Clarifying an unclear assignment
You are asked to “prepare something” or “sort this out” without knowing what the result should look like. Starting immediately may feel helpful while solving the wrong problem. Ask for the information needed to choose an appropriate first step before investing in the full assignment.
SPAALO editorial team · · General conversation support
Clarify the purpose, deliverable, deadline and decision-maker; summarise your understanding and check a small first draft before completing everything.
Three practical actions
Ask about the purpose
Who will use the result, and which question must it answer? Request an example or earlier version if useful. Separate the suggested format from the underlying goal: a short overview may be enough even when the initial request mentions a complete presentation or report.
Make constraints explicit
Discuss timing, scope, available information and who approves the result. Ask which elements are essential and which are optional. Identify assumptions you would otherwise make yourself. If the requester lacks information, agree who will obtain it and which part you can usefully start while waiting.
Check direction early
Send a short summary or prepare an outline with one worked example. Ask for specific confirmation of the content and direction. Agree how later changes will be assessed. Do not leave uncertainty hidden until the whole deliverable is finished and the deadline leaves little room to correct it.
What you can say
Use words that feel natural to you and replace the details with what is happening in your situation.
Which decision should this overview support, and who is going to use it?
Do you mean an initial outline with the main points, or a fully checked final version for the customer?
My understanding is that I deliver a two-page overview on Friday and you review the content. Is that correct?
What changes with your circumstances?
The requester has little time
Ask the two questions that make the greatest difference and offer a short summary of assumptions. Explicitly identify which points require confirmation before you proceed.
Several people give conflicting instructions
Show the differences and ask who makes the final decision. Do not silently combine contradictory wishes into an assignment that cannot realistically be delivered.
The request changes midway
Name the new requirement and its effect on timing or scope. Confirm the revised assignment rather than leaving the original expectation apparently in place.
If the conversation is still not moving forward
If no answer comes, explain which step is blocked and which decision would allow progress. You can propose a limited, reversible exploration, but do not treat unconfirmed assumptions as approval for significant spending, commitments or risky actions. Keep the confirmed brief with the work so the agreed direction remains accessible to everyone involved.
A pitfall to avoid
Avoid a long questionnaire that treats every detail as equally urgent. Do not pretend to understand while important expectations remain contradictory.
Make it specific to your role.
What result is required, and which two missing answers determine whether you can begin?
Describe it in the SPAALO app. Choose your role for practical guidance on what you can do and say. Do not include names or confidential information.
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