Write a one-page operating brief for your Bot

An operating brief tells your assistant how you want work prepared. Keep it short enough to inspect and specific enough to test. This workflow produces a document you can reuse; it does not depend on an unverified memory feature.

Prepare the input

List your recurring work, preferred output style, and actions that need a separate decision. Separate stable preferences from temporary project facts. Use one real example of a result you liked and one you had to rewrite.

Run the workflow

Ask for a brief with purpose, source rules, uncertainty handling, output format, and external-action boundaries. Review conflicts before using it. A rule to be concise should not remove important uncertainty; a rule to be proactive should not authorize sending messages.

Prompt to copy

Draft a one-page operating brief from these preferences: [details].
Include: recurring jobs, source requirements, handling of missing facts,
output style, and actions that require my explicit instruction.
Keep temporary facts in a separate section with an expiry or review date.
Flag conflicting instructions instead of resolving them silently.
Do not include credentials or private account access information.

Review a worked example

Illustrative preference: “Give me concise supplier comparisons, but show sources.” A useful rule is “Lead with the material differences and attach a source to each factual claim.” “Always pick the cheapest supplier” would be an invented decision rule.

Test the brief on a small comparison. Check whether the assistant preserves missing information and distinguishes a recommendation from a source fact. Remove rules that are vague or duplicated.

Test two instructions that might conflict: a short answer and a requirement to show uncertainty. The brief should explain how both are satisfied, for example a concise conclusion followed by the unresolved facts. If it simply chooses one, revise the rule. Keep a version date so you know which operating brief produced a result.

Use it again

Attach or paste the reviewed brief with the next task as supported by your environment. Keep customer, deadline, and current document version in the task itself. Review the brief when your workflow changes. For a personal assistant direction see Bot; organizational access policies need a separate integration scope.