Do you give your best effort before asking for help?

When you are asked to improve a feature, your manager expects a recommendation, not a blank question. Don't just throw things over the fence. Even if the request pushes you outside your comfort zone, make a best-effort attempt so the conversation stays focused on approving the right option.

Video: Don’t throw things over the fence until you’ve done what you can (2 min)

Give a recommendation, even when you're unsure

• Timebox your investigation - Spend a few focused minutes digging into the problem so you can talk about it confidently instead of shrugging your shoulders
• Use modern helpers - GPT, Copilot, and other LLMs can draft UI text, suggest color palettes, or list industry-standard statuses even if design is not your specialty

  

• Share your reasoning - Explain why your preferred option fits the product (e.g., aligns with Azure DevOps/GitHub statuses, uses existing colors, or matches product vocabulary)

Once you have a draft, send it for review. Managers love to edit a thoughtful proposal; they hate being asked to start from scratch.

Show your work

Document the options you explored and where the ideas came from. Being transparent builds trust and makes it easy for others to adjust your proposal.

• Mention the timebox ("I spent 10 minutes exploring...")
• Include any AI prompt or resource you used
• Highlight the pros/cons that led you to your recommendation

By doing the legwork, you only need a quick thumbs up (or tweak) instead of a long back-and-forth. This keeps the team shipping faster and helps you grow new skills along the way.