Where did it break?
“Finished.”
A one-word text, an executive event in the morning, and a client update nobody can safely send. Where did this promise break?
An illustrative scenario. Names and details are invented; the pattern is common.
A client is hosting an executive event at 8 a.m. tomorrow. They asked for the boardroom to be deep-cleaned and set up the night before, and your team agreed.
At 11:40 p.m. the crew lead texts the owner one word:
“Finished.”
The owner is relieved. They forward a quick note to the client: “All done, you’re set for the morning.”
At 7:15 a.m. the client’s assistant calls. The room is clean, but the chairs are still stacked in the corner and the screen isn’t set up. The crew lead thought setup was the client’s job. The client thought it was part of the order.
Nobody lied. Everyone did what they believed they’d agreed to.
Where did this promise break?
Pick the letter of the ERMODA Check where it went wrong.
Show the answer
It broke at D · Done: What counts as done, and what proof shows it?
Everyone agreed on the job and who owned it. Nobody agreed what "finished" had to look like before it counted. So the only evidence was one word from the person who did the work, and the owner had nothing to show the client except that word.
The fix
- Write the finish line into the job before it starts: here, four photos of the room and the signed checklist.
- Treat "done" as a message, not a closed job. The job stays open until the proof is in.
- Only then tell the client, and send the proof with the update.
Questions
What counts as proof of completion?
Whatever was agreed before the work started: for example, dated photos and a signed checklist. Agree it in advance so nobody has to argue about it afterwards.