Working with your manager
Agree what done looks like
A short conversation to agree on the finish line before you start, so the work lands the way it was meant to
Before you start something big, write down the outcome, the deadline and who decides what, and check it with your manager.
- 10 minutes
- You and your manager
- Before anything big
- Conversation
Why this can work
A lot of rework comes from two people picturing different finish lines. A two-line note, written before the work starts, shows the gap while it's still cheap to close. It also settles who makes which calls, so you aren't waiting on approval you didn't need, or surprised by a decision you thought was yours.
Read moreHow to clarify expectations with your manager
You’ll come away with two lines you and your manager agree on before the work begins.
- Write your version first.
Before you ask anything, draft what you think done means: the outcome, the date, and who decides what along the way. It's far easier for your manager to correct a draft than to invent one.
Tip: Describe the result, not the activity. "Customers can see their order history" says more than "build the order history page."
- Keep it to two lines.
Line one: what will be true when this is done, and by when. Line two: which calls are yours, and which you'll bring to them. For example, "Done: the new welcome email is live for every new signup by March 14. Decisions: I'll choose the copy and layout; you'll sign off on anything that mentions pricing."
- Send it and ask what you've got wrong.
Asking what's wrong, rather than whether it's right, makes it easier for your manager to correct you. Most people will say yes to a question that invites yes.
To: your managerBefore I get going on the project, I want to make sure we're picturing the same finish line. Here's how I understand it:
Done: what will be true when it's finished, by date.
Decisions: I'll decide the calls you'll make. I'll check with you on the calls you'll bring to them.
What have I got wrong, or missed?
Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud. - Put it where you'll both see it.
The top of the project doc, the ticket, or the thread you'll keep using. Somewhere you'll both come back to, not a chat that scrolls away by Friday.
- Change it out loud when things change.
Plans move, and that's fine. When they do, update the two lines and say so, so you're both still looking at the same finish line.
Good times to repeat it: before anything that will take more than a few dayswhen a project changes shapewhen you pick up work from someone else
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
Sometimes the question reveals that the finish line was never set. That's worth knowing now, and your draft gives them something to decide from.
What might make this harder
Take the trust, and send the two lines anyway as your plan. It takes them a second to confirm, and it protects you both if the picture changes.
Questions people ask
What does definition of done mean?
A shared standard a piece of work has to meet before it counts as finished. The term comes from software teams, where one definition usually covers all of a team's work, but the idea works for any single piece of work too.
How do I clarify expectations with my manager?
Write down what you think the outcome, the deadline and the decision rights are, send it before you start, and ask what you've got wrong. Correcting a draft is much easier for them than answering an open question.
What should I do when my manager keeps changing the scope?
Update the written finish line each time and say what the change affects, such as the date. It keeps the changes visible without turning them into a complaint.
How do I stop redoing work for my boss?
Agree on the finish line before you start, in a couple of lines you can both see. Much of it comes from different pictures of done, not from bad work.
Why this works, and where it comes from
A lot of rework isn't caused by bad work. It's caused by two people who pictured different finish lines and didn't find out until the end. You thought done meant a draft; they meant something ready to send. You thought the deadline was the end of the month; they needed it for a meeting on the 20th. Nobody was careless. The picture just never got said out loud.
The fix is cheap if it happens early. Before you start, a couple of lines settle what will be true when you're finished, by when, and who decides what along the way. Writing your version first matters. Asked what done looks like, many managers haven't thought it through yet. Shown a draft, they can say "that's right" or "no, it has to go to the client" in seconds.
The decision line is the one people skip, and it's often the one that matters most. Plenty of end-of-project friction is really about who got to make a call in the middle: the design, the wording, whether to cut a feature. Agreeing which calls are yours before anyone has an opinion is almost painless; untangling it afterward rarely is. It also frees you to move, because you know what you don't need to ask about.
Software teams have a name for something close to this, a definition of done: one shared standard that every piece of work has to meet before it counts as finished. What's here is a lighter, personal cousin: one piece of work, two lines, agreed with one person. It isn't a contract, and it won't stop plans from changing. It just makes the changes visible, so when the finish line moves, you both see it move. It's overkill for small or routine work you've done together many times; save it for work that will take days or involve other people.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
More in Working with your manager
Never lose the proof of your work
Do it with Truest and it goes on your permanent record, in a Career Vault your employer doesn’t own.
See how Truest worksAlready a member? Log in- Kept with the thing it was aboutSave what comes back in your Vault, next to the work it was about.
- A reminder beforePut it on your calendar and Truest reminds you before it starts.
- On your recordWhen it's done, it goes on your record with your priorities and progress.
Read this alongside your role page
Tell Truest what you’re dealing with
We read every one, and we write guides for the things that come up most. Leave your email if you’d like to hear when we do.
An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.