ADHD glossary · Family perspectives
Definition of done: agree what finishing this task means
A definition of done is a description of what will count as completing a task. In our household example, it is a short agreement about the finish line. It is not a score of how hard someone tried, how quickly they worked, or whether they followed another person's preferred method.
General education and practical perspectives. Editorial standards.
This page uses the phrase for ordinary shared tasks, not as a rule from a professional project framework. The useful question is simple: could two people recognize the same finished result before anyone begins?
Compare two meanings of “clear the table”
In a fictional household, one person thinks clearing the table means moving dishes to the kitchen. Another expects the dishes to be washed, the surface wiped, and school papers sorted. They discover that the same request contains different finish lines.
For tonight, they agree that the table is clear when the dishes are on the kitchen counter and the placemats are in their drawer. Washing dishes is a separate job. Papers belonging to someone else go into an agreed tray; they are not thrown away or sorted without that person's involvement.
The child who accepted the table task now has a specific result to work toward. The adult does not add “and organize the drawer” when the first job is finished. If another task is needed, it gets its own conversation.
A finish-line card
Task:
It counts as finished when:
Work that is not included:
Where another person's belongings should wait:
Question to ask if something unexpected appears:
Who agreed to this description:
Use a visible result rather than a personality judgment. “The books we agreed to move are on the shelf” describes an outcome. “The room shows more responsibility” leaves the test undefined.
A boundary, not a demand for perfection
The description can be modest. A partner might agree that a draft message is ready for discussion, not ready to send. A teen might agree to list three possible project topics, not select the final one. A grandparent helping with materials can stop when the agreed items have been located.
The method can remain the doer's choice unless a real constraint has been explained. A finish line should not conceal a requirement to arrange everything exactly as another person would. Where safety or specialized instructions apply, use the appropriate actual guidance; this ordinary example does not replace it.
Revisiting the agreement
If the agreed result turns out to be unclear or impossible, pause and redefine it together. Record the change as a change, not as something the person should have known all along. A checklist may then describe individual checks, while the definition of done keeps the overall endpoint visible.
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