Key Takeaways
1. Introduce agentic qualities to inspire super-tasks.
- Before brainstorming, explain the unique agentic qualities using the provided visual aids (cards/slides).
- This step is important for non-technical participants, as it helps them think beyond simple automation and envision tasks that leverage the agent's ability to self-correct, adapt, and act autonomously in complex situations.
2. Use structured brainstorming for comprehensive task coverage.
- Facilitate a structured brainstorming activity using the Task Collection Template and color-coded post-its. Participants must individually define tasks for three explicit categories:
- Tasks for humans (requiring empathy, creativity, or deep rapport).
- Tasks for collaboration (human and system work together, for example, co-generating drafts).
- Tasks to delegate (system handles it, human supervises).
- Ensure all tasks start with a verb and are granular (specific outcomes, not objectives) to keep an action-oriented focus.
3. Prioritize tasks using the value vs. autonomy heatmap.
- Use a Heatmap with two axes: Expected Value and Expected Autonomy to visually prioritize tasks for automation.
- Tasks in the upper-right quadrant are high-value, high-autonomy (ideal for delegation). Tasks in the upper-left quadrant are high-value but require more human-in-the-loop interaction (collaboration).
4. Manage task discussions to drive alignment.
- The facilitator's role during the heatmap placement is critical:
- Group similar ideas, discard duplicates and refine generic entries.
- Highlight discussions when participants place the same task at different points on the autonomy axis. These disagreements are valuable moments to clarify expectations about the system's control before moving forward.
5. Select a focused set of high-value tasks via dot-voting.
- Conclude the prioritization phase by having participants select the top 5 to 8 most valuable tasks using dot-voting.
- This method ensures that the design efforts are concentrated on a focused, high-impact set of tasks that the team collectively agrees will deliver the most business and user value, immediately narrowing the scope for the subsequent design phases.