Stage 1 · Surviving meetings
Asking for clarification
Ask politely when you miss something or don't know a term.
Situation
The product owner explains a new requirement quickly and uses unfamiliar terms.
Sample dialogue
Daniel · Product Owner
So for the next release, we want the dashboard to be eventually consistent with the billing data, and we'll sunset the old export endpoint.
You · Developer
Sorry, could you repeat the last part?
Daniel · Product Owner
We'll sunset the old export endpoint.
You · Developer
Just to make sure I understand, you want us to drop the old endpoint?
Daniel · Product Owner
Yes, but not right away. Customers get three months' notice.
You · Developer
Got it. And what do you mean by "eventually consistent" here? Is a five-minute delay okay?
Daniel · Product Owner
Five minutes is totally fine.
Key phrases
Sorry, could you repeat the last part?
Ask someone to repeat only the part you missed.
Just to make sure I understand, you want us to drop the old endpoint?
Check your understanding by restating the request.
What do you mean by "eventually consistent" here?
Ask what a specific term means in this context.
Could you elaborate on that a little?
Politely ask for more detail.
Could you give me an example?
Ask for a concrete example to understand an idea.
So you're saying the cache is the bottleneck?
Paraphrase the speaker to confirm the main point.
How to practice
- Shadow the lines of "You" until you can say them without looking.
- Make 3 "Just to make sure I understand…" sentences about your current task.
- In a meeting this week, ask at least one clarifying question.