Instructions That Shape Repeated Work Deserve Change Control
A file of instructions can change repeatable work as materially as a source file.
The practical check
Review instruction changes for the decisions, permissions, and behaviors they influence.
Where AI fits
AI can compare versions of a workflow instruction and highlight changed actions, boundaries, and assumptions.
The human decision
People approve changes to the rules that guide consequential repeatable work.
The lesson
Instructions become operational when people or tools rely on them to make the same choices repeatedly.
Changed actions, boundaries, and assumptions across instruction versions are catalogued in the Build Log companion.
AI Skills
Use this lesson with the AI assistant you already use
Use this to prepare a reviewable next step without changing any system.
Paste the prompt, share only the context needed to answer it, and treat the result as a draft for your review. Do not include confidential information or let an AI assistant make changes without your approval.
Optional: for a visual report and saved memory, run /dxdev first.
Don’t have it? Get it at dxdev.com/skills/dxdev. The prompt works without it.
dxdev LESSON · paste into your AI agent
LESSON: Review a workflow instruction change
WHAT TO SHARE:
A de-identified description of the work, current evidence, and the decision you are considering.
ASK YOUR AGENT TO:
1. Separate confirmed facts from assumptions and unanswered questions.
2. Review instruction changes for the decisions, permissions, and behaviors they influence.
3. Identify the narrowest useful next review step.
RETURN:
A short table with the evidence, uncertainty, human-owned decision, and next action.
BOUNDARY: Do not change records, contact anyone, route work, publish content, or act in an external system. A person must review the evidence and approve every consequential step.
