Summaries that keep the signal
Day 9 of 30 · 30 Days of AI
Get concise outputs without losing essentials
Learning goal
- Create a summary template.
- Summarize a meeting or article with bullets + actions.
Why it matters
- Summaries must retain decisions, actions, and blockers.
- Structure avoids fluff.
Explanation
- Ask for: 5 bullets + 3 action items + 2 risks/questions.
- Include “Who / What / When” in actions.
Examples
- Template: “Summarize the transcript in 5 bullets; list 3 actions (who/what/when); list 2 risks.”
- Weak: “Summarize.”
Guided exercise (10–15 min)
- Take a meeting note/article; run the summary template.
- Add missing who/when details manually if absent.
Independent exercise (5–10 min)
Refine the template for your team (channels, owners, deadlines).
Self-check
- 5 bullets present.
- 3 actions with who/what/when.
- Risks/questions listed.
Optional deepening
- Meeting prompt examples: https://www.oneusefulthing.org