Work/Writing & communication
Turn a long update into the message people need
Separate the headline, consequences, and action required from background detail.
WHAT YOU’LL MAKEShort status message
WHAT TO BRINGLong update · Recipient · Decision
Put the decision before the background.
- 01
Identify the recipient and the decision, response, or action the update should enable.
- 02
Ask for a headline, what changed, the consequence, and a clear next step; keep background in a separate optional note.
- 03
Compare the shortened message with the original to catch lost qualifications and newly invented commitments.
Your starting prompt
Replace the bracketed details or make it yours using the form.
Turn this update into a message the recipient can act on. ORIGINAL UPDATE [Add long update] RECIPIENT [Add recipient] DECISION OR ACTION NEEDED [Add decision] Lead with the headline and requested action. Follow with what changed and why it matters. Keep background separate. Preserve factual qualifications, exact numbers, and supplied deadlines; do not invent ownership or commitments. Return the concise message plus a short list of material information removed, so I can check the tradeoff before sending it.
Give it a second look.
- The request names an owner or deadline only when one was supplied.
- Uncertainty in the original remains uncertainty in the shorter version.
A FOLLOW-UP WORTH TRYING
“Make this half as long. Preserve the decision, material uncertainty, and next step; move everything else into an optional background note.”
The capability to look for
An assistant that can work with the supplied text; file upload is helpful for documents.
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