Confirm targets, objectives, and materials
Organize content and produce materials
Verify content, files, and formatting
Workflow: Organizing tasks into sequential steps with dependencies, which can include branching, loops, and human checkpoints.
Breaking Tasks into Dependent Steps
Lesson preparation can be organized as: define objectives → read materials → organize content → generate materials → review and revise. Each step depends on the output of the previous step, so you cannot simply proceed on a fixed schedule.
When reading fails, address the material issue first. When you discover the lesson plan deviates from students' baseline, return to the content stage rather than continuing to format incorrect content.
A Process with Decision Points
| Step | On Success | When Problems Arise |
|---|---|---|
| Define objectives and constraints | Begin reading relevant materials | Fill in missing items that affect outcomes |
| Read materials | Organize explanations and activities | Handle read errors or explain what's missing |
| Generate materials | Open files and verify requirements | Check tools and generation outputs |
| Review | Deliver outputs meeting the scope | Return to the corresponding stage for correction |
Steps can be handled by standard programs, humans, or AI assistance. A workflow does not inherently require agents, nor does it require full automation.
How to Combine Agents and Workflows
Fixed workflows typically predefine the main steps. Agents can handle decision points within these workflows, determining the next step based on actual results—for example, asking for clarification when data is insufficient, or selecting a viable alternative when a tool fails.
Skills can provide methods within the workflow; tools handle specific execution; MCP can connect required services. These are composable roles, not components that must be included in every workflow.
Making Processes Verifiable
For each step, specify the input, expected result, and how to handle failures. Finally, define completion criteria. Keep logs and artifacts when necessary, so you don't end up with nothing but a "task complete" message.
Retries should have limits or stopping conditions. When the same input keeps failing, first identify the cause—continuing to repeat the operation may not help. Important stages such as delegation or revision can have appropriate checkpoints and verification.
Next Steps
Read Agent, or review a task using the final lesson.
Reflect
What is missing from "read materials → write lesson plan → deliver"? What should you do when you cannot access the materials?
Reference guidance: Should include checks for facts and requirements; when reading fails, address the missing items or explain the constraints—don't pretend the material was successfully read.
Source and Scope
Adapted from Anthropic · Building effective agents. Technical accuracy verified on 2026-09-09; examples and teaching organization are locally authored. Specific product support scope and operations should be verified separately; this article makes no cross-product feature commitments.