Habits that make delegation work

Cowork has no command menu — you just talk to it. A handful of phrases and one chat-hygiene rule are what separate "occasionally useful" from "a colleague you can rely on." Here is the essential set, no filler.

Six phrases worth memorizing

1. "Show me the plan before you execute." — for big tasks, ask for the steps first, approve them, then let it run. No surprises.
2. "Summarize what you did." — a closing summary lets you check quickly.
3. "Don't change anything without asking me." — when you are working on important files, so an edit never lands on an original before you have seen it.
4. "Ask me if anything is unclear." — this nudges it to ask for clarification instead of guessing.
5. "Stop — go back to the approved plan." — you don't have to let a long task run to the end. If it drifts, interrupt it and steer it back. This is the everyday partner to phrase #1.
6. "From now on, always do it this way." — the moment you catch yourself correcting the same thing twice, turn the fix into a standing rule instead of repeating it (where those rules live is lesson 1.10).