# Write before committing

Source: https://segern.com/practice/write-before-committing

Make the thinking clear enough to question.

Writing gives an idea somewhere to become specific. It reveals whether we agree about the problem or have simply become attached to the same attractive words.

Before committing substantial effort, we describe the situation, the people involved, the intended change, and the limits of the work. We name what we know, what we assume, and what remains uncertain. We also make the recommendation clear enough that someone can disagree with it for a useful reason.

The document should be proportionate to the decision. A small change may need a paragraph. A consequential commitment may need alternatives, evidence, and a more careful account of the risks. Length is not the measure of thoughtfulness.

Writing does not make the outcome inevitable. Sometimes a sketch, prototype, or conversation is the quickest way to discover what we cannot yet explain. We use those discoveries to improve the account rather than forcing reality to follow the first draft.

For Continuity, clear writing makes advice easier to act on and revisit. For our products, it connects the people making decisions to the people who will live with them.

*Could someone understand the choice, challenge the reasoning, and know what happens next?*