Handing off long tasks

Short questions get short answers. Longer jobs — a research report, a data cleanup, a multi-file refactor — need a different setup.

What helps

• State the deliverable up front: “a spreadsheet with these columns,” not “look into this.”
• Say which decisions it can make on its own and which it should ask about.
• Ask for a task list so you can see progress when you check back.

The biggest win is front-loading context. Ten extra seconds of explanation saves ten minutes of rework.