During a recent visit to the New Theatre Oxford to see Welsh National Opera’s production of Candide, I was reminded of one of the most fascinating quirks in musical theatre: some shows never stop evolving. Candide has been revised, reworked, reimagined and “fixed” more times than almost any other operetta. It’s dazzling, uneven, brilliant, flawed — and beloved.
But it raises a provocative question:
When is a piece of work truly finished? And who decides?
In the arts, ambiguity can be creative.
In organizations, ambiguity can be costly.
And it appears far more often than we think.
The hidden risk of unclear expectations
Every team has encountered a version of this scenario:
- Someone completes a task.
- Someone else expects something different.
- Misalignment creates frustration.
- The task is revisited, expanded or redone.
- Morale dips.
- Momentum slows.
- Deadlines tighten.
All because the definition of “done” was never explicitly shared.
This is not a failure of competence. It’s a failure of clarity.
Why a shared definition of “done” matters
Having clear completion criteria does more than streamline workflows. It:
- reduces rework and duplicated effort,
- prevents miscommunication across teams,
- empowers people to deliver with confidence,
- reduces friction between departments,
- improves data quality and auditability,
- strengthens trust in delegation,
- and frees up time for higher-value work.
Without a shared understanding, even the most talented teams can find themselves unintentionally pulling in different directions.
Ambiguity is the enemy of effective delegation
Delegation is not simply assigning work. It is giving someone the authority, information and confidence to deliver a clear outcome.
When completion criteria are vague, people often:
- over-deliver out of caution,
- under-deliver out of misunderstanding,
- or hesitate to ask questions for fear of seeming unsure.
All three slow you down.
Clear expectations, on the other hand, accelerate performance and strengthen trust.
What a “definition of done” looks like
Your definition of “done” doesn’t need to be elaborate. It just needs to be shared.
It might include:
- Scope — What exactly is being completed?
- Quality — What are the required standards?
- Format — How should the outcome be presented?
- Deadline — When is it due, and are there review milestones?
- Dependencies — Who else needs to do something for this to succeed?
- Criteria — What must be true for us to agree this task is finished?
When teams use these prompts consistently, work becomes more predictable, efficient and harmonious.
Clarity is a kindness
Many people avoid being overly specific because they fear it feels controlling or rigid. In reality, clarity is a kindness. It reduces uncertainty, anxiety and hidden labor. It helps people understand what success looks like.
Moreover, it creates space for creativity and autonomy — because the boundaries are clear.
What arts organizations can do today
Here are simple steps to strengthen clarity across your teams:
- Add “definition of done” conversations into every briefing Ask: What will the finished outcome look like to you? Here’s what it looks like to me.
- Document repeatable tasks Regular tasks benefit from shared criteria everyone can reference.
- Encourage questions — early Confusion is cheap at the start, expensive at the end.
- Use consistent language across teams Avoid ambiguity like “ASAP,” “quick review,” or “final-ish.”
- Celebrate when teams meet “done” collaboratively Reinforce the behaviour you want to see repeated.
Why this matters to us at Artifax
We work with organizations that manage complex workflows across artistic, technical, programming, finance and front-of-house teams. Misalignment adds pressure; clarity eases it.
Artifax tools help teams structure processes, communicate expectations and document outcomes. But beyond software, we believe in building cultures where people understand what success looks like — and feel empowered to achieve it.
Work doesn’t need endless revisions, like Candide.
With a clear, shared definition of “done,” everyone can move forward together.