Create workflow rule or automation

Build an automation that moves any Opportunity at 'Proposal Sent' to a devoted pipeline stage and notifies the AE. If the opportunity stalls for seven days without activity, change its stage to 'Stalled' and add a task titled 'Follow up on proposal' assigned to the owning salesperson. Test with Minh's deal first and confirm the task appears in his queue.

Before I automate stage moves for Proposal Sent, make the rule safe: list the exact fields that should trigger the automation, show example edge cases (renewals, partner-influenced deals), and recommend a suppress rule for opportunities that already have a task in the last three days. Also propose the user-facing task text so AEs understand required next steps.

I turned on an automation to create follow-up tasks when an opportunity hits Proposal Sent but AEs say they were flooded with duplicates. I'm worried the rule is too broad and will annoy reps. I don't know how many exceptions to add or how to detect existing active tasks. What's the most likely cause and the minimal change to stop duplicate tasks while preserving the safety net for stalled deals?

Over the last year we keep adding workflow automations and they start by helping then create noise: duplicate tasks, inaccurate stage moves, and rule conflicts. This wastes reps' time and reduces trust in automation. Which three habits should we stop and which three checks should we add before deploying new automation so rules stay useful and low-friction?