Work and focus
Once work enters execution, Grunna shifts emphasis from deciding to focusing.
The purpose of this phase is simple: finish work with as little cognitive friction as possible.
Working top to bottom
Execution happens from the top of the todo list downward.
The top item is the next todo to pull when capacity is available. A todo becomes active when an Executor pulls it.
This removes the need for daily prioritization, negotiation, or interpretation. The list already contains the decision.
One thing at a time
Grunna favors finishing over starting.
Executors focus on a single active todo at a time by default. Parallel work is avoided unless there is a clear technical or practical reason.
This reduces context switching, shortens feedback loops, and increases the likelihood that work actually reaches completion.
Finish what you start
In Grunna, once an Executor pulls a todo, the default expectation is that it will be finished.
Switching to a different todo mid-execution is strongly discouraged. Unfinished work creates hidden cost, increases cognitive load, and erodes the meaning of progress.
This rule exists to protect focus and to keep the process honest. A todo that is pulled but not finished distorts both planning and execution.
If teams regularly abandon work in progress, progress turns into activity instead of finished outcomes.
When stopping is allowed
There are valid reasons to stop work on a todo.
Work may stop if the todo turns out to be incorrectly defined, depends on missing information, or reveals a misunderstanding that requires clarification.
In these cases, the todo is moved back for clarification. It is not replaced by another todo.
What is not a valid reason
Discovering something more interesting, urgent, or appealing is not a valid reason to abandon work.
Priority changes are expressed by reordering the todo list.
Reordering affects future work only. Active work is not stopped or replaced due to reordering.
By enforcing this discipline, Grunna preserves the integrity of execution and ensures that progress means finished work, not movement between tasks.
Subtodos as execution support
Subtodos may be used to break down work during execution.
They may also be used to split a todo into parallel pieces when multiple people need to contribute — each subtodo still has one Executor.
They exist to support completion, not to introduce new scope.
Creating a subtodo does not represent a new decision. It is a clarification of how existing work will be completed.
The parent todo still has one Executor, who is accountable for the overall outcome and for finishing the set.
Subtodos must not change the intent, size, or outcome of the parent todo.
If new requirements, ideas, or expanded scope emerge during execution, they are not added as subtodos.
Instead, the current work stops and the todo is moved back for clarification.
This rule prevents feature creep and ensures that execution remains focused on finishing the work that was actually decided.
Todos do not need to fit a timebox
In Grunna, a todo may represent a large piece of work. It does not need to be split to fit a sprint, a week, or a reporting period.
If a todo becomes complex, subtodos may be used to explain how the work will be completed. Subtodos exist to support execution, not to reduce the size of the commitment.
All subtodos must be completed for the todo to be considered done.
A todo may take longer than expected. This is acceptable. This becomes visible through historical completion, not through estimation or timeboxing.
If todos are consistently large, fewer todos will be completed over time. This is not a failure. It is accurate feedback.
Stability during execution
In Grunna, the todo list may be reordered at any time.
However, active work is treated as stable.
Once an Executor has pulled a todo, that work is not interrupted by changes elsewhere in the list.
Reordering affects what comes next, not what is currently being executed.
The only exceptions are bugs:
- Stop-now bugs may interrupt active work and require dropping everything to fix immediately
- Next-to-pull bugs do not interrupt active work, but must be fixed before pulling the next planned todo
Knowing when to stop
If a todo cannot be completed due to missing information, unclear scope, or external dependency, work stops.
The todo is moved back for clarification until the blockage is resolved.
This prevents half-finished work from silently accumulating and protects the integrity of execution.
Focus through structure
In Grunna, focus is supported by clear structure and disciplined decisions.
Once priorities are set and work has started, execution is protected from interruption.
This reduces the need for constant coordination and allows people to spend more time executing and less time managing work.