Whose Court Is the Ball In?
- HALO names who is holding up each project.
- I run about a dozen client engagements in parallel, with AI agents doing much of the work under my direction.
- Before I call work blocked, I ask what I can hand over to move it.
- Clients review plans, drafts and questions with the choices laid out.
- A website client approves its structure and old-to-new address map before page work begins.
I manage about a dozen client projects at once, with AI agents doing much of the work under my direction. To track what each project needs next, I built a system called HALO.
I built HALO around one question: whose court is the ball in? When work is waiting, someone needs to act. I want that person to be someone other than me.
A project needs more than a record that work has stopped. If an answer or decision is needed, I want the handoff to make clear what the client can respond to. That way, the next move is tied to something the client can see and answer.
The takeaway
Every project should have a named next move, with the work waiting on me or the client.
How does HALO show who has the next move?
For each project, HALO shows in seconds whether I am holding anything up. When work is stuck, it names whether it is waiting on me or the client. It will not accept "blocked" without a name, because that word alone does not tell anyone what to do next.
Work that reports nothing can look the same as work that is stuck. So the system reports where the work is while it is happening. For each project, I can see whether I am holding anything up, and stuck work names whether it is waiting on me or the client.
A clear name points to the person who has to act next. If it is me, I can address the work on my side. If it is the client, I can check that I have handed over what they need to respond.
What do I do before calling work blocked?
Before I report a block, I ask what I could hand over to move the work. Sometimes the client needs a plan to approve. Sometimes they need a draft to read. If there is a choice to make, I can lay out the options in one question.
A useful handoff gives the client something they can answer quickly. That keeps a request specific: the client can see what I need from them and respond to that item. A plan, a draft and a question with options each give the client something concrete to consider.
Waiting on the client is a good day when I have handed them everything they need. It is a failure when work is sitting undone on my side. The difference is whether the client has the needed handoff or I still have work to do.
When does a website client approve the work?
Clients approve a website build at four points. The first and most important approval comes before I build any pages: the client signs off on the site's structure and the map from old web addresses to new ones. That map shows where existing addresses will lead once the new site is live.
That decision belongs before page work because the pages depend on the agreed structure. If the structure or address plan needs a change, it is better to find that out before I have built pages around it. The approval gives the project a clear handoff and tells me what can move forward.
Why does the plan go up before work starts?
Before any work starts, I put up a written plan that a person can reject. If the plan is wrong, the client can say so before work has begun. A rejection at that point is the cheapest correction there is.
Putting the plan up before work starts gives the client a chance to reject it before the work is underway. That keeps an early correction from becoming a change to work already done.
Common questions
What counts as waiting on me?
Work is waiting on me when I still have something to do before the client can move it forward. I check what I can hand over, such as a plan, draft or question with options. If I have not made the next action clear, I should not call the project client-blocked.
What should I send when a project needs a client decision?
Send the item the client needs to act on, then make the requested response clear. A plan can be approved or rejected; a draft can be read; a question can present the available options. The client should not have to work out what you are asking.
Does this approach apply if I do not use AI agents?
Yes. The rule is about who has the next move, so it can guide work with vendors or internal teams too. You can use it without HALO by naming the person or side holding up each open item and checking whether you have handed over what they need.
Sources
If you want help managing project work this way, work with me fractionally.