How to write effective guidelines for Quin

Setting up guidelines transforms Quin from a helpful tool into an assistant that works exactly the way you do. But there's a difference between guidelines that create seamless automation and ones that constantly need correction.

The best guidelines feel invisible—they work so naturally that you forget you set them up. Here's how to write guidelines that actually stick.

Start with your biggest repetitive decisions

Guidelines work best when they eliminate decisions you make constantly. Look for patterns in your corrections or places where you find yourself giving Quin the same instructions repeatedly.

Strong guideline targets:

• Email tone that varies by recipient type
• Task assignments based on ownership areas
• Meeting note formats for different situations
• Follow-up timing preferences
• Communication preferences for different clients

Example: Instead of correcting Quin's email drafts to be more casual with internal team members, set a guideline once that handles this automatically.

Use clear commands: ALWAYS, NEVER, WHEN

Guidelines work best when they give Quin unambiguous instructions. Use definitive language that leaves no room for interpretation.

Strong guideline structure:

ALWAYS statements for consistent preferences:

• "ALWAYS include my mobile number in external emails"
• "ALWAYS assign content creation tasks to Sarah"
• "ALWAYS schedule prospect follow-ups for Tuesday at 2pm unless specified otherwise"
• "ALWAYS include a follow-up email draft in the meeting recap you send me"
• "ALWAYS include a LinkedIn link when asking about client details"

NEVER statements for firm boundaries:

• "NEVER send emails to clients without my review first"
• "NEVER schedule meetings before 9am or after 4pm"
• "NEVER assign financial tasks to anyone except Emma"

WHEN statements for conditional logic:

• "WHEN creating meeting notes for board meetings, start with financial performance metrics"
• "WHEN someone mentions a job change, flag their contact as high priority for follow-up"
• "WHEN emailing C-level executives, use formal language and focus on strategic outcomes"

Be specific about triggers and conditions

Vague guidelines create inconsistent results. The more specific you are about what triggers each guideline, the more reliably Quin can apply your preferences.

Instead of: "Keep emails professional"Use: "WHEN emailing clients, ALWAYS use formal language with complete sentences. WHEN emailing internal team members, use conversational tone with bullet points for action items."

Instead of: "Marketing tasks go to Sarah"Use: "ALWAYS assign tasks involving content creation, social media, or campaign planning to Sarah. WHEN a task involves both marketing and technical work, assign it to me to coordinate."

Write guidelines like you're training a smart assistant

Think about how you'd give instructions to someone who follows directions precisely but needs clear parameters to make good decisions.

Effective guideline examples:

• "WHEN I mention follow-up calls with prospects, ALWAYS schedule them for the following Tuesday at 2pm unless I specify a different time"
• "WHEN creating client meeting notes, ALWAYS start with key decisions, then discussion points, then action items at the end"
• "NEVER schedule meetings on Fridays after 2pm"
• "ALWAYS include compliance disclaimers in emails to financial advisor clients"
• "WHEN someone says 'by end of week,' set the deadline for Friday at 5pm"
• "WHEN they say 'early next week,' set the deadline for Tuesday at 9am"

Layer guidelines from general to specific

Start with broad rules, then add specific exceptions. This creates a hierarchy that handles most situations while allowing for special cases.

Layer 1 (General): "ALWAYS draft follow-up emails in a professional but warm tone"‍

Layer 2 (Specific): "WHEN emailing C-level executives, use more formal language and focus on strategic outcomes"

‍Layer 3 (Individual): "WHEN emailing Jennifer Martinez at Summit Corp, ALWAYS include brief personal check-ins about her team expansion"

Focus on clear outcomes with specific parameters

Describe exactly what you want the result to look like, using measurable or observable criteria.

Clear outcome guidelines:

• "WHEN creating board meeting notes, ALWAYS include revenue numbers in the first paragraph and strategic decisions in bullet points"
• "ALWAYS send follow-up emails within 24 hours of prospect meetings, except WHEN meetings are on Friday—then send Monday morning"
• "WHEN updating contact records, ALWAYS note the source of information and date of change"
• "NEVER create tasks without specific due dates—if no deadline is mentioned, set it for one week from today"

Test your guidelines with "what if" scenarios

Good guidelines handle edge cases gracefully. Think through unusual situations to make sure your guidelines are robust.

Example guideline: "ALWAYS send follow-up emails within 24 hours of meetings"

‍Edge case: What about Friday afternoon meetings?

‍Improved guideline: "ALWAYS send follow-up emails within one business day of meetings. WHEN meetings are on Friday after 2pm, schedule follow-up for Monday morning"

Common guideline mistakes that break automation

Avoiding absolute statements: Guidelines like "usually" or "typically" create uncertainty. Use ALWAYS/NEVER/WHEN for clarity.

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Too many conditions: Break complex multi-part guidelines into separate, simpler ones.

Weak: "If it's a client email and it's urgent and it's about finances, then use formal tone unless they're a long-term client"

‍Strong: Three separate guidelines covering client emails, urgent communications, and long-term relationships

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Subjective language: Avoid terms like "professional," "friendly," or "casual" without defining what those mean specifically.

‍Weak: "Keep emails professional"

‍Strong: "ALWAYS use complete sentences and formal greetings in client emails. NEVER use abbreviations or emoji"

Guidelines that work immediately

Some guidelines deliver value from the first use:

Email formatting:

• "ALWAYS include my full signature in external emails"
• "NEVER copy external contacts on internal team discussions"
• "WHEN emailing prospects, ALWAYS use subject lines that reference our previous conversation"

Task management:

• "ALWAYS assign design tasks to Marcus"
• "ALWAYS assign budget-related tasks to Emma"
• "WHEN creating tasks from meeting notes, ALWAYS set due dates based on commitments made during the conversation"

Meeting coordination:

• "ALWAYS include relevant background context in calendar descriptions"
• "NEVER schedule back-to-back meetings without 15-minute buffers"
• "WHEN scheduling client meetings, ALWAYS send calendar invites within 2 hours"

Making guidelines stick

Start with one workflow area: Pick your biggest frustration point and create clear guidelines for that specific process first.

Use definitive language: Write guidelines using ALWAYS, NEVER, and WHEN statements that eliminate ambiguity.

Test with real scenarios: Try your guidelines with actual situations to make sure they work as expected.

Refine based on results: If a guideline doesn't work perfectly, adjust the language to be more specific rather than adding exceptions.

The compound effect of clear guidelines

Well-written guidelines eliminate hundreds of small decisions and corrections over time. Each guideline using clear ALWAYS/NEVER/WHEN language creates reliable automation that builds your confidence in delegating work to Quin.

The goal is creating guidelines so clear and comprehensive that Quin handles your work exactly the way you would—consistently, intelligently, and without constant supervision.

Start with guidelines for your most repetitive decisions, write them with definitive language that eliminates guesswork, and watch how much smoother your workflow becomes when you never have to repeat yourself.

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