Brief 06

Brief 06

When to stop

The end of the job should already be in the scope. This brief is for the moments when that end is about to be ignored, by you or by them, or when the work has turned into something you should not be doing.

Stop when the output is delivered and the questions in the handover are listed. Stop when the hours or the date you agreed have been reached, even if the other person has a new idea. A new idea is a new scope, or it is a no.

Also stop, earlier, if the work needs a licence you do not have (legal practice, accountancy, medicine, official immigration advice), or if you are being asked to speak for the other person in a way you did not agree to. Being helpful is not a reason to improvise in those fields. Say that plainly and, if you can, point them to a qualified person or to an official source. Do not name a friend as an expert unless you have asked that friend first.

Stopping is easier if you have written notes. Use Brief 04, send the packet, and do not leave a vague offer to "stay involved" hanging in the last paragraph. If you are willing to take a later job, say that they can come back with a new question. That is enough.