Save the Decision, Not Just the Prompt

by Kirk Cole

A saved prompt can tell someone what you asked an AI tool to do. It may tell them very little about what you ultimately accepted, changed, or left unresolved.

That gap becomes visible during a handoff. The next person has a finished-looking document and a long conversation to reconstruct. A short decision record gives them a starting point they can actually use.

Keep the context with the work

Begin with the question the work was meant to answer. Record which files and versions were used, the relevant period, and the limits of the assignment. Someone reviewing a revised monthly summary should be able to tell whether the underlying records changed or only the explanation did.

Then describe the decision in plain language. “Updated the report” is too broad. “Removed the explanation for the revenue change because the supplied records did not support it” tells the next reviewer what happened and why. That is an illustrative wording example, not a client event.

Include who prepared the change and who reviewed it. If review has not happened, say so. A name beside a document should not quietly imply approval.

Use a small decision log

Keep this record beside the working file. Fill it in while the reasoning is still available, and use links or clear file references for supporting evidence.

  • Date and work item: [When; document or task]

  • Question and scope: [What this work addresses; what it excludes]

  • Inputs: [Source files, versions, and relevant period]

  • Decision and change: [What was accepted, revised, or left open]

  • Reason and evidence: [Why; where the support can be found]

  • Prepared by / reviewed by: [Names; review status]

  • Next review: [Owner; action; due date or trigger]

The log does not need to retell the entire conversation. It needs enough detail for another person to understand the choice without guessing.

Make the next review obvious

An unresolved item needs an owner and a reason to revisit it. “Check later” does not tell anyone what to do. “Confirm the comparison period when the revised report arrives” identifies a concrete next step.

If new evidence changes the decision, add a dated update. Keep the earlier reason visible so a later reviewer can follow the change. The point is continuity: the work should remain understandable after the person who prepared it closes the conversation.