Task types and when to use which Skill
Classify your problem before asking a Skill: 1) Drafting from scratch — you have purpose and context but no text; 2) Structure/formatting — you have content but paragraphs, subject, or requests are unclear; 3) Wording/tone — facts are set but you want versions that differ in tone. Typical Skills: email-draft-polish (drafting), email-formatter-skill (structure), email-polisher (tone comparisons), email-analysis-and-refinement (compress and preserve key facts).
Minimal input template to give any Skill
Provide these elements up front:
- Recipient role and relationship (e.g., vendor project manager, previously met twice);
- Purpose and desired next step (e.g., confirm delivery date and upload test report within 3 days);
- Facts that must not change (contract number, dates, amounts);
- Tone boundary (formal / polite / assertive) and any length constraints.
This lets the Skill focus on wording and structure instead of guessing context.
Step-by-step procedures
Drafting (use a drafting Skill): 1) Supply the minimal input; ask for subject + concise draft with background / current status / action + deadline; 2) Verify any commitments and attachments are not being promised by the Skill itself; 3) Add or adapt sign-off and copy list manually before sending.
Structure (use a formatter or analyzer): 1) Mark facts and actions that must stay; ask the Skill to return a subject, greeting, numbered action list, and paragraph headings; 2) Compare rewritten message to your fact checklist and ensure nothing critical was dropped.
Tone (use a polisher): 1) Submit the draft and the non-negotiable facts; request several tone variants with short notes on audience and risk; 2) Choose or blend versions, then run the final check list below.
Worked example (complete flow)
Situation: You need a vendor to upload phase-2 test results. Contract A-2024; last meeting 2026-10-30; you need a reply within 3 days. Relationship: collaborative but slow responder. 1) Prepare the minimal template and send to email-draft-polish asking for subject + 3-paragraph draft + action bullet. 2) Review the draft and mark the contract number, meeting date, and 3-day deadline as immutable. 3) Send the draft to email-polisher and request three tone variants: formal, friendly, and firm follow-up, with risk notes. 4) Pick the firm follow-up base, remove any language that could sound accusatory, and keep "current impact" + clear requested action. 5) Final pre-send checks (below) before manually sending.
Pre-send checklist (required manual confirmations)
- Subject reflects purpose and urgency; first sentence states desired action; deadline is explicit.
- Recipient, CC, and BCC are correct and privacy requirements satisfied.
- All dates, contract numbers, and monetary figures are verified.
- Attachments are attached and described in the body.
- No commitment beyond your authority is present; legal/HR/finance-sensitive items have been reviewed.
Limitations and safety notes
- Skills speed up wording but do not decide commitments, recipient scope, or send the message for you.
- Avoid submitting unredacted sensitive or private data to public Skills.
- Follow-up timing, reply tracking, and BCC behavior are workflow or client concerns, not solved by wording alone.
- Always compare rewritten drafts against an explicit facts checklist rather than judging only by tone or brevity.
Conclusion: Use the minimal input template, pick the Skill that matches your task, request explicit variants when adjusting tone, and always perform the manual checklist before sending. Skills are best used to organize and polish language — final verification and decisions remain with you.