Cue debt

Accumulated unclear prompts that make people slow down before acting.

Relay phrase

A sentence written so another person can pass the signal along without private shorthand.

False urgency

A visual or verbal cue that demands attention without changing risk, timing, or ownership.

Quiet baseline

The ordinary state used to prove that a cue has actually changed.

Retirement rule

A condition that removes a signal once it stops helping decisions.

Signal owner

The role responsible for checking the cue and naming the next move.