pm-tasks

1. Read tmp/current-task.pid for the task id being worked on. If set, fetch that task from the PM tool and resume it. The PID file is the sole authority for whether THIS agent has a task in progress — it is per-worktree and therefore per-agent.
2. If no current-task.pid exists, this agent has NO in-progress work. Do NOT fetch the agent board's "current work" section to find tasks — those tasks belong to OTHER agents running in other worktrees. Proceed directly to "Pick Next Task".
3. Exception — dirty git status: If no PID file exists but git status shows uncommitted changes, inspect them to infer what was being worked on. If you can match changes to a task on the shared board's "in progress" section, ask the user whether to resume it. If you're confused, ask the user what to do.

Why current-task.pid is authoritative: In a multi-worktree setup, multiple agents share the same agent board. The PID file lives inside tmp/ which is per-worktree, making it the only reliable indicator of what THIS specific agent is working on.

2. Pick Next Task

When the user says "pick a task", "next task", "what should I work on" (and no in-progress work exists from step 1):

1. Fetch incomplete tasks from the shared board's priority section (the section designated for "ready to start" work, e.g., "Up next", "Todo", "Ready"). Use the PM tool's completion filter (e.g., Asana's completed_since=now or opt_fields=completed and filter client-side) to exclude tasks already marked as done. If a Priority tag or property exist, sort by it. Skip tasks assigned to someone else. If a task has an assignee and that assignee is not the current user (or the agent), do not include it in the candidate list — someone else is responsible for it. Unassigned tasks are fair game.
2. If a private agent board is configured, also fetch its "current work" section to see which tasks other agents are already working on. Exclude those from the candidates presented to the user. The agent board fetch is mandatory, not best-effort. If the fetch fails (network error, timeout, MCP error), retry up to 2 times. If still failing, STOP and tell the user: "I can't fetch the agent board to check what other agents are working on. Proceeding without this check risks picking a task that's already claimed." Do NOT proceed without the exclusion list.
3. Present the top 3-5 tasks with titles and short summaries.
4. Let the user choose, or pick the first one if they say "just pick one".
5. If the user rejects a pick (e.g., "that one is taken", "pick another"), re-fetch the agent board's "current work" section before picking again. The exclusion list may have changed since the original fetch.
6. CRITICAL: Write the task id to tmp/current-task.pid to track it for future sessions.
7. If a private agent board is configured, list tasks that are marked as Blocked or Needs Input so the user can act on them.

3. Start Working on a Task

When a task is selected, do ALL of these steps in order:

1. Read the full task description from the PM tool.
2. Read the task's comment history (e.g., Asana stories). Comments often contain scoping decisions, open questions, or prior agent triage notes. If the comments indicate that the task still needs scoping or shaping (e.g., open questions, "triage needed", multiple competing approaches, unclear requirements), do NOT jump into implementation. Instead:
   • Summarize the current state of the discussion.
   • Propose a plan or recommendation addressing the open questions.
   • Wait for the user's approval before writing any code.
3. Verify not already claimed. Before multi-homing, check that the task is not already on the agent board's "current work" section. If it is, another agent already claimed it — do NOT proceed. Clear your PID file and return to "Pick Next Task".
4. Add to agent board (REQUIRED if configured). Multi-home the task to the agent board's "current work" section. Use multi-homing (Asana addProject API) or cross-project references (Linear) — never duplicate the task. Do not skip this step.
5. Move the task to the "in progress" section on the shared board.
6. Announce the task title, description summary, and key requirements to establish context for the session.

4. Update Task Status

When the user says "update task", "add note", "blocked":

• Add context: post a comment or note on the task in the PM tool.
• Blocked: if a private agent board is configured, move the task to the "blocked/needs input" section there. Leave position on the shared board unchanged (still "in progress").
• Progress note: add a comment summarizing what was done so far.

5. Create a New Task

When the user says "create task", "new task", "write task":

1. Delegate to the write-task skill for content formatting. The write-task skill handles template selection (short vs full), content structure, and output format (HTML or markdown based on CLAUDE.md).
2. Use the PM tool's MCP to create the task in the configured project.
3. Place in the section the user specifies, defaulting to the "inbox" or "triage" section.

6. Mark Task Complete

When the user confirms a task is done (or an automated completion criterion defined by the user is met):

1. Mark the task complete in the PM tool.
2. If a private agent board is configured, move the task to the "done" section there.
3. CRITICAL: Delete the task id from tmp/current-task.pid. Only do so when the task was QA'd and successfully marked complete in the PM tool.
4. Announce completion and ask if the user wants to pick the next task.

7. Read Task Details

When the user says "show task", "task details", "what's this task about":

1. Fetch the task from the PM tool.
2. Display: title, description, assignee, current section, and recent comments or activity.

8. Session Status

When the user says "task status", "what am I working on":

1. Read tmp/current-task.pid for the task id being worked on. If set, fetch that task from the PM tool. This is YOUR current task.
2. If no PID file exists, report that this agent has no task in progress.
3. If a private agent board is configured, list tasks in the "current work" section as other agents' work (for visibility, not for claiming).
4. If a private agent board is configured, list tasks that are marked as Blocked or Needs Input so the user can act on them.
5. Show title and brief status for each.

PM Tool Examples

This skill itself never contains tool-specific API calls. The CLAUDE.md configuration tells the agent which MCP tools to use and what section names map to each workflow state.

Asana Configuration Example

### Project Management

- **PM tool**: Asana MCP
- **Shared project**: My Project (GID: 1234567890)
  - Sections: Inbox, Up next, In progress, Backlog
  - "Ready" section: Up next
  - "In progress" section: In progress
- **Agent project**: AI Agent (GID: 0987654321)
  - Sections: Current session, Blocked/Needs input, Done
- **Content format**: html

Linear Configuration Example

### Project Management

- **PM tool**: Linear MCP
- **Shared project**: My Team (ID: TEAM-123)
  - States: Triage, Todo, In Progress, Done, Cancelled
  - "Ready" state: Todo
  - "In progress" state: In Progress
- **Agent project**: none
- **Content format**: markdown

No PM Tool (Fallback)

### Project Management

- **PM tool**: none
- **Fallback**: ai-notes/todo.md

When tool: none, activate the working-off-of-todo-files skill instead.

Principles

1. Single task focus: work on ONE task at a time until complete or blocked.
2. User controls pacing: never advance to the next task without the user's go-ahead (unless they've set an automated criterion).
3. Shared board is source of truth: the private agent board is a scratchpad. Status on the shared board is what teammates see.
4. Don't duplicate tasks: use multi-homing or cross-references, never copy tasks between boards.
5. Announce transitions: always tell the user when you move a task between sections or mark it complete.
6. Never modify other agents' state. Only add or remove YOUR task (the one in your current-task.pid) on the agent board. Never remove, move, or update tasks that belong to other agents. If you accidentally claimed a task that another agent owns, simply clear your PID file and pick a different task — do not touch the agent board entry.