Task Coordination Strategies

--- name: task-coordination-strategies description: Decompose complex tasks, design dependency graphs, and coordinate multi-agent work with proper task descriptions and workload balancing. Use this skill when breaking down work for agent teams, managing task dependencies, or monitoring team progress. version: 1.0.2 --- # Task Coordination Strategies Strategies for decomposing complex tasks into parallelizable units, designing dependency graphs, writing effective task descriptions, and monitoring workload across agent teams. ## When to Use This Skill - Breaking down a complex task for parallel execution - Designing task dependency relationships (blockedBy/blocks) - Writing task descriptions with clear acceptance criteria - Monitoring and rebalancing workload across teammates - Identifying the critical path in a multi-task workflow ## Task Decomposition Strategies ### By Layer Split work by architectural layer: - Frontend components - Backend API endpoints - Database migrations/models - Test suites Best for: Full-stack features, vertical slices ### By Component Split work by functional component: - Authentication module - User profile module - Notification module Best for: Microservices, modular architectures ### By Concern Split work by cross-cutting concern: - Security review - Performance review - Architecture review Best for: Code reviews, audits ### By File Ownership Split work by file/directory boundaries: - src/components/ : Implementer 1 - src/api/ : Implementer 2 - src/utils/ : Implementer 3 Best for: Parallel implementation, conflict avoidance ## Dependency Graph Design ### Principles 1. Minimize chain depth : Prefer wide, shallow graphs over deep chains 2. Identify the critical path : The longest chain determines minimum completion time 3. Use blockedBy sparingly : Only add dependencies that are truly required 4. Avoid circular dependencies : Task A blocks B blocks A is a deadlock ### Patterns Independent (Best parallelism): `` Task A ─┐ Task B ─┼─→ Integration Task C ─┘ ` **Sequential (Necessary dependencies)**: ` Task A → Task B → Task C ` **Diamond (Mixed)**: ` ┌→ Task B ─┐ Task A ─┤ ├→ Task D └→ Task C ─┘ ` ### Using blockedBy/blocks ` TaskCreate: { subject: "Build API endpoints" } → Task #1 TaskCreate: { subject: "Build frontend components" } → Task #2 TaskCreate: { subject: "Integration testing" } → Task #3 TaskUpdate: { taskId: "3", addBlockedBy: ["1", "2"] } → #3 waits for #1 and #2 ` ## Task Description Best Practices Every task should include: 1. **Objective** : What needs to be accomplished (1-2 sentences) 2. **Owned Files** : Explicit list of files/directories this teammate may modify 3. **Requirements** : Specific deliverables or behaviors expected 4. **Interface Contracts** : How this work connects to other teammates' work 5. **Acceptance Criteria** : How to verify the task is done correctly 6. **Scope Boundaries** : What is explicitly out of scope ### Template ` ## Objective Build the user authentication API endpoints. ## Owned Files - src/api/auth.ts - src/api/middleware/auth-middleware.ts - src/types/auth.ts (shared : read only, do not modify) ## Requirements - POST /api/login : accepts email/password, returns JWT - POST /api/register : creates new user, returns JWT - GET /api/me : returns current user profile (requires auth) ## Interface Contract - Import User type from src/types/auth.ts (owned by implementer-1) - Export AuthResponse type for frontend consumption ## Acceptance Criteria - All endpoints return proper HTTP status codes - JWT tokens expire after 24 hours - Passwords are hashed with bcrypt ## Out of Scope - OAuth/social login - Password reset flow - Rate limiting ` ## Workload Monitoring ### Indicators of Imbalance | Signal | Meaning | Action | | -------------------------- | ------------------- | --------------------------- | | Teammate idle, others busy | Uneven distribution | Reassign pending tasks | | Teammate stuck on one task | Possible blocker | Check in, offer help | | All tasks blocked | Dependency issue | Resolve critical path first | | One teammate has 3x others | Overloaded | Split tasks or reassign | ### Rebalancing Steps 1. Call TaskList to assess current state 2. Identify idle or overloaded teammates 3. Use TaskUpdate to reassign tasks 4. Use SendMessage` to notify affected teammates 5. Monitor for improved throughput