Know what done looks like before you build

Before you build a workflow, decide what a finished, successful run actually looks like — what record gets created, what message gets sent, what the last step should leave behind. Without that picture, you won't know if the workflow is actually working or just running.

It's easy to watch a workflow fire without stopping to check whether the end result matches what you actually needed. I've watched a workflow complete every step without errors and still leave the wrong outcome behind, like a reply with a blank field or something filed in the wrong place. Deciding on the finish line first gives you something concrete to check the workflow against every time you test it or troubleshoot it later.

A workflow without a clear ending is hard to trust, no matter how smoothly it appears to run.

Try this today: write one sentence describing exactly what a successful run of your busiest workflow should leave behind, then check its last run against that sentence.