The Current Brief Template

When to use it

Create a current brief when:

the conversation contains several versions of the task;
an old audience, deadline or constraint keeps returning;
you have corrected the same point twice;
the output is getting broader instead of more useful; or
you want a clean handoff to a new chat or colleague.

1. Fill in the current brief

Copyable template 1

CURRENT BRIEF

Job to be done:
Audience:
Decision or action this should support:

Current facts:
-
-
-

Current constraints:
- Deadline:
- Length or format:
- Required inclusions:
- Exclusions:
- Tone:

Sources to use:
-

Sources or instructions to ignore:
-

Unknowns that must stay marked:
-

Output required now:

Approval status:
Draft / Reviewed / Approved for use

Only include information that is still active. If two instructions conflict, resolve the conflict before you paste the brief.

2. Reset the conversation

Paste the completed brief with this instruction:

Copyable template 1

Treat the CURRENT BRIEF below as the source of truth for this task.

Use earlier conversation only when it does not conflict with the brief. Do not revive superseded facts, audiences, deadlines or instructions.

Before drafting, return:
1. the job you understand,
2. the audience,
3. the decision or action the output supports,
4. the constraints you will follow,
5. any material conflict or missing fact.

Wait for my confirmation before producing the final output.

[PASTE CURRENT BRIEF]

3. Worked example

This fictional example resets a project-update task after the deadline and audience changed.

Copyable template 1

CURRENT BRIEF

Job to be done:
Draft a short internal update on the Northstar onboarding pilot.

Audience:
Operations director and three team leads.

Decision or action this should support:
Decide whether to extend the pilot for two more weeks.

Current facts:
- 18 employees were invited.
- 14 completed the new onboarding form.
- 3 submissions needed follow-up because required fields were blank.

Current constraints:
- Deadline: Thursday, 4:00 p.m.
- Length or format: 180 words maximum, email body only.
- Required inclusions: completion count, follow-up count and proposed next step.
- Exclusions: no customer impact claim and no projected savings.
- Tone: calm, direct and neutral.

Sources to use:
- Northstar pilot tracker dated October 28.
- Team lead notes dated October 27.

Sources or instructions to ignore:
- The earlier Friday deadline.
- The earlier request for a customer-facing announcement.

Unknowns that must stay marked:
- Time saved per submission has not been measured.

Output required now:
A reviewed internal email draft with a clear recommendation and owner.

Approval status:
Reviewed

4. Check the AI’s restatement

Do not approve the draft until its restatement passes these checks:

□ The audience matches the current brief.
□ The decision or action is explicit.
□ Old deadlines and superseded instructions are absent.
□ Unknowns remain unknown.
□ The requested format and length are correct.
□ Every figure can be traced to a named source.

If something is wrong, correct the brief itself, not only the AI’s answer. Then paste the corrected brief again.

5. Ask for the output

Copyable template 1

The restatement is approved. Produce the requested output using only the current brief and the named sources.

After the draft, add a short verification note listing:
- each figure used and its source,
- any remaining assumption,
- any requirement you could not satisfy.

Keep the brief current

Save the accepted brief with a date or version number. When the work changes, update the brief and mark the older version superseded.

The rule to keep: Long conversations are useful history. The current brief is the active instruction.