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Assertion: the quality (value to the person requesting something) is in direct proportion to the 'well-formedness' of the outcome.

Presuppostion: both parties are willing to negotiate to a consensus.

Presupposition: the intention of both parties is to produce (realize) the outcome.

Presupposition: all behavior is the result of an initial good intention from the point of view of actor.

An outcome is often divided into two parts: a request and a commitment are two halves of a whole 'Conversation For Action (a concept put forward by Terry Winograd of Stanford). The purpose of the conversation is to have a person make a request of another person, the second person commit (or promise) to fulfill the request.

• a request is in the form of a question
• a commitment is in the form of an assertion

Outcomes have the following properties. All of these are necessary in order to make the outcome well-formed.

• Specificity: precisely stated action to be performed and result desired from the action. Specific as to outcome, form, place, time, cost, value, person(s):
  • outcome: what is the desired result from the action? The outcome itself must be stated. A complete picture of the Desired State? of the requestor is most useful.
  • form: what form will the result be needed in?
  • place: where will the action be performed and where will the result be delivered?
  • time: when is the result needed and how much time can the action take?
  • cost: what is the budget for carrying out the action and the cost of materials for the result?
  • value: how will the person performing the commitment be compensated and how will the requestor be using the result in future work?
  • person: who is making the request, the commitment response, carrying out the action, delivering the result, receiving the result, and using the result?
• Obtainability: the result must be able to be achieved by the person(s) within the specifications made.
• Positive: the commitment is for what is wanted, not what is not wanted. There are no statements of the form "Don't do ..." or "I don't want...". A positive outcome is easier and richer to specify than the list of things it isn't supposed to be.
• Appropriate chunk size: the result requested can be negotiated in a single setting. The requestor must be able to use the result delivered
• Ecological?: the outcome is not harmful to any of those involved, and furthers the goals and needs of the requestor.

Request Form:

"I request that you perform X delivering Y by time T"

Commitment Form:

1. "I accept."
2. "I decline."
3. A counteroffer to negotiate the specifications of X, Y, and T. "I can't do X but I can do X', by date T'. Is that ok?"
4. A commitment to a future commitment ("I can't tell you now, but I'll get back to you about it on date."

All requests require a response; there is no such thing as silence equals agreement. The opposite is the case: if no response is made, the requestor should consider the request declined.

The well-formedness of the outcome / request / commitment is the result of the full and independent commitment of both parties to having a well-formed outcome / request / commitment. Each party is completely and independently responsible for the well-formedness of the outcome / request / commitment.

Assertion: quality of life is dependent upon achieving one's outcomes in life, which is directly linked to the quality (i.e. 'well-formedness') of one's outcomes.