How you know
It's already fixed and you're not sure you understood what was wrong with it.
Something to say
“Before I change it — what's this meant to do that it isn't doing?”
It's easier to spot this afterwards than at the time. Give it a week before you decide it isn't yours.
Two ways in
One is a habit. The other is one person.
Neither is the better one. Pick whichever matches the thing that is actually bothering you.
On your own
The habit, not the incident.
Fixing it fast proves you were listening. Understanding it first is what stops you fixing it three times.
- Ask what good looks like before you touch anything. One question, then work.
- When two notes contradict each other, say so and ask which one matters more, instead of finding a version that half-does both.
- Tell somebody what you decided not to change, and why. The quiet decisions are the ones that come back.
With somebody in mind
The same friction, one person.
Whoever gave you the note would rather wait until tomorrow than get a fast version of the wrong thing. Almost nobody says that out loud, so ask.
- Ask for the reason, not just the fix. One sentence is enough, and it saves the second round.
- Tell them what you're not changing before they find it themselves.
One of these, not all of them. And in your own words, because ours won't sound like you.
Where this sharpens
It lands hardest with two of the five.
Not because anybody is difficult. These are just the two who reach for something different first, at the same moment.
Which one is yours
You are reading The Doer. Is that actually you?
Ten situations, about three minutes, no sign-up. It tells you which of the five you reach for first — and which version of this page is yours.
Five readings
This plays differently depending on what you reach for first.
Pick the one that sounds most like you. Reading a dimension is not a claim that you are one.