Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)

What it does

Running iterative improvement cycles for any goal — personal habits, workflows, or recurring challenges — with measurable outcomes and structured learning.

Procedure

When this skill is activated, Chalie follows these steps:

1. Use the recall tool to surface prior PDCA cycles or background context for this improvement goal.
2. Use write_file to define the problem or improvement goal, describe the current baseline state, and form a hypothesis (“if we change X, Y will improve”).
3. Use write_file to set specific, measurable success criteria and design the experiment — what changes, how long to run it, and what data to collect.
4. Use write_file to record what was actually implemented and note any deviations from the original plan.
5. Use the schedule tool to create a reminder to check results at the agreed review date.
6. Use write_file to compare actual results against the success criteria, analyse whether the hypothesis held, and record key learnings.
7. State the outcome so it is remembered: if successful, standardise the change; if unsuccessful, revise the hypothesis and plan the next cycle; if partial, standardise what worked and plan a follow-up cycle.
8. Use the write_file tool to save the completed PDCA cycle record, including baseline, results, and decision for the next step.

Version

v1 (curated)