14: Don’t loop back in anger

In the past few emails, I’ve been fan-boying over Notion, and sharing how it not only helped me build a satnav for work, but also how it helped me realise exactly how we could improve the performance of our colleagues. New tech combined with systems thinking means we can design powerful performance support solutions, built on an ecosystem of guided workflows.

But before we go any further, let’s consider the different types of use cases for a guided workflow. By understanding these, we can be more intentional about when and how they’re deployed.

Now, unless you’re a full-time content creator, Making a video is the type of task that happens infrequently. So, we might call this a conditional workflow - executing the workflow is conditional on something external happening i.e., our client asking us to make a video. The trigger is an external input. 

But another way to trigger a workflow is based on the amount of time elapsed. Let’s call these cyclical workflows.

Let me give you an example… 

As a freelancer, I have to submit a tax return at the end of each quarter. This is a fairly routine workflow - log in to accounting software, check some boxes, go to government website, check some more boxes, pay the bill.

Simple!

But because I only do this once a quarter, I always forget the steps.

Before I had a system, I might have relied on memory, searched for instructions, interacted with a chatbot or emailed my accountant. All of which are inefficient, especially if I need to repeat them every three months. 

They’re the perfect example of ‘heroic effort’.

So, using the template functionality in Notion, I designed a guided workflow embedded into a recurring task. Every three months, the task appears in my dashboard - links, instructions, helpful prompts - all there, right at the moment I need them.

And this is possible because Notion is underpinned by calendar functionality - the system knows what day it is, and the task is marked with today’s date.

So, because my dashboard is set up with a filter to only show tasks with today's date, it will show me the task on the day I need to do it. I don’t have to remember. I don’t need my calendar. I don’t have to snooze any emails. It’s right there. 

In fact, with this example, it’s more difficult to execute the task without the workflow - which is probably the benchmark we should be striving for when it comes to effective performance support, right? The second someone has to hunt around for the right spreadsheet or interrupt a colleague to ask for help, we’re adding friction. We’re reducing the likelihood of high performance (both our own and that of our friends!).

Now, a cyclical workflow might not sound meaningfully different to the conditional workflows mentioned in earlier emails. 

But this is powerful. 

It means we can create guided workflows - both for ourselves and for others - triggered by the passing of time, rather than an external trigger.

The implications of which are far bigger than a quarterly tax return, as we shall see very soon… 

Yours,
- Ant