Ask for Clear Priorities
Added 2026-10-31
Turn "everything matters" into an ordered list with trade-offs stated.
I have several tasks; my manager says all matter but gave no order. Write a message: 1) list the items by my understanding of urgency; 2) show which two would slow each other if done together; 3) ask which one to do first if only one can; 4) offer two possible orders with their costs; 5) end with a one-line confirmation request. Under 150 words, no complaining.
Site original
Chinese original
How to use
要优先级时，给选项和代价，比问「先做哪个」有效。
Try tweaking it
- Ask for three columns: conclusion, owner, deadline — ready to paste into a table.
- Let it organise only your notes; do not add decisions that were never made.
What you should get
- Task list with owner, deadline and blocker
- Escalations that need a decision, listed separately
Common mistakes
- Feeding raw notes and letting it fill in decisions that were never made.
- Getting owners without deadlines, so no task can be created.
How to check the output
- Every item has an owner and a date — ready to become a task.
- It does not record decisions that were never made.
Where it works
- Good for: turning verbal discussion into owner, deadline and blocker.
- Watch out: let it organise only the notes you supply — never let it infer decisions that were not made.