Make "done" obvious

You ask for "a summary of last quarter". You picture one page, three numbers, a recommendation. They picture fifteen slides. Both of you think the request was obvious. A week later you are disappointed, they are deflated, and neither of you did anything wrong.

This lesson is for new managers who keep getting work back that is not what they wanted. It covers why most missed work is a clarity problem rather than a performance problem, the few things worth agreeing before anyone starts, and how to do that in two minutes rather than writing a brief. You get a short set of questions to settle up front, and how to handle it when the work still comes back wrong.

Part of the Delegation track. About two minutes to read, with a seven-day practice plan and a recall check a week later.