Your first useful task in 15 minutes

Use a chat tool that you already have to turn fictional meeting notes into a checked volunteer update.

Version 0.1

Written from one practitioner's work, not yet tested with readers. Corrections and additions go through GitHub.

Evidence status

This fictional worked example demonstrates a checking method. It does not show a measured result with a person or organisation. Readers have not tested this guide yet.

What you need

Any chat tool that you already use.
Fifteen minutes and no private information.
The fictional notes and request below.

The fictional input

Harbourlight Food Project will welcome six new volunteers. The session is Thursday 17 September, 15:00 to 15:45, in the Cedar Room. Mina will send access notes by Tuesday 15 September. Lee will print eight checklists. Volunteers must send dietary details to Mina by Monday 14 September.

The request to paste

Chat request

Use only the fictional notes above. Write an update for six new volunteers. Use a heading and three bullet points. Include every named action, date, time and place. Keep it under 120 words. Do not add facts. End with the question: Can you confirm that you can attend?

Use the 15 minutes

Minutes 0 to 2: read the fictional notes and the requested format.
Minutes 2 to 5: paste both into your chat tool and keep its first answer.
Minutes 5 to 10: compare every name, date, time, place, number and action with the notes.
Minutes 10 to 13: correct any mismatch without changing a correct detail.
Minutes 13 to 15: test the corrected answer against the success criteria.

Worked output with one deliberate error

Harbourlight volunteer welcome

Join the welcome session on Thursday 17 September, 15:00 to 15:45, in the Cedar Room.
Mina will send access notes by Tuesday 15 September.
Lee will print ten checklists. Send dietary details to Mina by Monday 14 September.

Can you confirm that you can attend?

Stop before the answer

Compare the worked output with the fictional input. Find the one changed detail before you read the next section.

The error check

Mark each name, date, time, place, number and action in the input.
Find the matching detail in the output.
Mark a detail that changed, disappeared or appeared without a source.
Correct the output, then repeat the comparison once.

Answer

The worked output says that Lee will print ten checklists. The input says eight. Replace ten with eight.

Exact success criteria

The output has one heading, exactly three bullet points and the requested final question.
The output is under 120 words.
Every name, date, time, place, number and action matches the fictional input.
You identify ten checklists as wrong and correct it to eight.
The output contains no fact that the fictional input does not support.

What to practise next

Repeat the method with a low-risk task of your own. Keep the source, first output, correction and final check as one small evidence record.