The "Done Example" Trick: End Anxiety Over Vague Requests

By Sports-Socks.com on 13/02/2026

We have all played the worst corporate game in existence. It’s called “Bring Me a Rock.”

Here is how it goes: Your boss stops by your desk—or pings you on Slack—and says, “Hey, can you pull together some thoughts on the Q3 strategy?” You say sure. You spend three days building a comprehensive slide deck. You include graphs. You agonize over fonts. You present it, beaming with pride.

Your boss looks at it, scrunches their nose, and says, “No, not that rock. I wanted a different rock. Maybe a red one?”

This is a failure of leadership, sure. But it is also a failure of clarification. If you are drowning in anxiety because you don’t know what “good” looks like, you need a tactic for handling vague requests. You need the Done Example technique.

Stop Guessing, Start Framing

The problem with questions like “What do you want?” or “Can you clarify?” is that they put the cognitive load back on the boss. If your boss knew exactly what they wanted, they probably would have told you (unless they are a sociopath, which is a different article).

Usually, they have a feeling of what they need but no concrete image. When you ask open-ended questions, you force them to think. People hate thinking. So they give you vague answers.

Instead, you need to constrain the playing field.

The “Done Example” Maneuver

Before you type a single word of that report, ask this: “Do you have an example of a past version of this that you loved?”

It sounds simple. It is. But it is devastatingly effective. If they send you a messy Word doc from 2019, you know they value data and speed over design. If they send you a polished PDF, you know aesthetics matter. You aren’t guessing the format anymore; you are mimicking a proven winner.

If a “Done Example” doesn’t exist, you move to the next tier of defense: The Binary Choice.

The Rough vs. Polished Trap

Never leave a meeting with a vague deadline. Vague deadlines breed perfectionism, and perfectionism is just procrastination in a tuxedo.

Force clarity by offering two distinct paths:

Option A: “I can get you a rough, bulleted outline by 5:00 PM today.”
Option B: “I can get you a polished, full slide deck by Wednesday morning.”

90% of the time, the boss will choose Option A. They want to see movement. They want to check a box. By offering a “rough” version, you lower the stakes. You give yourself permission to be imperfect, which ironically makes the work better and faster.

The Day I Stopped Hallucinating Requirements

I learned this the hard way. Years ago, I worked for a creative director who spoke exclusively in riddles. He asked me for a “vibey concept” for a new tech client. I was young and eager to please.

I spent four days in a dark room. I curated mood boards. I wrote a manifesto. I pulled specific hex codes that I thought represented “innovation.” I barely slept. I walked into his office on Friday, trembling, and laid out my masterpiece.

He looked at it for three seconds and sighed. “I just needed a tagline for the banner ad.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. I could hear the hum of the server room next door and the smell of his stale espresso. I had wasted a week of my life because I was too afraid to look incompetent by asking, “What does ‘done’ actually look like?”

That was the last time I guessed. Now, I am annoying about clarity. And you know what? People respect it.

Why This Works

This isn’t just about saving time; it is about managing anxiety. Vague requests trigger our fight-or-flight response because the brain treats uncertainty as a threat. By using the Done Example or the Binary Choice, you convert an abstract threat into a concrete task.

You look professional: You aren’t asking for help; you are negotiating terms.
You save the company money: Less rework means more ROI.
You sleep better: You know exactly what success looks like.

Conclusion

Don’t let a vague request ruin your weekend. The next time a request lands on your desk that smells even remotely ambiguous, do not accept it. Push back with a request for a prototype or offer a binary choice. It is not insubordination; it is sanity.

FAQs

1. Won’t asking for an example make me look incompetent?

No. It makes you look efficient. It shows you care about hitting the target on the first try rather than wasting cycles on revisions. Framing it as “I want to ensure I match your expectations” is a power move.

2. What if they say they don’t have an example?

Then you must use the Binary Choice (Rough vs. Polished). If they can’t give you a past example, you must force them to choose a future format. Do not leave the conversation without defining the output.

3. What if my boss says “I need it perfect and I need it now”?

This is a resource constraint issue. Reply with: “I can do it perfect, but it will take until Friday. I can do it now, but it will be rough. Which is the priority?” Force the trade-off.

4. Can I use this in email?

Absolutely. In fact, it is often better in writing. “Just to clarify before I start: are we looking for a deep-dive equivalent to the Q1 report (attached), or a high-level summary?“

5. How do I handle a boss who refuses to answer even binary choices?

If they say “Just figure it out,” do the smallest possible amount of work (the “Rough” option) and send it immediately for feedback. Never polish a guess.