A request can be marked done while its intended
A request can be marked done while its intended outcome remains unresolved. An invitation was sent but not accepted, a file was shared with the wrong access, or a stakeholder update was drafted but never approved. Closure proof is the smallest piece of evidence showing that the requested outcome occurred. Define it when the work is accepted: a confirmation, approved document version, recorded decision, successful access check, or explicit handoff to another owner.
Match proof to consequence
Match proof to consequence. Routine work may need a link or timestamp. High-risk access, board distribution, spend, or external commitments may require authorized confirmation and a retained source record. Avoid screenshots when a system event is more reliable and easier to secure. Do not copy confidential contents into a general tracker merely to prove completion. The record can point to a restricted source and show who verified it.
Distinguish completion from transfer
Distinguish completion from transfer. If support routes a decision to an executive, the routing action is complete but the original business request may still be waiting. Keep both statuses visible and give the waiting work a current owner and next check. Likewise, a sent email does not prove the recipient understood or accepted a changed commitment. The definition should follow the outcome promised to the requester, within the authority of the support role.
Sample recently closed requests and test whether another authorized
Sample recently closed requests and test whether another authorized person can understand the outcome without reconstructing the inbox. Reopened items, access failures, and stakeholder follow-ups are useful signals, but read the cases behind them. Too much proof can turn routine work into bureaucracy; too little shifts uncertainty downstream. A proportionate standard gives leaders trustworthy status and lets support close work confidently without claiming more than the record demonstrates.
Frequently asked questions
Does every request need an attachment as proof?
No. Use the smallest reliable evidence appropriate to the consequence, such as a system status, link, confirmation, or decision record.
Is a forwarded request complete?
Only the routing step is complete. The underlying outcome remains open unless the agreed definition of done says otherwise.
Ready to define the role?
Use a recent leadership week to scope the support that would make the biggest difference. The consultation is a working conversation, not a generic pitch.
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