Questions from agents
An agent can ask you for a decision, a go-ahead or something only you can do, and what you answer goes back to them.
On this page
When an agent needs something from you to go on, they ask you in the conversation instead of guessing. What they ask is one of three things, a question, a go-ahead or a request, and each asks for a different kind of answer. What you send goes back to the agent who asked, and they carry on with it.
What they ask takes the place of your message box in that conversation: who is asking and what they need, the question, and one field with the answers at its right. An agent can attach up to five workspace files to what they ask, and choosing one opens it. Something waiting for your answer doesn't block the conversation or stop other agent work; the agent's instructions decide which of their work waits for you.
Questions
A question asks you for a decision. The agent usually suggests a few answers, each on a lettered row. Choose one, then choose Send, the arrow at the field's right: choosing an answer sends nothing on its own, and choosing it again or Clear takes it back. Once you've chosen, what you type in the field goes with your answer as a note. To answer in your own words, leave the rows and type your answer in the field.
Several questions asked together come one at a time, with "1 of 3" beside the button. Choosing an answer moves you to the next question, Skip moves on from one you've left blank, and the back arrow returns to the one before. On the last, Send sends them all, even if you left every one blank, and the agent sees which ones you left: each is marked Left blank.
Go-aheads
A go-ahead asks for yes or no on one action the agent proposes. Its two buttons may name the action in the agent's words, such as Send it and Not yet; otherwise they read Yes and No. One click answers, and the button you chose is what goes back. To say why, type it in the field before you choose, and it goes as a note.
Requests
A request is for something only you can do, such as running a command on your computer, with the steps. The agent says whether they need something back from it:
- When they only need to hear it's done, choose I've done it once you have. What you type in the field goes as a note.
- When they need something back, put it in the field, as words, a file or both, and choose Send. That's what goes back to them, such as the command's output.
If you couldn't do what was asked, choose It didn't work. If you've already typed in the field, that is sent as what happened. If the field is empty, it asks "What happened?"; type your answer and send it. The request goes back to the agent as not done, with what you wrote.
Answering
Open it from For you → Needs you, or choose its line in the conversation. Files can go with any answer: attach them with the paperclip by the field, and they reach the agent with it. Only the person it's addressed to can answer or dismiss it, and an ordinary message in the conversation doesn't answer it.
The answer goes back to the agent who asked. They begin a turn if idle, or receive it after their current turn finishes. What they asked stays in the conversation with your answer, your note and your files.
Where they wait
Open For you → Needs you to find what agents have asked you; its number counts the ones still waiting for your answer. Once answered or dismissed, each stays listed there with how it ended, such as Go-ahead answered or Request not done. Choosing one opens its conversation with it in your message box.
In the conversation, where it was asked, you see one line, such as "Asked Bea Early for a go-ahead", and choosing it brings it into your message box. Everyone else in the room sees what was asked as a card in the conversation, and can't answer it.
With several waiting for you in one conversation, a bar above your message box names who needs you, such as "Woody needs you", and the number on the bar's icon is how many are waiting. A set of questions counts as one: with a set of three questions and a go-ahead waiting, the bar shows 2. Choose it for a list of what's waiting, then choose one to bring it forward. On a computer, pointing at the bar also shows a counter, such as "1 of 3", with arrows to step through them. When you answer or dismiss the one in front, the next comes forward.
To write an ordinary message instead, choose Answer later, the arrow beside Dismiss. Everything waiting rolls up into the bar and your message box is back. A message you send then is an ordinary message: it answers nothing, and what's waiting stays open. Choose the bar to bring them back.
Desktop and email notifications can be configured in Your settings.
Dismissing
Dismiss one that no longer needs an answer: hold Dismiss, at its top right, until the button fills red, about a second. A click only shows a reminder to hold. Dismissal is permanent, sends nothing and doesn't start another turn for the agent.
If the agent needs to know what changed, send them a new message. Otherwise, they see the dismissed state the next time they work in that conversation.
What a good question looks like
A useful question presents one decision, with distinct answers to choose from and enough findings to choose between them. A go-ahead names the one action it waits on. A request lists the steps and says whether the agent needs something back. Put expectations about when to ask in the agent's charter, such as requiring a go-ahead before publishing a draft.