Productivity and Task Management

Many lawyers aren't good at delegating work. To be fair, most of us were just expected to pick up that skill as we became more senior without the proper training. In case it helps anyone transitioning to a supervisor role, here's the process I've learned to use when getting somebody to help with my work: 1️⃣ Confirm whether you can delegate As a junior, it's usually assumed that you'll be doing the work yourself unless your supervisor tells you otherwise. But you should also keep an eye out for things that could be delegated for time / cost reasons (e.g. document formatting or working with your secretary). "Hi Jane, just wanted to check if we should get John to help out with [preparing that legislation flowchart]. He was really good with that research task last time." 2️⃣ Estimate how long the task will take If you've got a deadline, think about the time you'll need to review / amend the delegated work (as well as doing your part). Then check if the other person has capacity to do the delegated work in the remaining time. "Hi John, I've got this task that I'm hoping you can help with. Ideally, I can get your part back by [3pm tomorrow]. Do you have time to do this?“ 3️⃣ Give clear instructions Set out the task, form of work product (memo, email, quick chat etc), and timing. Ideally, you can also explain how the delegated part fits in with the other work and provide an example (e.g. for a table, you might populate the first few rows). For more complex tasks, it's generally better to email written instructions instead of just relying on a conversation. 4️⃣ You're responsible for the final work product Delegation is a responsibility, pass the task onto somebody else entirely. Got somebody to help with a formatting task? Scroll through the document to make sure it's correct. Changing party names in precedent contracts? Do a spot check to make sure nothing was missed. 5️⃣ Take the blame - give the credit If a delegated task isn't done well - it's still ultimately your work product ("Sorry I should have checked that part of the work more carefully.") You should give feedback to your delegate, but that's a separate discussion. If they did a good job? Proactively relay that to your supervisor ("Thanks, John was actually a huge help on this task.") 6️⃣ Feedback Offer to give feedback, especially where you've made significant amendments. The focus should be on what you changed, but also WHY you made those changes. "Hey John, thanks for helping out with that advice. I've copied you into the final version that I sent to the client. If you wanted to run a compare against your draft, I'm happy to walk you through any changes that you don't understand." Anything else you'd add to this? ---- Btw, if you're a junior lawyer looking for practical career advice - check out the free how-to guides on my website. You can also stay updated by sending a connection / follow. #lawyers #lawstudents #legalprofession #lawschool

Will you randomly allow your team to take a break, without any reason? Well, I don't think twice before telling my team to "take the day off". Recently, these words slipped out naturally when my team member told me she had been staring at a blank screen for three hours. I could hear the guilt in her voice, the deadline anxiety, the silent pressure of letting the team down. But I've learned something powerful about creativity in this business: you can't force it like you force yourself to go to the gym. Last month, we had a massive client project. The team was pumped, ideas were flowing, and then…creative block hit. Hard. I watched one of our best content strategists try pushing through it. The result was 3 rounds of revisions, a frustrated client, and a team that felt like they were letting everyone down. That's when it clicked. Forcing creativity is like trying to squeeze water from a stone. You might get a few drops, but at what cost? Now, when my team tells me they're stuck, I don't see a productivity issue. I see a human being who needs space to refill their creative well. Yes, it was scary implementing this approach. Clients have deadlines. Bills need to be paid. Business needs to run. So we adapted: > We built buffer time into our timelines. > We created systems for backup content. > We started planning content calendars a few weeks in advance. But most importantly, we started treating creativity like the living, breathing thing it is. The results surprised even me: Better quality work. Happier clients and a team that brings their best selves to work. Running Sorted Brand, I've learned that one day of mental space produces better work than a week of forced creativity. Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is step away and come back stronger. How do you handle the creative block situation in your team? #agencylife #creativity #teamculture

You must know these 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 as an 𝗔𝗜 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿. If you are building Agentic Systems in an Enterprise setting you will soon discover that the simplest workflow patterns work the best and bring the most business value. At the end of last year Anthropic did a great job summarising the top patterns for these workflows and they still hold strong. Let’s explore what they are and where each can be useful: 𝟭. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: This pattern decomposes a complex task and tries to solve it in manageable pieces by chaining them together. Output of one LLM call becomes an output to another. ✅ In most cases such decomposition results in higher accuracy with sacrifice for latency. ℹ️ In heavy production use cases Prompt Chaining would be combined with following patterns, a pattern replace an LLM Call node in Prompt Chaining pattern. 𝟮. 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: In this pattern, the input is classified into multiple potential paths and the appropriate is taken. ✅ Useful when the workflow is complex and specific topology paths could be more efficiently solved by a specialized workflow. ℹ️ Example: Agentic Chatbot - should I answer the question with RAG or should I perform some actions that a user has prompted for? 𝟯. 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Initial input is split into multiple queries to be passed to the LLM, then the answers are aggregated to produce the final answer. ✅ Useful when speed is important and multiple inputs can be processed in parallel without needing to wait for other outputs. Also, when additional accuracy is required. ℹ️ Example 1: Query rewrite in Agentic RAG to produce multiple different queries for majority voting. Improves accuracy. ℹ️ Example 2: Multiple items are extracted from an invoice, all of them can be processed further in parallel for better speed. 𝟰. 𝗢𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿: An orchestrator LLM dynamically breaks down tasks and delegates to other LLMs or sub-workflows. ✅ Useful when the system is complex and there is no clear hardcoded topology path to achieve the final result. ℹ️ Example: Choice of datasets to be used in Agentic RAG. 𝟱. 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿-𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗿: Generator LLM produces a result then Evaluator LLM evaluates it and provides feedback for further improvement if necessary. ✅ Useful for tasks that require continuous refinement. ℹ️ Example: Deep Research Agent workflow when refinement of a report paragraph via continuous web search is required. 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀: ❗️ Before going for full fledged Agents you should always try to solve a problem with simpler Workflows described in the article. What are the most complex workflows you have deployed to production? Let me know in the comments 👇 #LLM #AI #MachineLearning

Agentic AI Design Patterns are emerging as the backbone of real-world, production-grade AI systems, and this is gold from Andrew Ng Most current LLM applications are linear: prompt → output. But real-world autonomy demands more. It requires agents that can reflect, adapt, plan, and collaborate, over extended tasks and in dynamic environments. That’s where the RTPM framework comes in. It's a design blueprint for building scalable agentic systems: ➡️ Reflection ➡️ Tool-Use ➡️ Planning ➡️ Multi-Agent Collaboration Let’s unpack each one from a systems engineering perspective: 🔁 1. Reflection This is the agent’s ability to perform self-evaluation after each action. It's not just post-hoc logging—it's part of the control loop. Agents ask: → Was the subtask successful? → Did the tool/API return the expected structure or value? → Is the plan still valid given current memory state? Techniques include: → Internal scoring functions → Critic models trained on trajectory outcomes → Reasoning chains that validate step outputs Without reflection, agents remain brittle, but with it, they become self-correcting systems. 🛠 2. Tool-Use LLMs alone can’t interface with the world. Tool-use enables agents to execute code, perform retrieval, query databases, call APIs, and trigger external workflows. Tool-use design involves: → Function calling or JSON schema execution (OpenAI, Fireworks AI, LangChain, etc.) → Grounding outputs into structured results (e.g., SQL, Python, REST) → Chaining results into subsequent reasoning steps This is how you move from "text generators" to capability-driven agents. 📊 3. Planning Planning is the core of long-horizon task execution. Agents must: → Decompose high-level goals into atomic steps → Sequence tasks based on constraints and dependencies → Update plans reactively when intermediate states deviate Design patterns here include: → Chain-of-thought with memory rehydration → Execution DAGs or LangGraph flows → Priority queues and re-entrant agents Planning separates short-term LLM chains from persistent agentic workflows. 🤖 4. Multi-Agent Collaboration As task complexity grows, specialization becomes essential. Multi-agent systems allow modularity, separation of concerns, and distributed execution. This involves: → Specialized agents: planner, retriever, executor, validator → Communication protocols: Model Context Protocol (MCP), A2A messaging → Shared context: via centralized memory, vector DBs, or message buses This mirrors multi-threaded systems in software—except now the "threads" are intelligent and autonomous. Agentic Design ≠ monolithic LLM chains. It’s about constructing layered systems with runtime feedback, external execution, memory-aware planning, and collaborative autonomy. Here is a deep-dive blog is you would like to learn more: https://lnkd.in/dKhi_n7M

You don’t need to be an AI agent to be agentic. No, that’s not an inspirational poster. It’s my research takeaway for how companies should build AI into their business. Agents are the equivalent of a self-driving Ferrari that keeps driving itself into the wall. It looks and sounds cool, but there is a better use for your money. AI workflows offer a more predictable and reliable way to sound super cool while also yielding practical results. Anthropic defines both agents and workflows as agentic systems, specifically in this way: 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀: systems where predefined code paths orchestrate the use of LLMs and tools 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: systems where LLMs dynamically decide their own path and tool uses For any organization leaning into Agentic AI, don’t start with agents. You will just overcomplicate the solution. Instead, try these workflows from Anthropic’s guide to effectively building AI agents: 𝟭. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁-𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴:  The type A of workflows, this breaks a task down into sequential tasks organized and logical steps, with each step building on the last. It can include gates where you can verify the information before going through the entire process. 𝟮. 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: The multi-tasker workflow, this separates tasks across multiple LLMs and then combines the outputs. This is great for speed, but also collects multiple perspectives from different LLMs to increase confidence in the results. 𝟯. 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: The task master of workflows, this breaks down complex tasks into different categories and assigns those to specialized LLMs that are best suited for the task. Just like you don’t want to give an advanced task to an intern or a basic task to a senior employee, this find the right LLM for the right job. 𝟰. 𝗢𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿-𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀: The middle manager of the workflows, this has an LLM that breaks down the tasks and delegates them to other LLMs, then synthesizes their results. This is best suited for complex tasks where you don’t quite know what subtasks are going to be needed. 𝟱. 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿-𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗿: The peer review of workflows, this uses an LLM to generate a response while another LLM evaluates and provides feedback in a loop until it passes muster. View my full write-up here: https://lnkd.in/eZXdRrxz

🌟Sparking Leadership: Lighten the load - the hidden power of delegation Have you ever been hiking with a group? If so, you probably know that one of the first rules of hiking is to only bring what you can carry on your back. Now imagine if, instead of following that rule, you are carrying everyone else's backpack. How long can you hike with that extra load on your shoulders? Trying to lead without delegating is exactly like that. At first, it feels noble. Responsible. You are caring for your team, you are making easier for them to reach the top. But after a while? You’re exhausted. You can’t see the path clearly. And worse - you’re slowing everyone down. Because when you carry all the weight: 🛑Your team doesn’t build their own strength. 🛑You become the bottleneck. 🛑The pace, innovation, and growth of the team grind to a crawl. Some of the most common reasons why leaders hesitate to delegate: ❌ Lack of trust in the team's abilities - "They will not get it right and I will have to fix their mistakes". ❌Not investing in coaching for long-term success - "It will take too long to explain what I want so I might as well do it myself". ❌Prioritizing perfection over growth - "I just need this to be absolutely perfect and only I know how to do that". Here's what helped me change my mindset around delegation: In "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People", Stephen Covey introduces the idea of "stewardship delegation" which is a more empowering way to delegate. Instead of handing off just tasks or instructions, you delegate outcomes. You define the "what" and the "why", then give your team the autonomy to figure out the "how". It’s built on trust and clarity (not micromanagement). You provide the vision, boundaries, and resources. They bring their creativity, accountability, and ownership. As a result, people don’t just complete assignments - they grow through them. And your role shifts from managing #work to multiplying capability. Another useful rule of thumb that I learned from experience is this: 👉 If they can do it 70% as well as you can, delegate it. 👈 This will free up your time for higher-priority responsibilities and provide your team space for growth by allowing them more ownership of their tasks. By delegating, you build a team that climbs the mountain with you - carrying their own weight and helping everyone reach the top, together. 🌟Sparking Leadership is a series of weekly posts on #leadership. I’ve been writing about leadership for some time now - sharing inspiration, strategies, and stories with my network. Now, I’m giving this rhythm a name and a little spark of its own. Follow along if you're interested in leading with more clarity, courage, and intention. And if there’s a leadership challenge you’d love to see tackled, let me know. In the meantime, lead with spark! #linkedinnewseurope

SMED – How to Cut Changeover Time and Boost Efficiency Is changeover time slowing down your production? Every minute spent switching from one task, product, or machine setup is lost productivity. That’s where SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) comes in. SMED is a Lean method used to reduce changeover time—turning lengthy setups into fast, efficient transitions. The goal? Get changeovers down to single-digit minutes (less than 10). ⸻ Why is SMED Important? ✅ Reduces downtime – Faster changeovers mean more production time. ✅ Increases flexibility – Smaller batch sizes and quicker adjustments to demand. ✅ Boosts efficiency – More output with the same resources. ✅ Lowers costs – Reduces inventory, scrap, and excess labor. ⸻ The SMED Process – 3 Key Steps 1️⃣ Separate Internal vs. External Tasks • Internal = Tasks that can only be done when the machine is stopped. • External = Tasks that can be done while the machine is running (e.g., preparing tools, materials). Goal: Convert as many internal tasks as possible into external ones to reduce stoppage time. 2️⃣ Streamline Internal Setup • Use quick-release mechanisms and standardized settings to minimize adjustments. • Keep tools and materials organized and within reach. 3️⃣ Eliminate Waste & Standardize the Process • Remove unnecessary steps. • Use visual guides, checklists, and dedicated setup stations. • Train employees on best practices to ensure consistency. ⸻ Example in Action A manufacturing plant used SMED to reduce a 90-minute machine changeover to 12 minutes by: 🔹 Pre-staging tools and materials before the machine stopped. 🔹 Replacing bolts with quick-clamp fixtures. 🔹 Using standardized settings instead of manual adjustments. The result? More production time, lower costs, and higher output. ⸻ The Power of SMED SMED isn’t just for manufacturing—it applies to any process with setup time, from hospital procedures to office work (think switching between tasks efficiently). Video by Nilson Rodrigues da Silva and Lean Institute Brasil

Dear Maintenance Managers!!! "Are You Struggling to Balance Work Orders in a High-Volume Environment?" Managing maintenance teams can feel like juggling when faced with a high volume of work orders. Without a solid strategy, it’s easy for priorities to clash, resources to stretch thin, and backlogs to pile up. Here are some actionable tips to help you balance the load effectively: 1. Prioritize with a Risk-Based Approach 🔹 Rank work orders based on criticality—focus on safety risks, production impact, and asset importance. 🔹 Use tools like Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to understand the consequences of delays. 2. Implement Scheduling Discipline 📅 Daily and Weekly Plans: Create realistic schedules, balancing urgent tasks with preventive maintenance. ⚙ Level the Load: Distribute tasks evenly among teams and shifts to avoid burnout. 3. Leverage a CMMS for Automation 📊 A good Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) can: Automatically prioritize tasks based on set criteria. Track technician availability and skills for optimized task assignment. Alert you to overdue or unassigned work orders. Try Click Maint CMMS for small and medium scales moving from spreedsheets. 4. Break Down Work Orders into Manageable Chunks 🛠 For large tasks, divide them into smaller steps. This keeps progress visible and helps technicians tackle work without overwhelm. 5. Use a Triage System 🚨 Critical (Must Do): Immediate repairs to avoid safety hazards or equipment failure. 🔧 Important (Should Do): Tasks that prevent future breakdowns. 🗓 Non-Critical (Can Wait): Low-impact jobs that can be scheduled later. 6. Empower the Team 👷 Equip technicians with the right tools and training to increase efficiency. 💬 Encourage open communication so they can flag bottlenecks or suggest improvements. 7. Monitor and Improve 📈 Track key metrics like Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) and backlog size to evaluate performance. 🔍 Use data insights to adjust priorities, reschedule, or allocate additional resources as needed. Balancing work orders isn’t about doing everything at once—it’s about doing the right things at the right time. How do you keep your maintenance team efficient under high workloads? Let’s share strategies in the comments! 👇 #MaintenanceManagement #WorkOrderExecution #CMMS #TeamEfficiency #ReliabilityExcellence

"You are not delegating enough "😳😳😳😳😳 Ever found yourself staring at your to-do list, paralyzed by the decision of what to tackle yourself and what to delegate? You're not alone. As managers, we often struggle with this balancing act. On one hand, we want to stay hands-on and ensure things are done "right." On the other, we know delegation is key to scaling our impact and empowering our teams. But how do we decide? Let me introduce you to a simple framework I’ve been using to make these decisions easier: M.U.S.I.C. 🎶 Here’s how it works: 1️⃣ Materiality: How significant is the task? If it’s low-impact or routine, it’s likely a prime candidate for delegation. Save your energy for high-stakes items. 2️⃣ Uncertainty: Is there ambiguity or risk involved? If the task is highly uncertain, it might require your expertise or oversight. If it’s straightforward, trust your team to handle it. 3️⃣ Strategic: Does the task align with your core responsibilities as a leader? If it’s not strategic to your role, delegate it to someone who can own it. 4️⃣ Irreversible: What’s the cost of getting it wrong? If the consequences of a mistake are minimal or fixable, delegate. If it’s irreversible or high-risk, you might need to stay involved. 5️⃣ Cost: What’s the opportunity cost of "not" delegating? If spending time on this task means neglecting higher-priority work, it’s time to pass it on. By applying M.U.S.I.C., you can make delegation decisions with clarity and confidence. It’s not about doing less—it’s about doing what matters most. What’s your go-to framework for deciding what to delegate? Let’s share and learn from each other in the comments! 👇 #Leadership #Management #Delegation #Productivity #MUSICFramework #strategy

How to burn out fast and make yourself miserable as a senior in-house lawyer (and what to do instead). 1)  Try to handle every high-stakes or urgent project yourself, “because it’s faster.”  Instead, delegate strategically. Use tasks as training opportunities for your team. Yes, if you consider each task on its own, it likely is faster for you to do it yourself than to delegate it.  Your experience makes you fast, and you save time on explaining the task and background to someone else.  But this approach is a recipe for burnout, and it deprives your team of the opportunity to learn and grow.  2)  Adopt every problem anyone brings you as your own, because you’re a great problem solver. Instead, assess whether a problem aligns with your highest priorities. If not, redirect it. Companies hire lawyers, at least in part, to solve and prevent problems.  But that doesn’t mean we should make every problem our own.  The focus we give to a problem is focus not placed on other opportunities.  And sometimes, our time is better spent elsewhere, like on tasks that proactively contribute to business growth. Other times, someone else is better positioned to solve a problem.  Just because we can solve a problem, doesn’t mean it’s the best use of our time.  3) Consistently let other people’s failure to plan be your emergency. Instead, establish clear response expectations with your colleagues, and prioritize based on urgency and impact. Lawyers are service providers, and we want to provide excellent client service.  But in order to provide that excellent service–plus our business guidance–over the long haul, we sometimes need to draw boundaries.  When a colleague sits on a task for a week and then asks for a two hour turn around, or has a project in the back of his head for days and emails to talk about it on Friday night, we as in-house lawyers should often push back on the timeline.  Yes, we will help.  But not at the expense of the high-priority task we had scheduled, or of our much needed Friday evening break.  What else would you add to the list of approaches for senior in-house lawyers to avoid in order to avoid burnout?