| name | generate-synchronous-first-update |
| description | Generates a pre-meeting brief for a synchronous-first manager — someone who prefers live conversations over written updates, responds to messages by scheduling calls, and makes better decisions in real-time dialogue than async reading. Use this skill after running useless-report:classify-manager-style and getting a synchronous_first profile, or directly when your manager always says "let's jump on a call" instead of replying in writing. Also triggers when the user needs to prepare for a one-on-one, send a pre-meeting brief that will actually be read, or communicate something important to a manager who doesn't engage with long written updates.
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generate-synchronous-first-update
Goal
The synchronous-first manager doesn't ignore written communication on purpose — they just process information better in conversation. The written update's job is not to replace the conversation: it is to make the conversation more efficient. Write something they can scan in 60 seconds before a call and feel prepared for.
This is a briefing document, not a report.
Reference
Read ../../archetypes/synchronous-first.md for the full communication strategy, signals, and what to avoid.
Input (accept any combination)
- What needs to be discussed in the upcoming meeting
- Decisions that need to be made (by them, in the call)
- Context they'll need to make those decisions
- What you need from them
- Any background detail they may want to read after the call
Output structure
## Pre-meeting Brief — [Date / Meeting name]
### The one thing to know before we talk
[Single sentence: the most important context for the meeting]
### Decisions to make in this meeting
[List of decisions they need to make — keep to 3 or fewer]
1. [Decision]: [context in one sentence]
2. [Decision]: [context in one sentence]
### Context (30-second version)
[3-5 bullet points of essential background — no more than needed to make the decisions above]
### What I need from you
[What will you take away from this meeting to move forward]
### Background (optional — for after the call)
[If there are details they might want to read after: put them here. This section is collapsible — they probably won't read it before.]
Rules
- Total document: fits on one screen. If it's longer, the brief will not be read before the call.
- The "Decisions to make" section is the heart of the document. Everything else supports it.
- "Context" should be the minimum needed to make informed decisions — not a full status update.
- The "Background" section is for after the meeting, not before. Don't expect it to be read.
- If you need a decision that requires them to read something long, give them the summary and have the detail available if asked.
The controlled verbosity rule
Verbosity serves the reader's need for certainty, not padding.
This report is the exception where shorter is always better. They're going to talk to you anyway. The brief just needs to give them enough to start the conversation informed.
