The reading version
Every Friday at 3:30pm, the same problem. Report due at 4. Blank page, no time. The Friday report isn't a time problem — it's a context-switching problem. You've been in delivery mode all week, and now you need to translate it into exec-readable language in the last twenty minutes.
The fix is the four-part prompt: Role, Context, Format, Constraints. Role tells the model what posture to write from. Context is your messy notes. Format is the shape the committee wants. Constraints are the parts most people skip — which is exactly why their reports sound like a press release.
What to check before sending
Read the draft for three things: the RAG calls (do they match your actual gut?), the decisions-needed section (is the ask sharp?), and the tone (does it sound like you, not a chatbot?). That check takes three minutes. Ninety saved.
- Shape raw updates into sections
- Group wins by theme
- Enforce word count
- Draft the headline
- Decide what the single headline is
- Rank the blockers
- Name the risk you're worried about
- Sign your name to it