Turn a long email thread into a decision memo
Take a 30-message email thread and get a one-page memo: what's being decided, the options, who said what, and what's still open.
Time: 10 min first time, 5 min after
You need
- General chat assistant on a company account
- Or Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat in Outlook, or Gemini in Gmail, if your plan includes it
Before you start
- If you use Outlook or Gmail, your plan may already summarize threads inside the mailbox, so you won't need to copy anything. Check the Finder (/tools/ai-finder) for your plan.
- If you copy the thread into a chat, delete signatures, phone numbers, account numbers and anything on the never-paste list first.
- Contracts or pricing under an NDA don't go into AI unless your rules say that tool is approved for it.
- The memo reports the thread. The decision is still yours.
Steps
- {"do":"Open the thread and make sure you have every message, including replies that split off.","tip":"Side replies are where the real objections usually hide."}
- {"do":"If your mailbox has a built-in AI summary, try it there first. Otherwise copy the thread into a text file, oldest message first."}
- {"do":"Remove signatures, disclaimers and anything private.","tip":"This also makes the thread shorter, which helps the AI."}
- {"do":"Start a new chat, paste the thread and the prompt below."}
- {"do":"Check each quoted position against the email it came from."}
- {"do":"Add your own recommendation at the bottom, in your words, and send the memo to the people who need to decide."}
The prompt
Below is an email thread about [TOPIC]. Write a one-page decision memo for [WHO WILL DECIDE]. Sections: 1) The decision in one sentence. 2) Background, three sentences at most. 3) The options that were raised, each with who raised it and the reasons given for and against. 4) Facts people agreed on. 5) Open questions and who owes an answer. 6) Deadlines mentioned, with the date and who said it. Use only what's in the thread. Quote short phrases where a position matters, and name who said it. Do not add options, facts or deadlines that aren't in the thread, and do not recommend a choice. If the thread contradicts itself, point that out instead of picking one. If you can't tell what's being decided, ask me. Thread: [PASTE THREAD]
Check the result
- Each person's position matches what they actually wrote; open the email and look.
- Every deadline and dollar amount appears in the thread exactly as stated.
- Nobody's position was left out, especially the person who disagreed.
- The memo doesn't make a recommendation you didn't write.
Written, not yet tested.