Playbook #3
Transform an email thread into an action plan
A simple method to extract decisions, responsibilities, and next steps from an email thread.
The Challenge
Email threads lengthen, cross, and quickly become difficult to follow. Decisions get lost in successive replies, responsibilities are not always clear, and points to clarify accumulate. Result: lost time and a blurry vision of what actually needs to be done.
What this playbook brings you
This capsule offers you a simple and reproducible method to transform an email thread into a clear and structured action plan. You get a synthesis that highlights decisions made, actions to be taken by person, and still-open questions, in a format easy to reread and share.
"Clarity is the currency of leadership." — Robin Sharma
When to use this capsule
- Synthesize a commercial negotiation conducted by email
- Summarize a technical discussion between teams
- Clarify decisions made by email after a meeting
- Prepare a synthesis note for a client from a voluminous thread
What you'll need
- an email thread to analyze (open it in the tool or copy-paste its content).
- The names of people mentioned in the thread
Which tool are you using?
Copy-paste this prompt into your tool
Analyze the entire email thread and produce:
1. A structured summary in three sections:
[1. Decisions made]
– One decision per line, with subject, main person responsible, and deadline.
[2. Next steps by person]
– Format: Name — Action — Deadline — Expected format (email, delivery, meeting).
[3. Unresolved questions]
– Points to clarify, with the most relevant person to answer them.
2. A clear confirmation email (120–150 words) summarizing:
– Decisions
– Next steps by person
– Unresolved points (mentioned at the end of the message)
Tone: concise internal memo.
Use exactly the names present in the thread and do not create any name.
Bold names and dates if Outlook allows it.
Check consistency between the summary and the generated email.
Reminder: AI can make mistakes. Always review the content before sharing it.
Your feedback on this playbook
As a beta tester, your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve the experience.
Less than 30 seconds