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.).

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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

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

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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

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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.

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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]

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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!"

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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?

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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."

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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