Supervising Agents

Use when YOU are dispatching tasks to subagents (Agent tool, openclaw, parallel workers). You become the supervisor by default. This skill guides how to monitor, intervene, and verify your subagents.

allenclove@allenclove

Install

openclaw skills install @allenclove/supervising-agents

Supervising Agents

Core Principle

The dispatcher IS the supervisor. When you dispatch a task, you own the outcome.

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YOU dispatch → YOU monitor → YOU verify → YOU report

If the subagent fails, YOU are responsible for catching it.
If you don't verify, YOU are responsible for the bad output.

Part 1: The 5-Phase Workflow

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PREPARE ──► DISPATCH ──► MONITOR ──► VERIFY ──► REPORT
    │           │           │           │          │
    ▼           ▼           ▼           ▼          ▼
 Define      Lock in     Active      Evidence    To human
 clearly    commitment   checking    required   accountable

Part 2: PREPARE Phase

Pre-Dispatch Checklist (MUST COMPLETE)

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□ TASK DEFINED
  Goal (one sentence): _______________________________
  Requirements (list ALL): _______________________________
  Deliverables (specific files): _______________________________

□ TIME SET
  Budget: _____ minutes
  Check interval: _____ minutes (rule: budget/5, min 3 min)

□ VERIFICATION PLANNED
  How to check output exists: _______________________________
  How to verify correctness: _______________________________

□ RED FLAGS DEFINED
  What "going wrong" looks like: _______________________________

Decision: Should You Dispatch?

Condition	Decision
Task is trivial (< 5 min)	Do it yourself
Task requires judgment you don't have	Ask human first
Task has clear requirements and deliverables	✓ Dispatch with supervision

Part 3: DISPATCH Phase

Dispatch Prompt Template

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TASK: [One sentence - what success looks like]

REQUIREMENTS (complete ALL):
1. [requirement 1]
2. [requirement 2]
3. [requirement 3]

DELIVERABLES:
- [file 1] - [expected content]
- [file 2] - [expected content]

TIME: [X] minutes

─── BEFORE YOU START ───
Reply to confirm:
1. What is the goal? (your words)
2. What steps will you take?
3. How will you know you're done?

Do NOT start until you confirm.

After Dispatch: Record Agent ID

typescript

// Agent tool returns: agentId: 'abc123'
// SAVE THIS - you need it for SendMessage

const agentId = 'abc123';  // Keep track of this

Part 4: MONITOR Phase (CRITICAL)

The #1 Mistake: Passive Waiting

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❌ WRONG: Dispatch → Wait → Check at end
✓ RIGHT: Dispatch → Active monitor → Intervene early

Active Monitoring Techniques

Technique 1: Output File Watching

bash

# Check if output files exist
ls -la [expected output directory]

# Check file sizes (should be > 0)
wc -l [expected files]

# Check modification times
find . -name "*.md" -mmin -5  # Files modified in last 5 min

If no output after 1 check interval → INTERVENE NOW

Technique 2: SendMessage Probe

typescript

// Use SendMessage to check progress
SendMessage({
  to: agentId,
  message: `
    📊 PROGRESS CHECK
    
    Report NOW:
    1. What have you completed? (specific files/lines)
    2. What are you doing right now?
    3. Any blockers?
    
    Reply in under 30 seconds.
  `
});

Technique 3: Timestamp Tracking

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Time 0:00 - Dispatch
Time 3:00 - First check (output files exist?)
Time 6:00 - Second check (progress visible?)
Time 9:00 - Third check (near completion?)
Time 12:00 - Final verification

If any check fails → intervene immediately

Monitoring Decision Matrix

Check Result	What It Means	Your Action
Output files exist, have content	On track	Continue monitoring
No output files after 2 intervals	Not started or stuck	SendMessage NOW
Output files empty	Fake work or error	SendMessage NOW
Subagent silent > 2x interval	May have abandoned	Escalate to human

Real-Time Red Flags

Signal	Probability	Immediate Action
No file changes in [interval]	80% stuck	Check now
Subagent asks unrelated questions	70% distracted	Redirect
Subagent says "almost done" but no files	90% fake completion	Demand evidence
Time > 1.5x budget with no output	95% failed	Intervene or take over

Part 5: INTERVENE Phase

Intervention Protocol

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┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  INTERVENTION DECISION                       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                              │
│  CHECK FAILED?                                               │
│       │                                                      │
│       ├── No output at all ──────────────► Level 1: Probe   │
│       │                                  "What are you doing?"│
│       │                                                      │
│       ├── Wrong direction ───────────────► Level 2: Redirect │
│       │                                  "Stop X, do Y"      │
│       │                                                      │
│       ├── No response to probe ──────────► Level 3: Takeover│
│       │                                  "I'm handling it"   │
│       │                                                      │
│       └── Repeated failures ─────────────► Escalate to human│
│                                          "This agent can't..."│
│                                                              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Level 1: Probe (Mild Concern)

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📊 STATUS CHECK

I don't see any output files yet.

Report in 30 seconds:
1. What exactly have you done? (file names, not descriptions)
2. What are you doing right now? (specific action)
3. When will I see output?

Be specific. "Working on it" is not an answer.

Level 2: Redirect (Clear Deviation)

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⚠️ CORRECTION REQUIRED

Issue: [specific problem]

STOP: [wrong activity]
DO: [correct activity]

You have [X] minutes to show progress.

Do not explain. Execute.

Level 3: Takeover (Critical Failure)

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🔴 TAKING OVER

This task is not progressing.

I will complete it myself.

You: Stop everything. Provide list of what you actually completed (if anything).

This is recorded.

Part 6: VERIFY Phase

The Verification Gate

NEVER accept "I'm done" without evidence.

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□ EVIDENCE CHECK
  - Show me the file: [read the actual file]
  - Show me the test output: [run the tests]
  - Show me it works: [demonstrate functionality]

□ REQUIREMENTS CHECK
  | Req | Done? | Evidence |
  |-----|-------|----------|
  | 1   | ✓/✗   | [proof]  |
  | 2   | ✓/✗   | [proof]  |
  | 3   | ✓/✗   | [proof]  |

□ QUALITY CHECK
  - Is output non-empty?
  - Does it actually work?
  - Are edge cases handled?

Verification Commands

bash

# File exists and has content?
ls -la [file] && wc -l [file]

# Code has actual implementation?
grep -E "(function|class|def |export )" [file]

# Tests pass?
npm test 2>&1 | tail -20

# Recent changes?
git status && git diff

Common Verification Failures

Claim	Reality	How to Catch
"Created the file"	File is empty	`wc -l file`
"Tests pass"	Tests don't exist	Run tests yourself
"Feature works"	Only happy path	Test edge cases
"All requirements done"	Some skipped	Check each one

Part 7: REPORT Phase

Report Template

markdown

📋 TASK REPORT

**Task:** [name]
**Status:** ✓ COMPLETE / ⚠ ISSUES / ✗ FAILED
**Time:** [actual] / [budget] minutes

**Verification:**
- Output exists: [yes/no + evidence]
- Tests pass: [yes/no + output]
- All requirements met: [yes/no + checklist]

**Evidence:**
- Files: [list with sizes]
- Key content: [paste relevant parts]

**Issues:** [if any]

**Next steps:** [if needed]

When to Escalate to Human

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🚨 ESCALATE when:
- Subagent completely failed after intervention
- Technical decision needed beyond your authority
- Output quality unacceptable despite verification
- Time significantly over budget with no end in sight
- Subagent behavior concerning (ignoring all instructions)

Part 8: Common Failure Patterns

Pattern 1: Confirmed but Never Started

What happens: Subagent confirms understanding, then does nothing.

Detection: No output files after 1 interval.

Fix:

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"I see no output. What have you actually done?
Show me a file you created or edited in the last [X] minutes."

Pattern 2: Silent Failure

What happens: Subagent encounters error, doesn't report, just stops.

Detection: No activity for 2+ intervals.

Fix:

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"Report your status immediately.
If you hit an error, describe it exactly.
If you're stuck, say what you're stuck on."

Pattern 3: Fake Completion

What happens: Subagent claims done, output is empty/wrong.

Detection: Output files don't match requirements.

Fix:

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"Output verification failed:
- Requirement: [X]
- What I see: [Y]

This is not complete. Fix it or explain exactly why you cannot."

Pattern 4: Scope Drift

What happens: Subagent works on something else, ignores original task.

Detection: Output unrelated to requirements.

Fix:

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"Stop. You are working on [X] but task requires [Y].
Which part of the original task are you addressing?
If none, return to the original requirements immediately."

Part 9: Quick Reference

Time Estimates

Task Type	Budget	Check Interval
Quick (< 10 lines)	5 min	Check at end only
Simple function	10 min	Every 3 min
Feature implementation	30 min	Every 5 min
Complex multi-file	60+ min	Every 10 min + milestones

Red Flags Checklist

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□ No output after 1 interval → SendMessage probe
□ "Almost done" with no files → Demand evidence NOW
□ Silent for 2 intervals → Assume failure, intervene
□ Unrelated questions → Redirect to task
□ Time > 1.5x budget → Escalate or take over

The Iron Rules

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1. NEVER wait passively - actively check
2. NEVER accept words as proof - verify files
3. NEVER let "basically done" slide - demand specifics
4. NEVER skip verification - your reputation is on the line
5. NEVER report to human without evidence - they trust you

Implementation for openclaw

Setup

bash

# In openclaw, load this skill
/load supervising-agents

# Or set as default skill
export CLAW_SKILLS=supervising-agents

Usage Pattern

typescript

// 1. PREPARE
const task = {
  goal: "Create README.md with project overview",
  requirements: ["Project name", "Installation steps", "Usage example"],
  deliverables: ["README.md (min 50 lines)"],
  budget: 10, // minutes
  interval: 3 // minutes
};

// 2. DISPATCH with commitment lock
const result = await Agent({
  description: `Supervising: ${task.goal}`,
  prompt: buildPrompt(task)
});

// 3. MONITOR - check every interval
for (let i = 0; i < task.budget / task.interval; i++) {
  await sleep(task.interval * 60000);
  
  const output = checkOutput(task.deliverables);
  if (!output.exists) {
    await SendMessage(result.agentId, "Progress check: show me what you've created");
  }
}

// 4. VERIFY - don't trust, verify
const file = await Read("README.md");
if (file.lines < 50) {
  // Reject, demand more
}

// 5. REPORT to human

Summary

You dispatch → You own the outcome.

The subagent is a tool, not a trusted partner. Your job is to:

Define clearly
Lock in commitment
Actively monitor (not passive wait)
Intervene early
Verify with evidence
Report with accountability

Most common failure: Passive waiting. Fix: Check output files early and often.

Research foundation: Persuasion techniques increase compliance 33% → 72% (Meincke et al., 2025, N=28,000).