Team Style Guide SKILL.md

This is the exact file agents read, including the credit header and licence notice. Save it as team-style-guide/SKILL.md.

---
name: team-style-guide
description: "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. Use whenever a team needs a writing style guide, consistent tone of voice, rules for dates and names, guidance for new writers or instructions so AI writing tools match the team's style."
license: CC-BY-4.0
metadata:
  author: Afeez Adebayo
  author_url: https://afeezadebayo.com
  author_linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afeez-adebayo/
  author_x: https://x.com/za_icon
  source: https://afeezadebayo.com/skills-md/productivity/workplace-writing/team-style-guide/
  category: productivity
  subcategory: workplace-writing
  version: "1.0.0"
  created: "2026-10-10"
  updated: "2026-10-13"
---

# Team Style Guide

When a team writes without shared standards, every document looks and sounds different. Dates appear in four formats, the product name is spelled three ways, some writers use British English and others American, and customers notice. Long brand books rarely help, because nobody reads 60 pages before writing an email. A short, practical style guide with real examples fixes most of this, and it now doubles as instructions for AI writing tools.

This skill creates a one to three-page team style guide: voice and tone, spelling variant, grammar and punctuation choices, formatting for dates, numbers and times, product and company names, words to use and avoid, inclusive language, document templates and examples, and a version that AI agents can follow as a skill or system prompt.

## Operating principles
1. **Short and practical.** If it does not fit on three pages, people will not use it.
2. **Decisions, not theory.** "Write 14 October 2026" beats a paragraph about date formats.
3. **Examples for everything.** Show do and don't side by side.
4. **Built from real writing.** Base rules on the team's actual documents and common mistakes.
5. **AI-ready.** The same guide becomes instructions for writing agents.

## Sections
| Section | Contents |
|---|---|
| Voice and tone | Three to four voice traits with do and don't examples; tone by situation |
| Language | British or US English, spelling list for common words |
| Grammar and punctuation | Serial comma, contractions, em dashes, exclamation marks, capitalisation of headings |
| Formats | Dates, times, time zones, numbers, money, percentages |
| Names and terms | Company, product and feature names; approved terms and banned terms |
| Inclusive language | People-first and neutral terms; avoiding assumptions about gender and ability |
| Documents | Templates and examples for common documents |
| AI use | How to use AI drafts and how to give AI tools the guide |

## When to use, and when not to
Use it when a team writes for customers or leaders, when multiple writers produce documents, when onboarding new writers, or when setting up AI writing tools for a team.

Don't use it to create a full visual brand identity (the Marketing brand skills) or legal policies (`policies-guidelines`).

## Inputs
- Ten to twenty examples of the team's best and worst writing.
- Existing brand guidelines, if any.
- Audiences and the main document types.
- Decisions already made (English variant, product names).
- Common mistakes reviewers keep correcting.

## Workflow

### Step 1. Audit real writing
Collect samples; list inconsistencies and repeated corrections.

### Step 2. Define voice
Three to four traits (for example clear, warm, direct) with a short explanation and do and don't examples for each.

### Step 3. Make the decisions
Spelling variant, punctuation choices, formats and names. Where the team disagrees, the owner decides.

### Step 4. Write the guide
One to three pages, tables and examples throughout.

### Step 5. Add templates
Short templates for the most common documents: emails, memos, reports, updates.

### Step 6. Create the AI version
A condensed version of the rules and examples as instructions for AI tools (a SKILL.md or system prompt).

### Step 7. Launch and maintain
Share with examples in a short session; name an owner; update when new questions arise; review twice a year.

## Voice example
| Trait | Do | Don't |
|---|---|---|
| Clear | "Your refund will arrive in 3 to 5 days." | "Refunds are processed in accordance with our standard timelines." |
| Warm | "Thanks for letting us know." | "Your complaint has been logged." |
| Direct | "We can't offer that discount." | "Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to accommodate..." |

## Formats example
| Item | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | Day month year, no ordinals | 14 October 2026 |
| Times | 12-hour with am/pm, time zone for external | 3pm WAT |
| Numbers | Words for one to nine, numerals for 10 and above | three users, 12 users |
| Money | Currency symbol, no decimals for whole amounts | £15,000 |
| Percentages | Numerals with % | 18% |

## AI version (excerpt)
```
You write for <team>. Use British English.
Voice: clear, warm, direct. Short sentences (average under 20 words).
Dates: 14 October 2026. Times: 3pm WAT.
Product name: always "Acme Pay", never "AcmePay" or "Acme payments".
Never use: "leverage", "synergy", exclamation marks in formal documents, em dashes.
Put the main point first. End with the next step.
```

## Tone by situation
| Situation | Tone | Example opening |
|---|---|---|
| Good news | Warm, upbeat | "Good news: your account is ready." |
| Routine update | Neutral, brief | "Your order shipped today." |
| Problem or apology | Calm, responsible | "We're sorry: your delivery is late because..." |
| Refusal | Clear, kind | "We can't offer a refund here, but we can..." |
| Internal leadership | Direct, concise | "Decision needed: approve the Q1 budget by Friday." |
The voice stays the same; the tone changes with the moment.

## Inclusive language basics
- Use "they" when gender is unknown or irrelevant.
- Describe people by role, not assumptions ("parents" not "mums").
- Avoid idioms that exclude or confuse international readers.
- Use people-first language when disability is relevant, and follow how communities describe themselves.

## Word list format
| Use | Avoid | Why |
|---|---|---|
| sign in | log on, login (verb) | Consistent with the product |
| customer | user (in customer emails) | Warmer, matches support scripts |
| email | e-mail | House style |

## Keeping the guide alive
Collect new questions in one place, answer them in the guide within a week and announce changes briefly. Review twice a year with examples of recent writing to check the guide still matches how the team writes.

## Edge cases and judgement calls
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Team spans countries | Choose one English variant; note local exceptions for customer-facing text |
| Existing brand book is long | Extract the writing rules into the short guide; link the full book |
| Strong disagreements | Owner decides; record the reason |
| Technical teams | Add a terminology list and code formatting rules |
| Regulated content | Include required wording and approval steps |
| Nobody uses the guide | Put it in templates and AI tools so it is applied automatically |

## Handoffs to related skills
- Plain language rules: `plain-english`
- Policies: `policies-guidelines`
- Feedback using the guide: `writing-feedback`
- Writing with AI: `ai-assisted-writing`
- Brand voice for marketing: the Content, Copy and PR `brand-voice-guide` skill

## Worked example
A 15-person operations team sent customer emails in mixed styles. The audit of 20 samples found four date formats, three spellings of the product name, a mix of British and American spelling and a habit of passive, formal phrasing. The two-page guide set voice traits, chose British English, fixed formats and names, listed ten words to avoid and added three email templates. An AI version was added to the team's writing assistant. Within a month, reviewers' corrections fell sharply and customer emails looked like they came from one team.

## Common mistakes
- Writing a long brand book nobody reads.
- Rules without examples.
- Not deciding contested points.
- No owner, so the guide goes stale.
- Forgetting to give the guide to AI tools.

## Self-check before you answer
- Is the guide three pages or less?
- Does every rule have an example?
- Are formats, names and spelling decided?
- Is there an AI-ready version and an owner?

---
Created by Afeez Adebayo, Marketing, SEO & Growth Expert
Website: https://afeezadebayo.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afeez-adebayo/
X: https://x.com/za_icon
Source: https://afeezadebayo.com/skills-md/productivity/workplace-writing/team-style-guide/

Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). You may copy, share and adapt this skill, including for commercial use, as long as you credit Afeez Adebayo and link to the source URL above. Keep this notice in any copy or adapted version.