List open loops and owners before you go offline

OOO messages that say "I'll be back Monday" without coverage create Monday fires. People need open loops and owners, not your itinerary.

This hack: ten minutes, open loops only, named owners. Pack for coverage, not for poetry.

When to use it

You will be offline for a day or more.
Work currently routes through you.
You can name who covers each open loop.

When not to

Nothing open depends on you. A short OOO auto-reply is enough.
You don't have coverage. Escalate staffing before you leave; don't hide it in a fancy pack.
Sensitive issues need a human verbal handoff. Do that live, then document.

Do this (timer on)

1. List every open loop that could ping while you're out.
2. Assign an owner and a "what good looks like" one-liner each.
3. Paste into a short note for the team channel + your OOO.
4. Send. Stop decorating.

Prompt (copy)

Turn my open loops into a coverage pack.

Format:
- Loop
- Owner
- What to do if X happens
- Where the files live
Keep it under one page. No itinerary. No soft language.

OPEN LOOPS:
[paste]

TEAM / OWNERS AVAILABLE:
[paste]

Shape

Coverage while I'm out ([dates]) | Loop | Owner | If it breaks | |------|-------|--------------| | [Client A weekly] | [Name] | Send draft from folder X; ping me only if blocked |

After you send

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