Capability template for executive and office support
Decision log
Your chief of staff keeps one register of what the leadership actually approved, across every meeting and message: each decision with who approved it, each action with one owner and a date, what is overdue, and a flag wherever a new decision clashes with an earlier one or revives a rejected idea.
The outcome
Everyone can see what the leadership settled, and only that. One register holds every approved decision with its date, its approver, the reason given and the options turned down, and every action that follows from it, each with one owner and one date. A conversation that sounded like agreement never becomes a decision by accident: anything that was only discussed stays out, listed apart, until an approver says yes.
The register checks itself as it grows. When a new decision cuts across one already in force, brings back an idea the leadership turned down, or hands the same work to a second person, the capability flags it with the earlier entry beside it and the choices open. Overdue actions and reviews coming due are on the same page every week. The person who keeps the register approves every entry and makes every change; the AI assistant enters nothing and sends nothing.
Who starts the work, and when
The person who keeps the register starts it: a chief of staff, an executive assistant, an office manager or a company secretary. A company secretary can keep it as a working register of what was approved; minutes that must follow a set form and be formally adopted stay where they are, and this register does not replace them. The register keeper runs it after each leadership meeting, whenever a decision is approved between meetings by email or on paper, and once a week to see what is overdue and what comes due next.
The approvers, usually the chief executive and anyone with a delegated limit, settle the flags about their own decisions. The register keeper takes those questions to them.
What they supply
- The register so far, as two spreadsheet exports, one of decisions and one of actions, or nothing at all to start a new one. The default column headers are set out in the template; if a header differs, the assistant stops and asks.
- The new material: approved meeting records, approvers' emails and signed papers, each showing who approved what and when.
- Status updates from action owners, each with who reported it and when.
- Once: the company or team the register is for, who may approve which kinds of decision, how far ahead to look for actions coming due, and which subjects stay out of the register.
No mailbox, calendar or drive is connected. Everything is pasted in by a person.
What comes out
- Proposed entries, one decision each, with the approver, the date, the reason given, the options turned down, the review date and the actions.
- Flags for a contradiction, a revived proposal, the same work under two owners, or an approver outside their limit, each with the earlier entry and the choices.
- What was not entered, because it was only discussed, with who would have to approve it.
- Status changes, overdue actions, and actions and reviews coming due.
- The register changes to make, each with the question it waits on.
Every open question comes first, written for the register keeper to take to the approver. A good update can be checked against its sources in a few minutes, and nobody finds a decision in the register they did not make.
An invented example
Illustrative example with invented data. Quellmoor Cabinets is an invented 85-person maker of kitchen cabinets that sells through dealers. The people, dealers, figures and decisions below are invented too. Noor, the chief of staff, keeps the leadership's register of approved decisions. On Tuesday 10 November 2026, the day after the Monday leadership meeting, she runs the capability with the register so far, two pieces of new material and two status updates. First come her inputs, in full, then what came back.
The inputs
1. Settings
Today: Tuesday 10 November 2026
Company or team: Quellmoor Cabinets leadership team
Register keeper: Noor (chief of staff)
Approvers: Daniel (CEO), any decision. Ines (CFO), spending decisions up to $25,000.
Look-ahead: 7 days
Held-back subjects: default (one person's pay, performance, health or conduct)
2. The register so far: decisions export
id,date_approved,topic,decision,approved_by,why,rejected,review_date,status,supersedes,superseded_by,source
D-001,2026-09-14,List prices,Raise list prices on the standard range by 4% from 1 January 2027,Daniel (CEO),Board and hardware costs rose 6% this year,"Raise prices 8% in one step - dealers warned of lost orders; Add a fuel surcharge instead - dealers dislike surcharges",2027-02-15,Active,,,Leadership meeting 14 Sep item 2
D-002,2026-09-28,Dealer payment terms,Keep dealer payment terms at 30 days,Daniel (CEO),Two large dealers asked for 60 days and cash cannot carry it this year,Move all dealers to 60-day terms - would tie up about $400000 of cash,2027-03-31,Active,,,Leadership meeting 28 Sep item 1
D-003,2026-10-12,Second finishing shift,Run a second finishing shift from 2 November to clear the order backlog,Daniel (CEO),Backlog is 7 weeks against a 4-week target,Outsource finishing to a third party - quality and lead-time risk,2026-12-14,Active,,,Leadership meeting 12 Oct item 1
D-004,2026-10-26,Eastgate showroom,Close the Eastgate showroom when its lease ends on 31 March 2027,Daniel (CEO),Visits have halved since dealers began showing the range,Move to a smaller showroom - still costs more than it brings in,2027-01-11,Active,,,Leadership meeting 26 Oct item 3
D-005,2026-10-26,Production scheduling,Replace paper production tickets with the scheduling module of the existing ERP at a cost of $18000,Ines (CFO),Paper tickets are lost between stations,Buy a separate scheduling system - a second system to maintain,2027-01-25,Active,,,Ines email 26 Oct
3. The register so far: actions export
id,decision_id,action,owner,due,status,completed_on,note
A-001,D-001,Send the 2027 price list to dealers,Grace,2026-11-30,Open,,
A-002,D-001,Load the 2027 prices into the ERP,Ines,2026-12-18,Open,,
A-003,D-002,Write to the two dealers who asked for 60 days,Grace,2026-10-09,Done,2026-10-07,
A-004,D-003,Agree the second-shift rota with the finishing team,Ravi,2026-10-23,Done,2026-10-22,
A-005,D-003,Fit extra extraction filters for the second shift,Pieter,2026-10-30,Open,,
A-006,D-004,Confirm the lease end date and notice period with the Eastgate landlord,Ines,2026-11-06,Open,,
A-007,D-005,Set up the scheduling module on a test site,Pieter,2026-11-20,Open,,
A-008,D-005,Train the four team leads on the scheduling module,Ravi,2026-12-11,Open,,
4. New material: the leadership meeting record (Noor's notes)
Leadership meeting, Monday 9 November 2026. Present: Daniel (CEO), Ines (CFO),
Ravi (COO), Grace (head of sales). Notes: Noor.
1. Dealer terms. Dealer A (about 18% of sales) asked again for 60 days and says
a competitor offers 45. Agreed: dealers buying more than $250,000 a year move
to 45-day terms from 1 December; everyone else stays on 30. Turned down:
60 days for Dealer A alone - the other dealers would hear of it.
APPROVED: Daniel, 9 Nov.
Ines to change the terms in the ERP by 27 Nov. Price list and new terms to go
to dealers in one letter - Ines sends it by 20 Nov.
2. Second shift. Backlog down to 5 weeks, still above the 4-week target. Agreed:
keep the second shift until 15 January, then review. APPROVED: Daniel, 9 Nov.
Ravi to confirm with the shift team by Friday.
3. Finishing capacity. Ravi floated sending the gloss-finish doors to an outside
finisher in January to free the line. Talked through; Daniel wants costs
first. Not decided. Ravi to get two quotes.
4. Showroom. Grace suggested keeping Eastgate open on Saturdays only until the
lease ends. Discussion only.
5. Pieter's pay review: agreed. APPROVED: Daniel, 9 Nov.
5. New material: an email from Daniel
From: Daniel (CEO)
Date: Friday 6 November 2026
To: Noor
Diesel has gone up again. Approved: from 1 December, add a 2% fuel surcharge to
deliveries more than 100 miles from the plant. Grace to tell the dealers.
6. Status updates
- Pieter, message, Thursday 5 November 2026: "Extra extraction filters fitted on
3 Nov, second shift is using them."
- Ines, at the leadership meeting on 9 November 2026: the Eastgate lease end date
is still not confirmed; waiting on the landlord's reply.
What came back
DECISION LOG UPDATE: Quellmoor Cabinets leadership team
Prepared Tuesday 10 November 2026 for Noor (chief of staff). Register as supplied: 5
decisions (5 active, 0 superseded, 0 withdrawn) and 8 actions (6 open). New material:
Daniel's email, 6 November 2026; leadership meeting record, 9 November 2026. Status
updates: 2.
To settle before anything is entered: 4
1. F1: D-006 brings back the fuel surcharge that D-001 turned down on 14 September.
Does Daniel confirm he is reopening it, or should it go back to him?
2. A-009 has no date. By when should Grace tell the dealers about the fuel surcharge?
3. F2: D-007 contradicts D-002. Does D-007 supersede D-002, do both stand with a scope
for each written by Daniel, or does it go back to him?
4. F3: A-011 and A-001 cover the same letter to dealers, with different owners and
dates. Does A-011 replace A-001, does A-001 stand with Daniel removing A-011, or
does it go back to him?
Proposed new entries: 3
D-006. Delivery fuel surcharge. Approved by Daniel (CEO) on Friday 6 November 2026.
Decision: From 1 December 2026, deliveries more than 100 miles from the plant carry
a 2% fuel surcharge.
Why: Diesel has gone up again.
Rejected: none recorded.
Review: not set.
Related: D-001, which turned down a fuel surcharge in place of the price rise.
Held: F1.
Source: Daniel's email, 6 November 2026.
Actions:
A-009. Tell the dealers about the fuel surcharge. Owner: Grace. Due: DATE NEEDED
(no date in the source).
D-007. Dealer payment terms. Approved by Daniel (CEO) on Monday 9 November 2026.
Decision: From 1 December 2026, dealers buying more than $250,000 a year move to
45-day payment terms; all other dealers stay on 30 days.
Why: Dealer A, about 18% of sales, asked again for 60 days and says a competitor
offers 45.
Rejected: 60-day terms for Dealer A alone. Reason given: the other dealers would hear
of it.
Review: not set.
Related: D-002, which keeps every dealer on 30-day terms. Held: F2.
Source: leadership meeting record, 9 November 2026, item 1.
Actions:
A-010. Change the dealer payment terms in the ERP. Owner: Ines. Due: Friday
27 November 2026.
A-011. Send the dealers one letter with the 2027 price list and the new terms.
Owner: Ines. Due: Friday 20 November 2026. See F3.
D-008. Second finishing shift. Approved by Daniel (CEO) on Monday 9 November 2026.
Decision: The second finishing shift continues until 15 January 2027 and is then
reviewed.
Why: The backlog is down to 5 weeks, still above the 4-week target.
Rejected: none recorded.
Review: Friday 15 January 2027.
Related: D-003. Both can stand: D-008 says how long the shift D-003 started runs.
D-003's review date, Monday 14 December 2026, stays as recorded; D-008's is Friday
15 January 2027.
Source: leadership meeting record, 9 November 2026, item 2.
Actions:
A-012. Confirm the extension with the second-shift team. Owner: Ravi. Due: Friday
13 November 2026 ("by Friday").
Flags: 3
F1. REVIVES A REJECTED PROPOSAL
New: D-006, a 2% fuel surcharge on deliveries more than 100 miles from the plant
from 1 December 2026.
Earlier: D-001, approved 14 September 2026 (raise list prices by 4% from 1 January
2027), turned down "Add a fuel surcharge instead". Reason given: dealers
dislike surcharges.
Choices: (1) Daniel confirms he is reopening it, and D-006 says "Reopens the option
turned down in D-001 on 14 September 2026, confirmed by Daniel". (2) Back
to Daniel. (3) Not entered. Held until Noor settles it with Daniel.
F2. CONTRADICTS AN EARLIER DECISION
New: D-007, 45-day terms from 1 December 2026 for dealers buying more than $250,000
a year.
Earlier: D-002, approved 28 September 2026: keep dealer payment terms at 30 days.
D-002 also turned down 60-day terms for all dealers; D-007 sets 45 days for
some dealers, so it does not bring that option back.
Choices: (1) D-007 supersedes D-002, which stays in the register marked "Superseded
by D-007". (2) Both stand, with the scope of each written by Daniel.
(3) Back to Daniel. Held until Noor settles it with Daniel.
F3. DUPLICATE ACTION
New: A-011, send the dealers one letter with the 2027 price list and the new terms.
Owner: Ines. Due: Friday 20 November 2026.
Earlier: A-001 (D-001), send the 2027 price list to dealers. Owner: Grace. Due:
Monday 30 November 2026. Open.
Choices: (1) Keep A-011 and mark A-001 Cancelled, replaced by A-011. (2) Keep A-001
and Daniel removes A-011. (3) Back to Daniel. Held until Noor settles it
with Daniel.
Not entered: discussed, not approved: 2
- Send the gloss-finish doors to an outside finisher in January to free the line.
Talked through; Daniel wants costs first. Ravi to get two quotes, with no date.
Source: leadership meeting record, 9 November 2026, item 3. Needs approval from:
Daniel. If approved, it would bring back the option D-003 turned down on 12 October
2026, "Outsource finishing to a third party" (reason given: quality and lead-time
risk).
- Keep the Eastgate showroom open on Saturdays only until the lease ends. Source:
leadership meeting record, 9 November 2026, item 4. Needs approval from: Daniel.
Touches D-004 (close Eastgate when its lease ends on 31 March 2027); as discussed,
both could stand.
Held back: one approved item about one person's pay, for Noor only.
Action status changes: 1
- A-005. Fit extra extraction filters for the second shift. Owner: Pieter. Open to
Done, completed Tuesday 3 November 2026. Source: Pieter, message, Thursday 5 November
2026.
Overdue: 2
- A-005. Fit extra extraction filters for the second shift. Owner: Pieter. Due Friday
30 October 2026, 11 days overdue. Update: Pieter reports it done on 3 November; see
Action status changes.
- A-006. Confirm the lease end date and notice period with the Eastgate landlord.
Owner: Ines. Due Friday 6 November 2026, 4 days overdue. Update: still not
confirmed, waiting on the landlord's reply (Ines, leadership meeting, 9 November
2026).
Due in the next 7 days (Tuesday 10 November to Tuesday 17 November 2026): 1
- A-012. Confirm the extension with the second-shift team. Owner: Ravi. Due Friday
13 November 2026. (proposed)
Reviews due in the next 7 days: None
Register changes, once approved:
- Add D-006 and A-009: waits on questions 1 and 2.
- Add D-007 and A-010: waits on question 3.
- Add A-011: waits on questions 3 and 4.
- Add D-008 and A-012: no question open.
- Mark D-002 "Superseded by D-007": only if choice (1) is made under F2.
- Mark A-001 Cancelled, replaced by A-011: only if choice (1) is made under F3.
- Mark A-005 Done, completed 3 November 2026.
Draft for Noor. Nothing has been entered in the register and nothing has been sent.
Noor took the three flags and the missing date to Daniel that afternoon. He confirmed he was reopening the fuel surcharge, set Grace's date, chose to let D-007 supersede D-002, and gave the dealer letter to Ines. Noor gave his answers to the assistant, read the updated draft, which then read "None. Ready for Noor to enter.", and made the changes in the register herself.
Where it fits
- Executive and office support: the chief of staff or executive assistant who is asked, every week, "did we decide that?"
- Leadership: a leadership team that approves decisions in meetings, emails and papers and wants one place that says what stands.
- Professional services: a partners' or management group whose decisions on pricing, terms and staffing need to hold from one month to the next.
- Software technology: leadership teams that move fast and revisit the same choices more often than they mean to.
- Manufacturing: decisions on shifts, capacity, pricing and suppliers that run for months and touch each other.
- Nonprofits: a leadership team and its committees, where a decision taken in one room has to be known in another.
- Growth & scaling: the point where decisions outnumber the people who remember them.
- Private equity & portfolios: a portfolio company whose owners expect a clear account of what the leadership approved and what is being done about it.
What has to change for your company
Name who keeps the register and who may approve which kinds of decision, with any spending or scope limit. Decide what counts as approval in your company: a mark in the meeting record, an email from the approver, a signed paper. Set how far ahead to look for actions coming due and how often the overdue list is run. Name the subjects that stay out of the register, such as one person's pay or performance, and where those are kept instead. Keep the default columns or tell the assistant yours. Agree where the register lives and who may read it. It runs in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini; decide which papers and messages the assistant may be given.
What has been checked
Fully Powered AI wrote this capability template. It was editorially reviewed on 10 November 2026. It was tried once on its invented example in Claude on 10 November 2026, and the record of that run is published with it. The run produced every part of the update, and the path that keeps an item about one person's pay out of the register was reached; none of the stop conditions was, and the eleven acceptance tests in the template were not run. It has not yet been tested in a client environment. It has not yet been tested as a packaged version in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini.
Testing in your environment means running it on two or three months of past leadership material whose decisions you already know, plus hard cases written in advance: an agreement with no approver named, a new decision that reverses an earlier one, an idea the leadership turned down coming back in different words, the same work given to two people, a register export with different column names. The register keeper checks every entry against its source before anything is entered. Pilot acceptance-test preparation sets those cases up, and what we test before we call an AI workflow ready describes the record we keep.
The full capability template
Everything above is the outline. The complete capability template is the working version: the roles, the inputs, the procedure, the exceptions and stop conditions, the output format, the reviewer checklist, the acceptance tests, the instructions for an AI assistant and what to customize for your company. It comes with a download and the link to its folder in Fully Powered’s public repository.
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Next step
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