The Logic Lab method

Every template here is built the same way, from five ideas.

  1. 1One job per stepEach step does one small job, with one clear prompt. Small jobs are easy to write, easy to check and easy to fix.
  2. 2A check after the steps that matterA plain question is asked of the result before it moves on: is every number in the document? Does every action have an owner?
  3. 3Fixed hand-offsWhat passes from one step to the next always has the same shape, so no step has to guess what it was given.
  4. 4Loops with a limitA failed check sends the step round again, with the problem pointed out. After the allowed tries, the workflow stops and flags it.
  5. 5A person looks where judgment is neededSome things only a person can judge. The workflow puts the work in front of you at those points instead of guessing.
NotesStepCheckStepYoulookResultTry again(once)
One job per step
Each step does one small job, so each is easy to write and easy to fix.

Six shapes a workflow can take

  1. Step by step
    One step after another, each building on the one before.
    Used by: Turn meeting notes into decisions and actions, Scope a job before you start
  2. Several angles
    The same material read from different sides, then combined.
    Used by: Review a draft before you send it
  3. Split and merge
    A long file cut into parts, each handled the same way, then put back together.
    Used by: Write a summary of a long document, Find themes in comments or interview notes
  4. Draft, check, revise
    Make a draft, check it, and fix what the check found, with a limit on rounds.
    Used by: Check whether a draft reads like AI, and fix it, Hand off a task to someone else, Build your "how I like work done" file
  5. Best of several
    Make several versions, score each one, and keep the best.
    Used by: Draft three versions and pick the best
  6. A mix
    Two or more of these shapes inside one workflow.
    Used by: Compare options and get a recommendation

The method on a real template

  1. Pull out decisions and actionsCheck
  2. Flag missing owners and datesCheck
  3. Write the record to shareYou look

Turn meeting notes into decisions and actions: three small steps, a check after two of them, and a record for you to read at the end.

Go deeper

Step through this exampleSee what goes in, what comes out and what each check found.The parts of a workflowNine short visual guides, one for each idea and a few more.GlossaryThe words used here, in plain English.