Useful before
the first conversation.

General preparation prompts for describing a task. These sample notes cover organization only; they do not determine professional requirements.

A short preparation list

Describe the outcome: What should the next person be able to find or understand? Write one plain sentence.
Name the current owner: Who can explain the material and answer questions about incomplete items?
List the record types: Describe categories in general terms. Do not include confidential records in an initial email.
Identify the handover: Who receives the finished index? What does that person need to maintain it?
Make constraints visible: Note important dates, available formats and dependencies. Agree the final scope with the practice.

Try a category rule.

Sort four supplied fictional records into Project brief, Meeting notes or Reference material. Unassigned and misplaced items remain visible, and every authored answer includes a reason.

Open the preparation exercise

Three words worth distinguishing

Available

A record has been located. That alone does not mean someone has checked it.

Reviewed

The agreed person has checked the record against the agreed purpose.

Unresolved

A question is still open. Preserve the question and its owner instead of filing it as finished.