Playbook 03 · Exception
Hand off an exception before trust is lost
Stop unsafe or uncertain work cleanly, give a person the right context, and leave a recovery path another operator can trust.
When to use it
Use when an agent, automation, or person reaches a boundary it should not cross alone.
The playbook
Put the same rules in front of people and AI.
- Owner
- The named exception owner with authority to review, approve, or stop the work.
- Approved work
- Pause the workflow, preserve context, and prepare the exact decision that needs human judgment.
- Wait point
- Nothing continues until the reviewer resolves the exception or changes the policy.
- Receipt
- The stop reason, evidence set, reviewer decision, and recovery or rollback action.
The runbook
Execute the decision without losing the boundary.
- 01
Stop the action before it changes a record, sends a message, or commits a decision.
- 02
Attach the source evidence, attempted action, policy boundary, and stop reason.
- 03
Route the exception to the person with decision authority.
- 04
Record the resolution, recovery action, and any policy change before resuming.
What this prevents
Make the opposition visible before it takes possession of the work.
Mistrust
People cannot tell why automation chose an action or where it got its context.
Unreachable AI
The agent lacks the approved access or authority required to proceed.