Patterns: Narrate the agent
Also Known As
Voice the Agent, Agent Commentary
Context
Your mob is using an AI agent to do work that is core to development. The agent’s work takes time and is complex enough that it’s not easy to follow, especially in a group setting. You notice:
- Prolonged silence while the agent works
- A rotation turn ends during agent work, leaving the mob uncertain about next steps
- People noticing they are not following what’s happening
Purpose
Keep the mob engaged and maintain shared understanding while the AI agent works. By having one person narrate what the agent is communicating, everyone can look and listen to the same content at the same time, reducing lost focus and increasing collective comprehension.
How To
- The mob decides who will narrate (the person who prompted the agent, a facilitator, or anyone who volunteers)
- The narrator reads aloud what the agent is communicating to the user
- Discuss as a mob what level of detail to narrate (verbatim, summary, key decisions only)
- Adjust the narration style based on the mob’s feedback and needs
Consequences
The mob stays more synchronized and focused during agent work. Everyone has equal access to information as it arrives. Shared understanding increases because everyone is processing the same content together.
However, this is not a complete solution - narrating helps but doesn’t fully solve the challenges of waiting for complex AI agent work. The agent’s speed and complexity remain factors that affect mob flow.
Collaborators
- Announcements - Making the narrator role explicit
- Summaries - Narrator can summarize what the agent accomplished after it finishes
- Think out Loud - Similar principle of verbalizing thought processes