Delegation patterns & archetypes
The current public lmctl model is teamfile + members + lmctl chat. A
repeatable "workflow" is the plain-English instruction you give a Lead, backed
by durable memory and review discipline. lmctl does not require a workflow
object for this.
Pattern definitions
Pattern files can still be useful as examples, but treat them as prompts and checklists for the Lead:
Ask Coder to implement the bug fix, ask Reviewer1 to review it, send issues back to Coder until review passes, then commit and report the result.
Archetypes
Archetypes are reusable team-delegation shapes a Lead can execute with ordinary member chat:
| Archetype | Use |
|---|---|
| Review | Ask an agent to inspect an artifact or answer. |
| Consolidate | Combine multiple outputs into one result. |
| Interactive | Pause for operator input and resume after a response. |
| Loop | Repeat a step sequence until an outcome stops the loop. |
| ShellStep | Run a shell command as part of a workflow. |
| AssertRepoClean | Check that a repository has no unexpected changes. |
Outcome routing
Agent output is interpreted into an outcome, then the Lead decides the next handoff. QA-style agents often use final-line stance values:
STANCE: ok
Common values are ok, blocked, inconclusive, and rejected. The Lead's
instructions decide what those values mean for the next handoff.
Lead execution
For most operator work, send one concrete instruction to the Lead and let it coordinate its members:
lmctl chat ./team.lmctl Lead "Run the bugfix pattern: assign Coder, route to Reviewer1, repair until review passes, then report."