task-coordination-strategies
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.
By wshobson · 8,625 installs
npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill task-coordination-strategies
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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) :
Sequential (Necessary dependencies) :
Diamond (Mixed) :
Using blockedBy/blocks
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
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