Can you get into the “I need you to do something for me” mode without going through the dialog tree with your companion?
Answer
If you press and hold X (PS3) like you would to move an item around when your cursor is on your companion you immediately enter the “do something for me” mode. I discovered this when trying to put a hat on an alchemy table that was being crowded by Lydia.
Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : Ben Jackson , Answer Author : Ben Jackson