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) when transferring responsibility for work between people or contexts.
Collect at least 5 measurements before improving…
Collect at least five measurements of a workflow before attempting to improve it, to distinguish common-cause variation (inherent system fluctuation) from special-cause variation (identifiable disruptions).
Track workflow quality with tension-paired metrics…
Track workflow quality using multiple metrics that create tension with each other—at minimum cycle time, error rate, and energy cost—to prevent optimization of any single metric from corrupting the system.
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.
Give each workflow change 3-5 executions before deciding…
Give each workflow change at least three to five executions before deciding whether to keep, modify, or revert it, to distinguish persistent effects from noise and prevent oscillation.
Workflow variants are complete strategies for specific…
Design workflow variants as complete self-contained strategies for specific contexts rather than as degraded versions of a single 'ideal' workflow, with each variant having its own integrity and appropriate output standards.
Test composability by replacing one sub-workflow without…
Test workflow composition by attempting to replace one sub-workflow without breaking others—if replacement forces changes to adjacent workflows, interfaces are leaking.
Preserve intermediate outputs as concrete artifacts…
Every boundary between composed workflows must preserve an intermediate output as a concrete artifact to enable resumption, failure recovery, and reuse.
Insert AI as a transformation step between workflow stages…
Insert AI sub-workflows between composed workflow stages by providing the previous stage's output plus a specific transformation instruction, treating AI as a transformation step not a decision maker.
Three review altitudes
Review workflows weekly for execution status, monthly for portfolio health, and quarterly for strategic alignment—each altitude catches different kinds of drift.
Retire workflows inactive for 60+ days…
Retire workflows that have not been executed in 60+ days unless they are seasonal or event-triggered, as inactive workflows accumulate maintenance debt without providing value.
Make workflows portable by naming tools with alternatives…
Make workflows context-independent by naming specific tools and providing alternatives, not by eliminating specificity—separate essential logic from incidental implementation.
Test shareability by having an unfamiliar person execute…
Test workflow shareability by having an unfamiliar person execute it without your help—every stumble reveals tacit knowledge you failed to externalize.
Mark shared workflow steps as fixed (deviation breaks it)…
In shared workflows, explicitly mark which steps are fixed (deviation breaks the workflow) and which are customizable (reader can substitute tools/preferences).
Progress sharing from private notes to team docs to public…
Progress workflow sharing from private notes to team documentation to public templates only after the current level is validated—premature publication of under-tested workflows creates more problems than value.
Systematize only recurring activities with consistency…
Apply workflow design methodology only to recurring activities with consistency requirements—protect spontaneous, creative, and variable activities from systematization.
The ideal week is a gravitational field, not a mandate…
Treat the ideal week template as a gravitational field that pulls actual weeks toward designed structure rather than as a mandate requiring perfect execution—measure success by adherence trend over time, not weekly perfection.
Never apply the two-minute rule during maker time…
Never apply the two-minute rule during maker-time blocks—capture small tasks for later processing instead, as a 2-minute interruption during deep work costs 25+ minutes in context recovery time.
Consolidate meetings into 1-2 designated days — meeting…
Consolidate all meetings into one or two designated days per week rather than scattering them across every day, because meeting distribution destroys more productive capacity than meeting duration.
Reverse the default
Implement office hours for coordination requests rather than accepting meeting invitations throughout the week—reverse the default from 'available unless blocked' to 'unavailable except during designated windows'.
Move meeting requests that land on maker blocks…
When a meeting request arrives during a blocked maker session, move the meeting to a manager-mode block rather than accepting the fragmentation—treat maker blocks with equal calendar commitment as external client meetings.
Default to 25 or 50-minute meetings instead of 30 or 60…
Change default meeting durations to 25 or 50 minutes instead of 30 or 60 to automatically create buffers between consecutive meetings without requiring individual negotiation for each transition.
Scale buffer time to cognitive distance
Schedule 5-minute buffers between meetings of similar type, 10-15 minute buffers between cognitively different activity types, and 20-minute buffers after intense or emotional interactions to contain context-switching costs within designated intervals.
Incomplete tasks need longer transition buffers…
After incomplete tasks, insert longer transition buffers than after completed tasks, because unfinished work generates stronger attention residue that degrades subsequent performance.
One 15-minute overflow buffer per 2-3 hours of scheduled…
Schedule one 15-minute unallocated overflow buffer for every 2-3 hours of scheduled activity to absorb inevitable overruns and interruptions without cascading disruption through the rest of your day.
Fill the afternoon trough (typically 1-3 PM) with admin…
Fill the early-to-mid afternoon trough period (typically 1-3 PM for morning types) with administrative work that requires competence but not analytical depth, rather than scheduling demanding cognitive work that will feel disproportionately difficult.
Record estimate before and actual time after every 30+…
Before any task over 30 minutes, write your time estimate; after completion, write actual time—do this for two weeks minimum to generate sufficient data for personal estimation ratio calculation.
Three-point estimation
Generate three estimates (optimistic, realistic, pessimistic) for each significant task and calculate weighted average as (optimistic + 4×realistic + pessimistic)/6 to counteract automatic optimism bias in single-point estimates.
Apply your personal estimation ratio as a multiplier…
Apply your measured personal estimation ratio as a multiplier to all future estimates—if actual/estimated consistently = 1.8, budget tasks at 1.8× your initial estimate to achieve calibrated forecasting.
Estimate four components separately
When estimating tasks, separately account for setup time, core work time, interruption/recovery time, and teardown/transition time—omitting these categories causes systematic 30-60% underestimation of total duration.