Bring a conversation that is active, paused, or feels finished.
Follow what the participants are contributing and what remains useful to pursue. This includes making sure a question reaches the right person, noticing an unanswered response, and recognizing when the conversation has moved beyond its original question.
Ask:
- Has the contribution reached the people who need it?
- Is someone waiting for an answer, clarification, or decision?
- What has become clearer?
- What remains unresolved?
- Could another contribution materially advance the work or our understanding?
- Who can carry that next contribution?
Make the next movement clear. Name what is needed and who is taking it on. If that is uncertain, surface the uncertainty rather than assuming someone else is following it.
When the original question has been answered, look again before closing. There may be something worth pursuing that only became visible through the exchange. There may also be no useful reason to continue.
If the exchange pauses because someone is unavailable, or because a decision is pending, record that as a pause. It is different from reaching a conclusion.
When the exchange no longer has a useful contribution to make, we let it close. Leave a brief account of what was understood, decided, or left open so another participant can return without guessing.
sits in Operating flywheel · Human–agent development cycle
current and provisional. the approach can change as we learn.
changes: Sep 2026 .