What’s inside

One SKILL.md (the playbook) + one starter template. A preview:

Work Report

When to use

• Friday's weekly report is due, but it reads like a diary — even you can't stand it
• Month-end or quarter-end needs a work report that turns a month of work into a coherent story
• A promotion review or performance appraisal needs the "results, thinking, plan" three-act structure
• A project retrospective needs conclusion-first: say whether it worked before explaining why
• Your boss keeps saying "get to the point" and you need a "say it in 30 seconds" framework

Workflow

1. Land the conclusion (input: raw work notes → output: one-sentence conclusion)
   Force yourself to write one sentence first: "The single most important conclusion of this period is ___." A weekly report might say "Project A is 2 weeks behind because ___, and I've done ___ about it"; a review might say "I delivered ___, and the reason I exceeded expectations is ___." If you can't write this sentence, you haven't thought it through yet — think first, then write.
2. Build the skeleton (input: one-sentence conclusion → output: three-part outline)
   Pyramid structure: the conclusion on top, up to 3 supporting arguments in the middle (results / progress / issues), data and facts at the base. No report gets more than 3 sub-points — merge or cut the rest. Pick the length first: 5-minute version (1 page), 15-minute version (5–8 pages), 30-minute version (10–15 pages).
3. Add the flesh (input: outline → output: complete first draft)
   Write each point in three sentences: "what I did → what happened (data) → what it means." Results are written as "outcome + comparison" (month-over-month / year-over-year / target completion rate); issues as "symptom + root cause + actions taken or planned" — never raise a problem without a solution.
4. Align the numbers (input: first draft → output: final draft with consistent definitions)
   Check every number: definitions unified (e.g. "order volume" means the same thing throughout), time ranges labeled clearly, percentages shown with their numerator and denominator. Numbers must reconcile with last period's report — explain any that don't.
5. Cut the fluff (input: final draft → output: trimmed version)
   Delete three kinds of content: ① empty adjectives ("pushed hard", "achieved remarkable results") ② process details unrelated to the conclusion ③ saying the same thing twice. Keep only what supports the conclusion, per page and per paragraph.
6. Prepare for questions (input: trimmed version → output: Q&A prep)
   For every issue and risk in the report, anticipate the 3–5 most likely follow-up questions from your boss or the reviewers, and write answer outlines. Prepare explanations for data anomalies in advance — don't get caught flat-footed.

Output spec

Template preview

Work Report Skeleton (pick one of three lengths)

> How to use: keep only the length that fits the occasion; delete the other two lengths and all "Fill-in tip" lines before using. > Iron rule: the first sentence of every paragraph / page must be the takeaway — never bury the conclusion at the end.

Tier A: 5-minute one-pager (weekly report / standup)

This period's one-sentence conclusion

Three supporting points (exactly 3 — merge or cut the rest)

1. —— data:
2. —— data:
3. —— symptom, root cause, action

Next steps (max 3, each with a clear deliverable and deadline)

1. —— deliverable, deadline
2. —— deliverable, deadline

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