# Understand Workflows and Playbooks

Workflows help you choose a coherent outcome without hiding the individual playbooks that deliver it.

## TL;DR

A workflow groups related playbooks into one outcome. A playbook is a curated, end-to-end skill the employee leads with. Skills and playbooks load only when relevant, while duties stay active in every interaction.

## How It Works

These four layers answer different questions. Keeping them separate lets you define ambitious work without turning every instruction into an always-on rule.

| Layer        | What it is                                                    | When it is used                                  | Example                      |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------- |
| **Duty**     | A standing standard the employee must uphold                  | Fully present in every interaction               | “Protect private files.”     |
| **Skill**    | A reusable method for a specific kind of work                 | Loaded when the task matches                     | “Research a competitor.”     |
| **Playbook** | A curated, end-to-end skill that delivers a valuable outcome  | Loaded when that outcome is selected or relevant | “Inbox Triage.”              |
| **Workflow** | A group of related playbooks that you can plan as one outcome | Used when you choose the work to start           | “Run my inbox and calendar.” |

### Workflow

A workflow is the organizing layer. It groups multiple playbooks so you can understand related work at a glance, select the exact parts you need, and give the employee a coordinated starting plan. A workflow does not add work by itself, and it is not employee-profile data today.

In the quick-start card, a workflow is the parent card and the selectable child items are the real work. Select one child and the employee receives that playbook only. Select several and the employee receives a selected-only plan, then completes the most useful work before moving to the next part.

### Playbook

A playbook is the customer-visible package for an end-to-end deliverable the employee leads with. In Sistava today, a playbook is a skill marked as a Playbook, so it uses the same on-demand instruction system while appearing in its own **Playbooks** tab.

A playbook can stay self-contained. When part of its method will be useful across several deliverables, make that part a separate skill and reuse it instead of copying the instructions everywhere.

### Skill

A skill is a reusable method. It tells the employee how to perform a type of work, such as researching a market, drafting an email, or checking a spreadsheet. The employee sees its name and “When to use” description, then loads the detailed instructions only when they fit the request.

### Duty

A duty is different because it never waits for a matching task. It is a concise standard that stays in the employee’s mind every time they work, such as respecting your files or recording decisions. Use a duty for a rule that must always hold, not for a sequence of steps.

## What You Can Do

| Goal                                            | Where to do it                                                                                                                         |
| ----------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Choose a coordinated starting plan**          | Use the quick-start card when you hire or start working with an employee. Select or clear individual child items inside each workflow. |
| **See the work an employee leads with**         | Open the employee’s **Playbooks** tab. It shows skills marked as Playbooks.                                                            |
| **Create a reusable method**                    | Open **Skills**, then create a skill with a clear “When to use” description and detailed instructions.                                 |
| **Mark a high-value deliverable as a playbook** | Open a skill’s three-dot menu and choose **Mark as Playbook**. It then appears in **Playbooks** too.                                   |
| **Set a rule that applies every time**          | Open **Duties** and write a short standard, not a multi-step method.                                                                   |

## How to Set It Up

You do not need to create a workflow to use one. Workflows currently appear in quick-start cards as a clear way to select related playbook work before the employee begins.

To shape how an employee works:

1. Open the employee’s **Playbooks** tab to review their end-to-end deliverables.
2. Open **Skills** to add or improve reusable methods behind that work.
3. Open **Duties** to add only the standards that must apply every time.
4. Use the quick-start card to choose the exact playbook work you want first.

## Tips & Tricks

- **Keep workflows outcome-led.** Group playbooks that a person naturally thinks about together, such as inbox work and calendar work.
- **Keep playbooks deliverable-led.** Name the useful result, not a vague department or capability.
- **Extract reusable parts into skills.** If the same method belongs in several playbooks, keep one skill and reference it where it is needed.
- **Keep duties short.** A duty consumes attention on every interaction. Put a checklist, decision tree, or long method in a skill instead.
- **Start narrow when needed.** You can select one child item from a workflow. The wrapper never forces the employee to do the other parts.

## Good to Know

- **Workflows are not yet a profile setting.** They currently organize quick-start selection only. You cannot create, edit, or attach a workflow to an employee profile yet.
- **Selecting a workflow is still precise.** The parent card is only a shortcut. The selected child items decide which playbook requirements the employee receives.
- **Playbooks and skills share the same foundation today.** A playbook is a skill marked for its customer-facing, end-to-end value. The separate tab makes important deliverables easier to find.
- **Nothing replaces your judgment.** The employee can ask one focused question when the outcome or priority is unclear before it acts.

## FAQ

**Q: Is a workflow another kind of employee instruction?**
A: No. A workflow organizes related playbooks for a quick-start choice. The selected playbooks and skills provide the instructions, while duties remain the always-on standards.

**Q: Can a playbook use just one skill?**
A: Yes. A playbook can be self-contained. Split out a supporting skill only when that method is useful beyond one deliverable.

**Q: Can I use only one part of a workflow?**
A: Yes. Select the individual child item you need. The workflow wrapper does not send or add the unselected parts.

**Q: Why not make every instruction a duty?**
A: Duties are fully loaded every time, so they must stay short. Skills and playbooks load when relevant, which keeps detailed methods available without crowding every interaction.