Don't send workslop

Why this matters: "Workslop" is AI work that looks done but isn't. When you send it, a teammate has to fix it.

The prompt (copy and paste)

Use this before you pass an AI-assisted draft to someone else.

I'm about to send the draft below to a teammate.
Act as that teammate. Be honest.
1. What would confuse you?
2. Which facts would you have to check yourself?
3. What's missing that you'd need to do your part?
4. Write a 3-line note to go on top: what this is,
   what I checked, and what I need from them.
Don't rewrite the draft.

Who it's for and why: [one line]
Draft:
[paste draft]

Before and after

Before: You ask AI for a project update and forward it as is. It's two pages long and neat, with headings and bullets. Your teammate still can't tell what's true, what's a guess, or what you need from them. They're stuck with the clean-up.

After: You run the prompt, cut the padding, and put this on top:

"Draft project update for Thursday. I checked the dates and the budget line. I haven't checked the vendor names. Can you confirm those by Wednesday? I used AI for the first draft."

Now your teammate knows what's solid and what's left.

How common is this? In a Harvard Business Review article, researchers from BetterUp Labs and Stanford surveyed 1,150 full-time workers in the US. 40% said they had received workslop in the past month. People said each case took them close to 2 hours to deal with (HBR, Sept 2025).

Check it (3 things)

1. Would you want it? If a teammate sent you this, would it help, or give you homework?
2. Checked and not checked. Did you say which parts you checked, and which you didn't?
3. One clear ask. Does the note say exactly what you need from them, and by when?

Being open that you used AI is a good habit. It doesn't replace the check.

Do this now

Next time you forward something AI helped write, add the 3-line note on top first.