Builder track: page 6 of 8
Choosing a Workflow Shape
A shape is how the steps of a workflow fit together. Each shape adds steps, and each step adds cost and a place to go wrong. Start with the simplest shape and add another only when a question about the job answers yes.
Too long?
Start with steps in a row. If the file is too long for one step to treat evenly, cut it into parts, do each part the same way, then merge.
Ask These Questions in Order
- 1Start with steps in a rowMost jobs fit a line: one step, its check, then the next step. Turning meeting notes into actions is three steps in a row.
- 2Too long for one pass? Split itA file longer than one step can treat evenly is cut into parts, each handled the same way, then merged. The long document summary does this.
- 3Two kinds of fault? Read it twiceA writing pass and a substance pass find different things in the same draft. The draft review template runs both, then ranks the fixes.
- 4No single right answer? Make severalWrite a few versions, rate each against criteria you stated, and keep the best with the reason shown. Draft three versions works this way.
- 5Must it fix itself? Draft, check, reviseOnly when a check can say exactly what to fix, and with a limit. The reads-like-AI template scans, rewrites and scans again, and after two tries leaves the rest to you.
Pick the Shape
For each job, pick the shape that fits it best.
- 1
Turn a 70-page evaluation report into a four-page brief.
- 2
Turn the notes from a staff meeting into decisions, actions and open questions.
- 3
Review a policy memo for how clearly it is written and for whether each claim has support.
- 4
Write the subject line of a newsletter and keep the strongest of a few.
- 5
Remove the stiff, machine-sounding phrases from a draft and keep the meaning.
0 of 5 answered.
The Six Shapes at a Glance
Each shape, when to use it, and a template on the site that uses it.
| Shape | Use it when | A template that uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Shape: Step by step | Use it when: The job has ordered parts and each builds on the last. | A template that uses it: Turn meeting notes into decisions and actions |
| Shape: Several angles | Use it when: One draft can fail in more than one way. | A template that uses it: Review a draft before you send it |
| Shape: Split and merge | Use it when: The file is too long for one step to treat evenly. | A template that uses it: Write a summary of a long document |
| Shape: Draft, check, revise | Use it when: A check can say exactly what to fix. | A template that uses it: Check whether a draft reads like AI, and fix it |
| Shape: Best of several | Use it when: There is no single right answer. | A template that uses it: Draft three versions and pick the best |
| Shape: A mix | Use it when: Two shapes fit one job, such as reading each option, then comparing. | A template that uses it: Compare options and get a recommendation |