Useful before the first conversation.

Write a question with a boundary.

“Improve operations” describes an ambition. “How should we handle incoming requests when the usual owner is away?” identifies something people can examine.

Write the question in one sentence. Name the work it concerns, the people affected and the constraints that are already fixed. List what is deliberately outside the discussion.

• What is happening now?
• Why does it need attention?
• Who has authority to decide?
• What would a useful next step look like?

Prepare an evidence note.

For each important statement, record the source, when it was produced and what it actually covers. A report about one period may not describe the current situation.

Use three simple labels: confirmed for this purpose, assumed for now, and still unknown. Describe any limits in plain language. If a source cannot be shared, explain what can be discussed safely.

Do not send sensitive documents in an initial enquiry. Agree access, handling and confidentiality arrangements first.

Make the handover usable.

After a discussion, separate decisions from actions and unresolved questions. An action needs a responsible person and a review point; an unresolved question needs an owner for the next enquiry.

Ask someone who was not in the discussion to read the note. If they cannot understand what happens next, clarify the record before distributing it.