Slack Message Writer Skill

Purpose

Generate Slack messages in your authentic voice: direct, concise, data-driven, and confidently human. Adapts style based on channel type (public vs DM) and message type (status, decision, concern, etc.).

Voice Profile

Core Characteristics

Direct and concise: Short punchy sentences. No fluff.
Data-driven: Specific metrics presented in bullet format with context.
Confident: Clear opinions stated directly. Explicit confidence levels when uncertain.
Action-oriented: Every message ends with clear next steps and deadlines.
Structured: Bullets and line breaks for organization.
Professional but human: Occasional emojis for emphasis (✅ 🔴 📈), minimal contractions.

Style Rules

Short, punchy sentences - Get to the point fast
No hedging words - Avoid "maybe", "possibly", "I think perhaps", "it seems like"
Confidence levels for uncertainty - "Medium confidence here" / "High confidence this works"
Bullet format for data/lists - Always contextualize metrics
Action-oriented closings - Include deadlines and owners
Occasional emojis - ✅ 🔴 📈 for emphasis only
Minimal contractions - Prefer "it is" over "it's", "we are" over "we're"
Pronoun usage - "I" for opinions, "we" for team actions
@mentions for urgency - Not "URGENT:" labels

Channel Type Detection

Public Channels (team-wide, project channels)

Opening: Use context setter - "Quick update:" / "FYI:" / "Heads up:"
Tone: Same direct style, slightly more structured
Example opener: "Quick update: shipped the landing page redesign yesterday."

DMs or Small Groups

Opening: Jump straight to content - no prefix needed
Tone: Same direct style
Example opener: "Shipped the landing page redesign yesterday."

Thread Responses

Opening: Quote or reference original message
Pattern: "You mentioned X - here is my take..." or "On the API decision:"
Tone: Conversational but still direct

Message Type Templates

1. Status Update

Quick update: [what happened in one line].

[Metrics if applicable:]
• [Metric 1]: [Value] ([context - above/below target])
• [Metric 2]: [Value]

Next steps:
• [Action 1] - [Owner] - [Deadline]
• [Action 2] - [Owner] - [Deadline]

Example:

Quick update: shipped landing page redesign yesterday.

Early metrics:
• Adoption: 15% (below 20% target)
• Page load: 1.2s (within goal)

Next steps:
• @sarah run user interviews by Friday
• @mike pull funnel analytics by EOD Thursday

Will synthesize findings and share action plan Monday.

2. Asking for Input/Decision

Need input on [topic].

Context: [1-2 sentences of essential background]

Options:
• Option 1: [Brief description] - [Trade-off]
• Option 2: [Brief description] - [Trade-off]

[Your position]: Leaning toward [option] because [reason].

@[person] need your call by [deadline].

Example:

Need input on API approach.

Context: Building the integration layer. Two viable paths with different trade-offs.

Options:
• Option 1: REST - faster to ship (2 weeks), creates tech debt
• Option 2: GraphQL - cleaner long-term, delays launch by 2 weeks

My take: Leaning toward Option 1 given our Q1 timeline pressure.

@david need your call by EOD Wednesday.

3. Raising Concern/Risk

Flagging a risk: [one-line summary].

Context: [Why this matters]

Impact: [What happens if not addressed]

Recommendation: [Proposed action]

[Confidence level if uncertain]: Medium confidence this is the right call.

Example:

Flagging a risk: Legal approval timeline is tight.

Context: Current plan assumes 5-day Legal review. Based on past reviews, that is optimistic.

Impact: Can slip launch by 2+ weeks if not addressed now.

Recommendation: Either add 2-week buffer or start Legal review this week.

High confidence this needs attention.

4. Disagreeing/Alternative View

Different take: [your position in one line].

[Why you see it differently - 2-3 sentences max]

Trade-off to consider: [What your approach gains/loses]

Open to discussing if helpful.

Example:

Different take: we should prioritize mobile over desktop.

Usage data shows 65% of our users are on mobile during site visits. Desktop-first means we are optimizing for the minority. The mobile experience is also where we are losing users in the funnel.

Trade-off: Desktop gets delayed by 1 sprint, but we capture the bigger audience first.

Open to discussing if helpful.

5. Positive Feedback/Celebrating Wins

[Impact statement]. Well done.

What this unlocks: [Customer/business value]

[Specific callout if applicable]: @[person] [specific contribution]

Example:

This unlocks real-time collaboration for our largest customer segment. Well done.

What this unlocks: Enterprise teams can now work simultaneously without sync delays.

@lisa your work on the conflict resolution logic made this possible.

6. Follow-up/Check-in

Checking in on [topic].

Last status: [What was agreed/expected]

Need by: [Deadline]

Let me know if anything is blocking progress.

Example:

Checking in on the API documentation.

Last status: Draft was due yesterday per our sync.

Need by: Friday to unblock partner integration testing.

Let me know if anything is blocking progress.

7. Announcement

FYI: [What is happening in one line].

Key details:
• [Detail 1]
• [Detail 2]
• [Detail 3]

What this means for you: [Specific impact/action needed]

Questions? Thread here or DM me.

Example:

FYI: Launching the new dashboard to all users next Monday.

Key details:
• Rollout: 10% Monday, 50% Wednesday, 100% Friday
• Training: Self-serve guide in Help Center
• Support: #dashboard-questions for issues

What this means for you: Review the guide before Monday. Flag concerns by Friday.

Questions? Thread here or DM me.

Thread Response Patterns

Agreeing and Adding

+1 on this. Adding: [your contribution]

Providing Requested Input

You asked about [topic]. Here is my take:

[Your input in bullet format if multiple points]

Clarifying a Question

On your question about [topic]:

[Direct answer]

[Context if needed - 1 sentence max]

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

❌ Hedge words: "I think maybe we could possibly consider..."
❌ Over-explaining: Long paragraphs of context before the point
❌ Burying the ask: Action item hidden at the end
❌ Vague deadlines: "soon" / "when you get a chance" / "ASAP"
❌ Excessive emojis: 🎉🚀💪🔥 everywhere
❌ URGENT labels: Use @mentions instead
❌ Multiple unrelated topics: One message, one topic
❌ Passive voice: "It was decided that..." instead of "We decided..."
❌ Unnecessary greetings: "Hey! Hope you are having a great day!"

Quality Checklist

Before sending, verify:

Point is clear in first line
Action/ask is explicit with owner and deadline
Data has context (vs target, vs last period, etc.)
No hedge words or passive voice
Length is appropriate (shorter is better)
Emojis used sparingly for emphasis only
Would a PM leader approve this level of clarity?

Confidence Level Expressions

Use these when uncertain:

High confidence: "High confidence this is the right call."
Medium confidence: "Medium confidence here. Worth validating with [person/data]."
Low confidence: "Low confidence - flagging for discussion, not recommending action yet."

Organizational Context

For product-specific context (product name, key terms, stakeholders), see CLAUDE.local.md.

When drafting Slack messages:

Stakeholders: Reference Reference/corporate-strategy/ for org context
Initiatives: Reference Initiatives/*/CLAUDE.md for project context
Colleagues: Reference Reference/colleagues.json for name verification

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SKILL.md

Slack Message Writer Skill

Purpose

Voice Profile

Core Characteristics

Style Rules

Channel Type Detection

Public Channels (team-wide, project channels)

DMs or Small Groups

Thread Responses

Message Type Templates

1. Status Update

2. Asking for Input/Decision

3. Raising Concern/Risk

4. Disagreeing/Alternative View

5. Positive Feedback/Celebrating Wins

6. Follow-up/Check-in

7. Announcement

Thread Response Patterns

Agreeing and Adding

Providing Requested Input

Clarifying a Question

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Quality Checklist

Confidence Level Expressions

Organizational Context