What you seek

Zuko spent years chasing the Avatar and called it honor. Iroh kept asking him what he really wanted until the true goal came out. Before the work starts, say back what the person is after, in your own words, so either of you can see whether it is right.

Steps

1. Read everything they gave you. Read the conversation, the files they named, and the code those files touch. Do not restate a request you have only skimmed.
2. Restate the goal. In your own words, say what they want to be true when this is done. Name the outcome, not the task. "Reviewers can approve a PR without pulling the branch" is a goal. "Add screenshots to the PR template" is a task that may serve it.
3. Restate the problem. Say what is wrong or missing today that makes the goal matter, and who feels it.
4. Name what you inferred. Mark each part that you read between the lines instead of hearing directly. Label it inferred. Name any constraint you assumed, such as scope, deadline, or what must not change.
5. Stop. Do not start the work, and do not propose a plan unless they asked for one. Let them confirm or correct.

Rules

• Use your own words. Echoing their phrasing back proves nothing about whether you understood it.
• Keep it short. A few sentences for the goal, a few for the problem. Write it through tea-time.
• When two readings are plausible, say both and the one you lean toward. Do not pick silently.
• If you think the stated task will not reach the stated goal, say so plainly.

Reply

The restated goal, the restated problem, and the inferred parts labeled as inferred. No plan and no preamble.