Run it when you need to define a new outcome, review active priorities, update their direction, activate a defined priority, pause an active priority, or close work that is complete.
Work OS · Work Compass · Workflow
I want my active priorities to reflect the work that matters now
When the work that matters changes, use Compass Priorities to define a durable outcome or review the priorities already in motion.
The job this workflow helps me complete
Keep durable priorities current.
When the work that matters changes, use Compass Priorities to define a durable outcome or review the priorities already in motion. You finish with priority records that clearly show what is active, defined, paused, or complete, so planning can start from current direction instead of memory.
Prompt examples
Use any of these phrases to start this workflow.
run workflow Compass Prioritiesdefine a priorityreview my priorities
Know which workspace or outcome is changing. The workspace must be active and priority-capable.
Existing priority records are reviewed before an edit. If the request is really one executable action, the workflow flags that it may belong as a weekly task instead. You can still keep it as a priority when the work represents a durable outcome.
What the workflow does
From changing direction to clear active priorities.
Compass Priorities reviews the eligible workspaces and summarizes the priorities already there. You can define a new priority, update its direction, review active priorities, or change a priority’s lifecycle.
The workflow presents the proposed change before saving it. Only the approved priority record is written.
Priorities are durable project context. They are not weekly Focus Work or To-Do List items. A closed priority remains in the record as history.
How this workflow is built
One durable record for work that matters now.
- Workspace registry: identifies the workspaces where durable priorities may be maintained and excludes disabled or test workspaces unless you explicitly enable them.
- Priority record: stores the outcome, job to be done, horizon, workspace, optional people, measure, constraints, and lifecycle state.
- Guided interview: turns an informal description into a complete proposed priority and checks that the required details are present.
- Lifecycle review: keeps Defined, Active, and Closed priorities distinct. Active priorities can be paused back to Defined, while completed priorities move to Closed and remain available as history.
Key steps and decisions
Move from review to an approved priority record.
- 01
Review the current state.
The workflow summarizes priorities across eligible workspaces, including the workspace name, alias, priority number, title, lifecycle, and the work the priority is meant to support. When you are adding one priority, it focuses on that request instead of forcing a full review.
- 02
Describe the outcome.
Give the priority in natural language. You supply or confirm the title, job to be done, approximate horizon, and workspace. People involved, a measure of success, and constraints are useful additions but do not block a valid record.
- 03
Choose the lifecycle.
You decide whether the priority should be Defined or Active. During review, you decide whether a Defined priority should become Active, an Active priority should pause back to Defined, or an Active or Defined priority should close. If there are already four or five Active priorities, the workflow warns you about the load. More than five requires explicit confirmation.
- 04
Approve the change.
The workflow shows the complete proposed priority before saving. You decide whether to approve it. If you decline, the existing record stays unchanged.
The output: what happens and where it goes
What gets defined, updated, or closed.
| Output | What happens | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Workspace priorities record | The approved priority is created or updated with its outcome, context, and lifecycle state. Closed priorities remain in the record as history. | The eligible workspace’s Knowledge/priorities.md file |
The priority record becomes durable context for later planning and review. It does not automatically become a weekly task or a To-Do List item.
Verification and recovery
Verify the priority record before planning.
Success means the saved record has a clear outcome, a current lifecycle state, and a valid eligible workspace.
If you do not approve the proposal, nothing changes. If a workspace is unknown, inactive, disabled, or missing the expected priority capability, the workflow reports the issue instead of writing to it. If a priority is stale or missing, correct the record through a new review rather than silently repairing it.