Turn close retrospective notes into an action checklist

About this exercise

You're the close manager sending out actions from the retro. Write a prompt for a checklist of the assigned actions only, one per line formatted "- [ ] Owner: action (due date)", then a last line starting "Unassigned:" listing any action with no owner. At most 4 checklist lines. Plain text, under 80 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Listing the unowned task. The AI gives the accrual template task to a team member. Try: Add: "Unassigned: the action nobody volunteered for."
• Including everything. The AI adds went-well items and the lunch. Try: Say: "Leave out praise, problems and social notes."
• Missing due dates. The AI writes actions without dates. Try: Add: "Each line ends with the due date in parentheses."
• Markdown extras. The AI adds bold labels, headings and a closing note. Try: Say: "Plain text, no bold. Output only the lines asked for."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits. Try: Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each line short.

What a strong prompt includes

• Gives the checklist format
• Limits to assigned actions
• Asks for the unassigned line
• Excludes other notes
• Caps length

Practice this now ↑

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