Explain a scope change before starting it

A request to add one more page may sound small while changing the research, design and approval work around it. Explain the effect before starting the extra task. Once the work is underway, both parties may have different assumptions about whether it was included, authorised or simply being explored.

Compare the request with the agreed baseline

Use the current brief or agreement to identify what changes. Avoid arguing from memory. State the existing deliverable, the new request and the difference between them. The difference may concern quantity, audience, format, review rounds or the level of research—not just the number of finished files.

For a hypothetical brochure project, adding a new audience may require different examples even if the page count stays the same. Explaining that dependency is more useful than saying the request is ‘out of scope’ without further detail. The phrase names a boundary but does not explain why it matters.

Identify the impact on timing, effort and other commitments. If you cannot estimate it yet, propose a short assessment before committing. Do not disguise an uncertain estimate as a fixed promise. Keep commercial or contractual changes within the approval process agreed for the project.

Present a decision, not a surprise

Offer options when there is a real choice. The requester might replace an existing section, move the delivery date or commission an additional piece separately. Describe what each option includes and leaves out. Avoid presenting a reduced output as equivalent to the original unless it still meets the intended purpose.

A change note can be brief: the requested addition, its effect, the proposed option, the person who can authorise it and the point at which work can begin. This is a communication record, not a substitute for any formal agreement your relationship requires.

Make the approval explicit. A discussion of possibilities does not necessarily authorise new work. If the client says they will check internally, keep the request pending. Do not start the task and then use the effort already spent as a reason they must accept it.

After agreement, update the shared brief and schedule. Tell anyone whose work depends on the changed output. A scope change affects more than the person receiving the request; the editor, designer or reviewer may otherwise continue using the old assumptions.

Small changes can accumulate. If repeated additions are altering the project, pause to review the whole picture rather than processing each request as an isolated exception. The aim is a shared understanding of the work, not an adversarial count of every conversation.