Act as my email chief of staff. Help me complete this Outlook task: [EMAIL TASK]. Context: - Recipient and relationship: [RECIPIENT CONTEXT] - Source email, thread, or notes: [SOURCE MATERIAL] - Outcome I need: [DESIRED OUTCOME] - Tone and constraints: [TONE AND CONSTRAINTS] First, identify the task type: reply, new message, follow-up, meeting request, status update, decline, or thread summary. If a required input is missing, ask no more than 3 targeted questions. Otherwise, write the result now. For an email, produce: 1. Three subject-line options if this is a new thread; preserve the existing subject if replying. 2. A send-ready email with a greeting, concise context, the decision/request, and one explicit next step. Keep routine messages under 180 words unless my constraints require more. 3. A brief "Why this works" note naming the ask, deadline, and any point that may need my confirmation. For a thread summary, produce: decisions, open questions, owners, deadlines, and a proposed next email. Do not bury an ask in a paragraph. If requesting action, say who should do what and by when. If declining, acknowledge the request, state the boundary without overexplaining, and offer an alternative only if I supplied one. Do not invent history, commitments, dates, attachments, names, or approval. Preserve confidentiality: do not repeat private details unnecessary for the recipient. Before answering, check that every factual claim is supported by the source material and that the recipient can tell the requested action and deadline in one read.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [EMAIL TASK] | State the task, such as replying to a client, requesting a meeting, or summarizing a thread. | Reply to a vendor asking for a revised implementation timeline. |
| [RECIPIENT CONTEXT] | Describe who will receive it, your relationship, and any relevant power or sensitivity dynamics. | Maya Chen, account manager at our payroll vendor; professional relationship, but we need to hold her to the contract dates. |
| [SOURCE MATERIAL] | Paste the email thread, key notes, or the facts that the message may rely on. | Maya wrote that data migration may slip from October 14 to October 28 because of an internal staffing issue. Our signed plan names October 14 as go-live. |
| [DESIRED OUTCOME] | State the decision, response, meeting, or action you want from the recipient. | Ask for a recovery plan by Friday, confirm whether October 14 remains possible, and schedule a 30-minute call next week. |
| [TONE AND CONSTRAINTS] | Give the desired tone plus any word limit, deadline, policy, or topic to avoid. | Firm, constructive, under 160 words; do not threaten termination or promise acceptance of a delay. |
How to use
- Paste the prompt into ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot, then replace every bracketed field.
- Include the relevant thread or paste only the factual notes the email can safely use.
- Check that the email names one owner, one action, and a real deadline before sending.
- For a tighter revision, send: “Keep the same facts, cut this to 90 words, and make the request appear in the first two sentences.”
Variations
Meeting follow-up
Use after a meeting when people need a written record of decisions and owners.
Write a concise Outlook follow-up from these meeting notes: [MEETING NOTES]. Send it to [RECIPIENTS] and use this tone: [TONE]. Produce a subject line and email with four labeled parts: decisions made, action items with owner and due date, unresolved questions, and the next meeting or checkpoint. Do not assign an owner or date that is not in my notes; label missing ownership as “Owner to confirm.” Keep it under [WORD LIMIT] words. Check that every action item is specific enough to be completed.
Sensitive decline
Use when you need to say no without creating false hope or unnecessary friction.
Draft an Outlook reply declining [REQUEST] from [RECIPIENT AND RELATIONSHIP]. My reason, stated at the level I am comfortable sharing, is: [APPROVED REASON]. Any allowed alternative is: [ALTERNATIVE OR NONE]. Write a subject line only if this is a new email, then a 90–140 word message. Open with appreciation, state the decision clearly, give a brief non-defensive reason, and close professionally. Do not apologize for a valid boundary, invent a policy, or imply future availability unless I provided it. Check that the answer cannot reasonably be read as a tentative yes.
Inbox triage
Use when a long thread needs a fast decision-ready summary before you reply.
Analyze this Outlook thread: [EMAIL THREAD]. I am [MY ROLE], and the decision I may need to make is [DECISION]. Return a compact triage brief with: one-sentence purpose, confirmed facts, decisions already made, open questions, commitments with owners and dates, risks or contradictions, and a recommended next reply. Quote no more than one short phrase when wording matters. Separate facts from your inference. Do not infer agreement from silence. Before answering, flag every deadline or commitment that is ambiguous or unsupported.
Tips
- Put the recipient relationship in the prompt because a note to a direct report, customer, and executive needs different directness.
- For a reply, paste the last two or three relevant messages, not an entire unrelated thread; old context often causes incorrect commitments.
- Use one requested action per email when possible; separate multiple decisions into bullets with an owner and date.
- If the message concerns contract terms, personnel issues, legal exposure, or a financial commitment, use AI for a draft but have the accountable person approve the final wording.
FAQ
Can I paste a confidential Outlook thread into an AI tool?
Follow your employer’s approved AI and data-handling rules. Remove personal, customer, health, financial, and contract details if the tool is not authorized to receive them.
Should an AI write the subject line too?
Yes, for new messages. Ask for subjects that describe the decision or action needed, rather than vague labels such as “Quick question.”
How do I stop the draft from sounding overly formal?
Provide a short example of your normal email voice and set a word limit. Keep the recipient context so the model does not use the same tone for everyone.