Practical Life
Workbench
A Gentle Guide to Workflow States
When workflow states matter and when they are just frozen exceptions. Simple workflows can still be mature.
Workflows should describe meaning, not micro steps. Fewer states make responsibilities clearer and handoffs easier.
When to add a state
Use a new state only when
- Responsibility changes hands.
- The definition of done changes in a meaningful way.
- Automation depends on the distinction and cannot be expressed otherwise.
Merge candidates
States to consider merging
- Blocked vs Waiting when the behavior is the same.
- Ready vs Selected when prioritization happens elsewhere.
- QA vs In Review when the same person owns the gate.
Exit criteria
Write one line of exit criteria for each state. Make it obvious who moves the card and what evidence is needed.
A simple example
- In Progress: the assignee is actively working.
- In Review: code merged or work verified by a second person.
- Done: acceptance criteria met and released or communicated.
“States exist to focus attention, not to perform process.”