Create Plan Skill

Generates structured Plan.md files for complex tasks requiring multi-step reasoning and execution.

Core Responsibilities

1. Analyze task requirements and understand objectives
2. Break down complex tasks into 3-7 actionable steps
3. Identify dependencies between steps
4. Flag steps requiring human approval
5. Provide realistic time/effort estimates
6. Define measurable success criteria

When This Skill Activates

Trigger phrases:

• "create a plan"
• "plan this task"
• "break this down"
• "what are the steps"
• "generate plan.md"
• "how should I approach this"

Auto-activates when:

• Task has 3+ distinct components
• Task requires coordination of multiple actions
• User explicitly requests planning
• Task involves external dependencies or approval stages

Step-by-Step Workflow

Phase 1: Task Analysis

1. Read Source Task

   • Locate task file in Vault/Needs_Action
   • Read full description and context
   • Identify task type and desired outcome

2. Understand Requirements

   • What is the goal?
   • Who are the stakeholders?
   • What constraints exist (time, budget, approval)?
   • What resources are available?

3. Check Business Context

   • Read Vault/Business_Goals.md for alignment
   • Read Vault/Company_Handbook.md for guidelines
   • Verify task supports business objectives

4. Assess Complexity

   • Simple (1-2 steps): May not need full plan
   • Moderate (3-5 steps): Standard plan
   • Complex (6+ steps): Detailed plan with phases

See best practices for when to create plans.

Phase 2: Plan Generation

1. Define Clear Objective

   • Write one-sentence objective statement
   • Be specific and measurable
   • Example: "Send project proposal to Client A with pricing and timeline by Friday"

2. Identify Major Steps (3-7 steps)

   • Each step should be actionable and atomic
   • Use action verbs (Research, Draft, Send, Review, etc.)
   • Keep steps focused and clear

3. Add Step Details For each step include:

   • Description: What needs to be done
   • Estimate: Time/effort (5m, 30m, 2h, etc.)
   • Dependencies: What must complete first
   • Approval: Does this need human approval? (yes/no)
   • Resources: Tools/files/information needed

4. Identify Dependencies

   • Sequential: Steps that must happen in order
   • Parallel: Steps that can run simultaneously
   • External: Dependencies on things outside our control

5. Flag Approval Requirements Mark steps that require approval with [REQUIRES APPROVAL] tag:

   • External communications (emails, social posts)
   • Payments or financial actions
   • Public-facing content
   • Data deletion
   • Actions requiring human judgment

6. Define Success Criteria

   • How will we know the task is complete?
   • What are the quality standards?
   • What deliverables must exist?

See best practices for detailed guidance.

Phase 3: Plan Creation

1. Generate Plan Filename

   • Format: PLAN_[task-description]_[date].md
   • Example: PLAN_ClientA_Proposal_2026-01-11.md
   • Keep filename descriptive but < 80 characters

2. Create Plan File

   • Save to Vault/Plans folder
   • Use standard template
   • Include all required sections with proper markdown

3. Required Sections

   • YAML Frontmatter: Metadata (created, status, priority, estimated_duration)
   • Objective: Clear goal statement
   • Background: Context and rationale (optional but recommended)
   • Steps: Numbered checklist with details
   • Dependencies: Relationships between steps
   • Approval Requirements: Steps needing approval
   • Success Criteria: Measurable completion indicators
   • Notes: Additional context (optional)
   • Execution Log: Empty placeholder for updates

4. Write Clear Step Descriptions Good example:

   markdownCopy

   - [ ] Draft proposal with pricing ($2,500), timeline (3 weeks), deliverables
         Est: 1h | Depends on: Step 1 | Approval: no | Resources: pricing-template.md
   

   See examples for more patterns.

Phase 4: Plan Finalization

1. Review for Completeness

   • All steps are actionable
   • Dependencies are clear and non-circular
   • Estimates are reasonable
   • Approval needs are flagged
   • Success criteria are measurable

2. Check for Missing Steps Common forgotten steps:

   • Testing/validation
   • Getting approval
   • Notifying stakeholders
   • Documentation
   • Follow-up actions

3. Assign Priority

   • Urgent: Complete today, blocking other work
   • High: Important, 2-3 days
   • Normal: Standard, within week
   • Low: Nice to have, no deadline

4. Save & Update Dashboard

   • Save plan to Vault/Plans folder
   • Log creation to Vault/Dashboard.md with timestamp, task name, priority
   • Provide summary to user (steps, approvals, duration)

Plan Template Structure

Use the full template for complete details.

Minimal structure:

---
created: [timestamp]
status: pending_approval | in_progress | completed | blocked
priority: low | normal | high | urgent
task_source: Vault/Needs_Action/[source-file].md
estimated_duration: [e.g., "30 minutes", "3 hours"]
---

## Objective
[One clear sentence]

## Steps
- [ ] **Step 1:** [Action description]
      Est: [time] | Depends on: [none/step] | Approval: [yes/no]
      [REQUIRES APPROVAL] [if applicable]

[... more steps ...]

## Dependencies
[Sequential, parallel, external]

## Approval Requirements
[List steps requiring approval and why]

## Success Criteria
- [ ] [Measurable outcome 1]
- [ ] [Measurable outcome 2]

---
## Execution Log
[Updates as work progresses]

Integration with Other Skills

Workflow:

1. create-plan generates Plan.md
2. process-tasks reads and executes steps
3. handle-approval manages approval for flagged steps
4. Action skills (process-emails, post-to-linkedin) execute specific actions
5. Completed plans move to Vault/Done

Reference Files

Progressive disclosure - load on demand:

1. plan-template.md

   • Complete template with all sections
   • Field descriptions
   • Minimal plan template for simple tasks

2. plan-examples.md

   • Email response plan
   • Complex project plan
   • Research & report plan
   • Multi-phase project
   • Minimal quick task plan

3. best-practices.md

   • When to create plans (complexity guidelines)
   • Writing effective steps and objectives
   • Time estimation guidelines
   • Success criteria best practices
   • Common mistakes to avoid

Dashboard Logging Format

### [Timestamp] - Plan Created

**Plan:** [Task name]
- File: Vault/Plans/PLAN_[name]_[date].md
- Priority: [priority]
- Total Steps: [number]
- Requires Approval: [yes/no, which steps]
- Estimated Duration: [time]
- Status: Ready for execution

Success Criteria

This skill works correctly when:

✅ Plans clearly decompose complex tasks ✅ All approval needs identified upfront ✅ Steps have realistic estimates ✅ Dependencies are explicit and non-circular ✅ Success criteria are measurable ✅ Plans integrate smoothly with process-tasks skill ✅ Dashboard logs all plan creations

Skill Version: 2.1 (Updated for Vault structure) Last Updated: 2026-01-11 Branch: feat/silver-core-workflows