🎒 Microlesson

🪞 Reflect

How do you know when your work is truly done? Are you confident others share your understanding of “done” for a particular task or project?

💡 Concept

In remote and hybrid environments, team members often work asynchronously, across different time zones, and with limited face-to-face interaction. This unique dynamic makes it especially challenging to ensure everyone is on the same page. Without clear definitions, work that was considered “finished” might actually be incomplete, misaligned, or in need of reworking.

Developing a shared “definition of done” (or DoD) ensures that everyone agrees on the criteria for a task to be considered complete. It provides clarity, reduces ambiguity, and fosters accountability across teams.

Here’s how to define “done” effectively:

📌 Set clear criteria up front.
Collaboratively agree on what “done” looks like before starting a task. For example, a blog post might be “done” when it’s drafted, edited, approved, and published.

🛠️ Document your DoD.
Write down your definition in a visible location, such as in a project management program or a shared document, so everyone is aligned and can reference it as needed.

🌟 Tailor it to the task.
Recognize that different tasks may require unique definitions of “done.” A coding task might include testing, while a presentation might require team feedback and final edits.

🔄 Review and refine it.
Periodically revisit your DoD to ensure it still meets team expectations as projects and priorities evolve.

👥 Encourage team accountability.
Empower everyone on the team to hold each other accountable for meeting the agreed-upon criteria for “done.”

By emphasizing the importance of a clear and shared definition of done, remote and hybrid teams can align expectations, streamline workflows, and deliver high-quality work—even in a distributed environment.

🎬 Take Action

Start improving how your team defines “done” with these steps:

• Choose one task. Collaboratively define “done” with your team. Specify all relevant requirements, such as approvals, testing, or documentation.

• Write it down. Add your definition to the task description or project management tool.

• Reflect after completion. Review whether the DoD was met and whether it helped reduce ambiguity.

🧠 Keep Learning

Learn more about how to set clear expectations for your team in the Leadplaceless virtual leadership program. 

✅ Check In

🎁Learn with your team!

Refer our weekly microlessons to your team members to learn as a group! Just follow the instructions in the section below to get started.

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