Workplace Writing skills
Workplace Writing Skills-md for Claude, Codex & AI Agents
Workplace writing skills are SKILL.md files that turn Claude, Codex and other AI agents into a careful writing partner for work documents. They write in stages from reader and key message to outline, draft and edit, test every draft with a fresh reader, and keep memos to one page with the bottom line first, so your documents are shorter, clearer and easier to act on.
11 of 13 skills published, version 1.0.0, October 2026.
Workplace Writing Process
Write any workplace document in stages: context and reader, a one or two-sentence key message, an outline agreed first, a fast draft from real sources, a fresh-reader test that finds gaps, editing for cuts and clarity and a final fact check, with shapes for memos, proposals, reports, briefs, SOPs, policies and updates.
Memos and One-Pagers
Write one-page memos and one-pagers for decisions, proposals, status updates, ideas, incidents and projects: the bottom line in two sentences, brief context, options with benefits, costs and risks, a recommendation, a specific ask with a date and templates that fit on one page.
Proposals
Write proposals that win approval: internal business cases, client, partnership, funding and project proposals that open with the reader's problem, set measurable outcomes, define scope and exclusions, price options plainly, show evidence and risks, follow required formats and end with a dated next step.
Reports
Write reports that get read and used: the question first, key findings with numbers, implications, evidence with headline chart titles, facts separated from interpretation, limitations and confidence stated, recommendations with owners and dates, and templates for performance, research, evaluation and project reports.
SOPs and Process Documents
Write SOPs, checklists, how-to guides, runbooks and handovers people actually follow: capturing the process from the expert, purpose, scope and roles, numbered one-action steps with exact system names, checks, warnings and exception tables, a newcomer test and an owner, version and review date.
Executive Summaries
Write executive summaries senior readers act on: standalone summaries of content rather than structure, situation, three to five key points with numbers, recommendation, impact, an explicit ask with a date and next steps, the SCQA alternative, board paper rules, a three-line version and a consistency check against the document.
Project Briefs
Write project briefs that align a team before work starts: background, one goal with measurable success, audience, scope and exclusions, deliverables, constraints, timeline, owner and approvers, risks and open questions, variations for creative, product, event, research and agency briefs, sign-off and a change log.
Policies and Guidelines
Write workplace policies and guidelines people understand: purpose and scope, numbered rules using must and should, examples of allowed and not allowed, exceptions and approvals, responsibilities and proportionate consequences, a summary first, owner and review date, and flags for legal, HR or compliance review.
Plain English
Rewrite or write text in plain English: main point first, short sentences, common word swaps, active voice, lists and tables, second-language readers, readability as a rough guide, and meaning checks so facts, obligations and legal effect stay exact, with plain summaries beside wording that must not change.
Writing Feedback
Give useful feedback on documents: the purpose and reader first, review layers from structure and argument to evidence, clarity and style, a short summary, must-fix, should-fix and optional comments with location, reason and suggestion, tone adapted to the writer and a method for merging several reviewers.
Team Style Guide
Create a one to three-page team writing style guide: voice traits with do and don't examples, English variant, punctuation choices, formats for dates, times, numbers and money, product names and banned terms, inclusive language, templates and an AI-ready version for writing agents, with an owner and reviews.
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What workplace writing skills do for an AI agent
Ask a general AI model for a memo or report and you usually get several pages of confident, polished text that buries the point, repeats itself and fills gaps with plausible guesses. It looks finished, but readers still have to work out what is being asked of them.
These skills slow down the parts that matter and speed up the rest. The agent first asks who will read the document and what they must decide, writes the key message in two sentences, agrees an outline with you, drafts only from your sources, then tests the draft with a fresh reader that has no background, the approach used in Anthropic's own document co-authoring skill. Edits cut what readers do not need, and memos stay on one page with the ask first.
Memos, proposals, reports and processes
The set covers the writing process, memos, proposals, reports, procedures, executive summaries, briefs, policies, editing, plain English, feedback, team style guides and writing with AI.
Where to start: the writing process
Start with writing-process. It works for any document: context and reader, key message, outline, draft, fresh-reader test, edit and final check. Most people find their documents get shorter and clearer from the first use, because the thinking happens before the typing.
Then use memos-one-pagers whenever you need a decision, want support for an idea or need to update leaders. The one-page limit forces a clear ask, options with costs and risks and a specific next step.
A good habit for any important document is the two-sentence test: before drafting, write what the reader should know or do in two sentences. If that is hard, gather more context or make the decision you have been avoiding, then write. The same test works at the end: a fresh reader should be able to repeat those two sentences back after one read.
A typical first week looks like this: pick one document you have been putting off, run the full process with the agent and send it. Then use the one-page memo format for your next request to leadership. Most people notice two changes quickly. Their documents get shorter, because background and repetition are cut before anyone reads them, and decisions come faster, because readers see the ask, the options and the risks on one page. Over time, the same habits make every email, update and report easier to write, since the hard part, knowing exactly what you want the reader to do, is settled first.
More skills for proposals, reports and editing follow soon.
The 13 skills in this set, and the rules behind them
Thirteen skills are planned for this set. Eleven are live now; editing and AI-assisted writing follow.
| Skill | What it does | Status |
|---|---|---|
writing-process | Write any document in stages with a fresh-reader test | Live |
memos-one-pagers | One-page memos for decisions, proposals and updates | Live |
proposals | Internal and client proposals that get approved | Live |
reports | Reports that lead with findings and meaning | Live |
sops-process-docs | Step-by-step procedures people actually follow | Live |
executive-summaries | Summaries senior readers act on | Live |
project-briefs | Briefs that align a team before work starts | Live |
policies-guidelines | Clear rules people understand | Live |
editing-tightening | Cut, clarify and restructure any draft | Planned |
plain-english | Plain language for every reader | Live |
writing-feedback | Useful feedback on other people's documents | Live |
team-style-guide | A short style guide for consistent writing | Live |
ai-assisted-writing | Writing with AI without sounding like AI | Planned |
The rules behind these skills
| Rule | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Know the reader before writing | Purpose and audience decide length, order and tone |
| Write the key message first | If it cannot be said in two sentences, the thinking is not done |
| Bottom line up front | Busy readers decide in the first paragraph |
| Outline before polishing | Fixing structure later wastes hours |
| Test with a fresh reader | Someone without context finds the gaps |
| Never invent facts | Gaps are marked, not filled with guesses |
Example prompts
Each skill triggers on everyday wording. These prompts are good starting points:
- Any document: “Help me write a proposal to extend our pilot.”
- Stuck draft: “I have notes but cannot start. Walk me through it.”
- Reader test: “Read this as a director with no context. What is unclear?”
- One-pager: “Turn this four-page document into a one-page memo.”
- Decision memo: “Write a memo asking for budget for one more hire.”
- Incident: “Write an incident summary for leadership.”
- Project: “Create a project one-pager for the new onboarding flow.”
What the agent needs from you
Good writing help depends on your input:
- Purpose: what the document is for and who asked for it.
- Readers: who they are, what they know and what worries them.
- Sources: notes, data, previous documents and decisions.
- Constraints: length, template, deadline and approval process.
- Your view: the recommendation or position you want to take.
If something is missing, the skills ask or leave clear placeholders rather than inventing facts.
What an agent cannot do, and myths to ignore
An agent can structure, draft, test and edit, but it cannot make your decisions, know facts you have not shared or judge the politics of your organisation. You stay responsible for the recommendation and the final words.
| Myth | What works better |
|---|---|
| Longer documents look more thorough | Short documents with clear asks get read and approved |
| Start with background | Start with the conclusion; background goes later or in an appendix |
| AI can write it in one prompt | Staged work produces clearer documents |
| Polish as you go | Fix structure first, then sentences |
| Formal language sounds professional | Plain language is faster to read and harder to misread |
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a good work document?
Know the reader and purpose, write the key message in two sentences, agree an outline, draft from sources, test with a fresh reader and edit.
What is a fresh-reader test?
Giving the draft to someone, or a separate AI session, without context and asking what it asks them to do and what is unclear.
How long should a memo be?
One page, with the bottom line in the first two sentences and detail in appendices.
Can AI write my reports and proposals?
It can draft, structure and edit from your sources, while you supply the purpose, facts and judgement.
What should come first in a document?
The conclusion, recommendation or ask, followed by reasons and evidence.
How do I make a document shorter?
Cut background, repetition and hedging, use tables for options and move detail to appendices.
Which agents can use these skills?
Claude, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI and other tools that support the Agent Skills format.
Are these skills free?
Yes, under CC BY 4.0, as long as you credit Afeez Adebayo and link to the source page.
Sources and more skills
- Anthropic skills repository (doc co-authoring)
- Agent Skills specification
Checked on 13 October 2026. See all Productivity skills, including Email and Inbox and Meetings and Calendar.
