Updated September 2026: in March 2020 the offshore delivery lead and I agreed to proceed with our original storyline because onsite had not responded, and worked hard for a second day, both with leave coming, while worrying whether our changes matched the client's needs. I have rewritten it into advice on proceeding confidently without feedback.
With no update on the document we had sent, the offshore delivery lead and I agreed to continue with our original storyline and send an updated version to onsite for review. We both had vacations coming, so we worked hard all day to close the request. Throughout, we worried whether our changes matched the client's detailed requirements.
How do you reduce the risk of working without feedback?
- Trace every section to a requirement: if it maps to the client's request, it is on solid ground.
- State assumptions openly in the document.
- Send versions with specific questions, so reviewers can respond in minutes.
How do you check the storyline is right?
Read only the headlines of each section in order. If they answer the client's main questions in a logical sequence, the storyline is sound. If a headline does not connect to a requirement, question whether it belongs.
Is it worth working long days to finish before leave?
Sometimes, if it means a clean handover. But set a stopping point. A document finished at midnight by two tired people can contain errors that cost more to fix later. A good handover of a nearly finished document is often the better outcome.
How do you manage the anxiety of not knowing?
Accept that some uncertainty is unavoidable when clients are slow. Record your reasoning and assumptions; if the direction turns out wrong, the record shows it was a reasonable call with the information available.
What should the handover note include?
The latest version, the assumptions, the open questions for onsite and who will pick up feedback when it arrives.
What went right?
Agreeing a decision together with the delivery lead meant neither of us carried it alone, and the work kept moving.
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