Write a One-Paragraph Brief for a Colleague
Added 2026-11-04
Context, ask, deadline, escalation — in one paragraph.
I need to ask a colleague for help (details below). Write one paragraph: 1) one line of context — why it is needed; 2) exactly what to deliver, with format and scope; 3) deadline and urgency; 4) what I will provide; 5) who to ask if they get stuck. Under 150 words, and avoid vague phrasing like "take a look when you have time".
Site original
Chinese original
How to use
请求的可执行性，取决于「交付物」写得有多具体。
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.