SHAPE in Practice: Individual Workflows
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SHAPE in Practice: Individual Workflows
Before we get into the detail of each phase, here’s what SHAPE looks like applied to the kind of work most people actually do.
Example: A Freelance Copywriter’s Research Workflow
Situation: Spending 45 minutes per client research summary. Quality is hit-or-miss. Structuring the findings into a usable brief takes longer than the research itself.
Hypothesis: AI-assisted summarisation can cut this to 15 minutes while producing more consistent briefs.
Action: Test three prompt approaches over two weeks. One summarises raw sources. One pulls key points into a template. One generates a draft brief directly. Track which gives the best usable output.
Process: Once the best approach is identified, save it as a reusable template. Refine based on actual client projects over the next month.
Evaluation: After ten briefs, compare time spent, consistency of output, and how much editing each brief needed. Adjust or try a different approach if the numbers don’t hold up.
Example: Meeting Notes for a Small Agency
Situation: The team spends 30 minutes after every meeting organising notes, and action items regularly fall through the cracks.
Hypothesis: AI transcript analysis can spot action items automatically and cut post-meeting admin to 10 minutes.
Action: Try it on five meetings. One person takes AI-assisted notes using a transcription tool and a structured prompt.
Process: If it works, roll it out to all regular meetings with a standard prompt template. If your VA or operations person runs the meetings, teach them the workflow.
Evaluation: Monthly check — are action items getting captured? Is the team actually using the outputs? Has meeting follow-through improved?
Now let’s work through each phase in detail.