What Is a Template?

• A reusable blueprint for recurring work or processes
• Captures your proven way of doing something
• Contains activities (steps) with success criteria (quality standards)
• Can be created once, then used many times
• Encodes expertise and best practices
• Reduces decision fatigue - same work done consistently
• Enables reliable delegation - team follows proven processes

Why Templates Matter

• Consistency - every instance of the work is done the same way
• Scalability - define once, execute many times without rework
• Knowledge capture - what you learned doesn't disappear when someone leaves
• Quality gates - criteria ensure standards are met every time
• Training - new team members learn your process by following templates
• Reliability - reduces variation and surprises
• Speed - no need to plan the same work repeatedly

Personal vs Community Templates

Template Structure: Activities & Criteria

• Activities - the steps or work breakdown
• Criteria - the acceptance standards for each activity (what done looks like)
• Instructions - detailed guidance for how to do the activity
• Time estimates - how long this activity typically takes
• Sequencing - dependencies between activities (some must finish before others start)
• Together, they define: what to do, how to do it, and when you're done

Creating Your First Template

• Click "New Template" or "Create with Voice"
• Give it a title (name of the process)
• Add a description (what this template is for)
• Add activities (the steps of the process)
• For each activity, add criteria (success standards)
• Add instructions if the activity is complex
• Set time estimates based on typical execution
• Organize by category (optional but recommended)
• Save - your template is now ready to use

Building Activities (Steps)

• Each activity is one phase or step of your process
• Good activities are: specific (clear what needs to happen), sized appropriately (not too big, not too small)
• Examples: "Research competitors" (activity) vs "Work on project" (too vague)
• Activities appear as a sequence - think about logical order
• You can drag to reorder later if needed
• Each activity becomes a task that someone executes
• Keep activities focused - don't try to make one activity do everything

Defining Criteria (Success Standards)

• Criteria define what "done" means for each activity
• Must be specific and measurable - not vague (✓ "Document reviewed and approved" vs ✗ "Reviewed")
• Should be achievable - not impossible (✓ "Draft written" vs ✗ "Perfect proposal")
• Multiple criteria per activity are fine - they all must be met
• Criteria are the contract between task owner and executor
• When all criteria are checked, the activity auto-completes
• Users can't mark activity done unless all criteria are satisfied

Setting Up Dependencies (Sequencing)

• Dependencies enforce execution order - certain criteria must be met before others can start
• Why: some work depends on prior results (can't test code that hasn't been written)
• Example: "Proposal approved by client" depends on "Proposal written and reviewed"
• Dependencies are: optional (but powerful for complex processes)
• Prevent skipping steps - quality gates that can't be bypassed
• Allow parallel work on independent activities
• Reduce decision fatigue - the sequence tells you what to do next

Template Best Practices

• Keep activities focused - one main output per activity
• Make criteria specific - avoid vague language like "good" or "done"
• Use actual estimates - base them on real executions, not guesses
• Document instructions - explain why decisions matter if complex
• Test your template - create one task from it and verify it works
• Iterate - update templates as you learn better ways
• Version your templates - if major changes, consider a new version
• Share insights - document what you learned for team members

Real-World Example: Client Onboarding Template

Using Community Templates

• Browse community templates by category
• Search for templates that match your needs
• View template details - see activities, criteria, what's involved
• Click "Import" or similar to make a copy
• Template is added to your personal templates
• Customize it for your company/processes
• Save - now you have a starting point instead of building from scratch
• Community templates are starting points, not gospel - adapt freely

Creating Tasks From Templates

Maintaining Your Templates

• Review templates periodically - are they still accurate?
• Update based on lessons learned - what changed?
• Deprecate old templates - mark as archived if no longer used
• Version major changes - sometimes old approach is still useful
• Share with team - document why decisions matter
• Test new versions - create a task from updated template before fully relying on it
• Document evolution - why did we change this process?

Template Organization & Categories

• Organize templates by categories - makes them easier to find
• Use consistent naming - "Client [Service]" pattern helps scanning
• Archive old templates - keeps active list manageable
• System categories - predefined categories from WayCharts
• Custom categories - create your own categories for your company
• Filter and search - find the right template quickly
• Bulk operations - manage many templates at once

Advanced: Importing & Exporting Templates

• Import from text - paste a template definition (YAML format)
• Export to share - download your template as text
• Share with team externally - useful if people don't have system access
• Backup your templates - export critical ones as backup
• Migrate between accounts - export/import to move templates
• Standardize processes across companies - export and import company templates

When to Create vs Use Templates

Templates vs Focus List vs Task Execution

Tips for Effective Templates

• Start small - first template should be simple (3-5 activities)
• Learn from execution - update templates after running tasks from them
• Name activities with action verbs - "Draft proposal" not "Proposal"
• Make criteria pass/fail - either it's met or it's not
• Include instructions for complex activities - don't assume knowledge
• Set realistic time estimates - based on actual data, not wishes
• Review templates quarterly - are they still accurate?
• Keep templates focused - one process per template
• Share templates with team - they should know they exist
• Update based on feedback - templates improve with use

Common Template Mistakes to Avoid