Playbook 04 · Control
Run parallel work lanes without losing the decision
Keep parallel work lanes legible while one named operator retains authority over protected actions, evidence, and the final done decision.
When to use it
Use when browser, agent, repository, and communication work must advance together without turning every status update into a new source of truth.
The playbook
Put the same rules in front of people and AI.
- Owner
- The named operator who owns the outcome and each protected decision.
- Approved work
- Route bounded work, preserve the source context, inspect receipts, and redirect or stop a lane before it drifts.
- Wait point
- Hold protected actions, missing source context, invalid credentials, and incomplete proof until the responsible human resolves them.
- Receipt
- A lane record with source evidence, authority boundary, current state, required receipt, and explicit final disposition.
The runbook
Execute the decision without losing the boundary.
- 01
Open one lane record with the outcome, owning system, source evidence, authority boundary, stop condition, and required proof.
- 02
Give each executor only the bounded context and allowed actions it needs; preserve a link to the source of truth.
- 03
Treat human approvals, expired credentials, and missing evidence as wait states, not completion or permission.
- 04
Park research in a time-boxed interrupt record, then return to the active lane checkpoint before opening new implementation work.
- 05
Close a lane only after its required receipt names what changed, what remains unknown, and who owns the next decision.
What this prevents
Make the opposition visible before it takes possession of the work.
Context drift
Parallel agents and browser work lose the original outcome, owner, or authority boundary.
False closeout
A local patch, browser page, or authentication screen is mistaken for the required production proof.