All worked examples

Scope a job before you start

Sample

A vague request turned into what is in, what is out, what done looks like and when to stop.

Sample results: runs and scores on this page are illustrations while testing is set up. How we test

What goes in: the job
A request from your manager
Request: "Get the supply closet sorted out before inventory week."
Also said: "I want to know what we have."
The closet: crowded, one shelf is broken, some boxes look very old, nothing is labeled.
Time and help: about 3 hours a week for 3 weeks, until Friday, November 13. Luis can help on Thursdays.
Next: the first step runs
Step 1List everything the job could involve
Step 2Decide what is in, out or later
Step 3Define done for each piece that is in
Step 4Decide when to stop
Step 5Write the one-page scope note

What each check found

  1. List everything the job could involve
    Each piece is marked stated or assumed (A plain rule)
    CheckAll 8 rows say stated or assumed.
    Passed, on to the next step.
  2. Decide what is in, out or later
    Each decision is in, out or later (A plain rule)
    CheckAll 8 rows say in, out or later: 5 in, 1 later, 2 out.
    Passed, on to the next step.
  3. Define done for each piece that is in
    Every piece has a way to check it (A plain rule)
    CheckAll 5 rows have a Done means and a way to check by looking.
    Passed, on to the next step.
  4. Write the one-page scope note
    The note is 300 words or fewer (A plain rule)
    ProblemFirst try: 342 words. The limit is 300.
    CheckSecond try: 271 words.
    Failed once, so the step ran again with the problem pointed out. Passed.
  5. Finished
    You can live with the boundary (You check this one)
    Your turn. This check is yours.
Use this templateChange it in the Editor

More to step through

Turn meeting notes into decisions and actionsMessy notes in, a clean record out, with the one gap flagged instead of guessed.Write a summary of a long documentA long report split into parts, each part summarized, one wrong number caught and fixed.Review a draft before you send itOne draft read from two angles, with two claims the sources do not back, ranked into a fix list.Compare options and get a recommendationThree options on one table, the tie dropped, one recommendation and the runner-up's case.Build your "how I like work done" fileAnswers turned into rules, tested on a real task, one rule reworded, then one file to paste.Draft three versions and pick the bestThree versions of one text, each rated against your criteria, and the winner picked by the first criterion.Fact-check against sourcesFive claims tested against quoted passages, with two wrong figures and one claim no source backs.Find themes in commentsEight comments labeled, grouped into three themes and counted, each theme backed by two real quotes.Remove personal informationNine details swapped for placeholders, nothing else changed, and a short list of what a person must still check.See a workflow runThe parts, lit one at a time.