Assign Skills They Master
Skills are reusable methods that teach an employee how to do a specific type of work, step by step.
TL;DR
Skills define HOW TO do work. Each skill is a reusable process that loads on demand when the task matches. Every employee comes with foundational skills pre-assigned, plus role-specific skills based on their template. Think of skills as recipes your employee follows when the right situation comes up.
How It Works
Skills hold the reusable methods an employee follows when a matching task comes in. A Playbook is a skill marked for a curated, high-value end-to-end deliverable, and a Workflow groups several playbooks when you choose related work together.
- On-demand loading. The employee knows the name and description of every skill they have, but only reads the full instructions when the current task matches. You can add dozens of skills without affecting performance because only the relevant one loads per task
- Automatic selection. The employee picks the right skill based on what you ask. You never need to tell them which one to use
- Unlimited depth. Skills can be as detailed as needed. Long workflows, decision trees, examples, formatting rules. The more detail you provide, the better the result
- Linked tools. Some skills come with linked tools. When you add a skill with linked tools, the system suggests adding those tools too
Skills, playbooks, workflows, and duties
| Layer | What it defines | Loading |
|---|---|---|
| Skill | A reusable method for HOW TO do work | On demand when the task matches |
| Playbook | A curated end-to-end skill the employee leads with | On demand when that deliverable is relevant |
| Workflow | A group of related playbooks you can choose as one outcome | Used when you select a starting plan |
| Duty | WHAT TO uphold always | Fully active on every interaction |
| Tool | What the employee is able to do | Available whenever needed |
Read Workflows and Playbooks to see how these layers fit together.
Where to Find It
- Go to your Workspace
- Click on any employee in the sidebar
- Open the Skills tab
You will see skills organized into categories (Content, Marketing, Sales, Research, Communication, Data, Development, Design, Operations, Custom). Foundational skills appear in a collapsible section at the bottom.
What You Can Do
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| View all skills | Open the Skills tab. Skills are grouped by category with a count badge on each section |
| Enable or disable a skill | Toggle any regular skill on or off. Foundational skills have no toggle, they are always active |
| Read skill instructions | Click any skill card to expand it and see the full instructions |
| Edit skill instructions | Expand a skill card, modify the instructions text, and click Save |
| Edit "When to use" | Expand a skill card and update the "When to use" field to control when the skill activates |
| Change category | Expand a skill card and select a different category from the dropdown |
| Create a custom skill | Click Create Skill in the top-right toolbar. Fill in the name, "When to use", instructions, and category |
| Browse the catalog | Click Browse Skills in the toolbar. The catalog shows Workspace skills and Marketplace templates |
| Add from the catalog | In the catalog, click any skill to assign it. Already-assigned skills are marked |
| Duplicate a skill | Click the 3-dot menu on any skill card and select Duplicate. Creates an editable copy |
| Copy as Markdown | Click the 3-dot menu and select Copy to copy the skill content to your clipboard |
| Remove a skill | Click the 3-dot menu and select the delete option. Foundational skills cannot be removed |
| Ask the employee to create one | In chat, say something like "When you write blog posts, always start with keyword research" and the employee builds a skill from your description |
How to Set It Up
Nothing to do. Every employee comes with skills pre-assigned based on their role. Foundational skills are auto-assigned to everyone. You can add, edit, or remove skills anytime from the Skills tab.
To create a custom skill:
- Open the Skills tab and click Create Skill
- Give it a clear Name (e.g., "Blog Post Writing")
- Set the When to use field so the employee knows when to load it (e.g., "When asked to write a blog post")
- Write detailed Instructions with step-by-step guidance
- Pick a Category to keep things organized
- Click Create Skill
Tips and Tricks
- Be detailed. Since skills only load when needed, include specific steps, decision logic, and examples of good and bad output. The more precise, the better the result
- Use skills for process, duties for standards. If you are writing steps and checklists, that is a skill. If it is a short standing rule, that is a duty
- Let the employee help. Tell them your preferred process in chat and they will create a skill from it
- Make skills reusable. Keep each skill focused on one method. A playbook can lead with that method, and several playbooks can reuse it when needed
- Check linked tools. When you add a skill, the system shows a notification if linked tools are missing. Click to add them directly
Good to Know
- No limit. You can add as many skills as needed without affecting performance. Only the relevant one loads per task
- Foundational skills cannot be removed or disabled. The toggle and Remove option are both hidden. You can still edit their instructions, with a warning that changes may affect core functionality. They teach core platform capabilities like task management and teamwork
- Employee self-management. Employees can search the skill catalog and add or modify their own skills during conversation
- Skill selection is automatic. You do not need to tell the employee which skill to use. They pick the right one based on the task
- Playbooks are distinct in the interface, not a separate instruction engine. Mark a skill as a Playbook when it is a high-value end-to-end deliverable you want surfaced separately
- Changes take effect immediately. Updated skill text appears in the employee's next interaction
- Importing a skill package from GitHub or a URL is coming soon. You will see the option in the toolbar and in the Create Skill drawer, but it is not active yet. Use Create Skill or Browse Skills for now
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I create custom skills from scratch? A: Yes. Click Create Skill in the Skills tab. Write your own step-by-step process, set when to use it, assign a category, and it is ready to use.
Q: Do skills apply to every task? A: No. Only when the request matches. A blog-writing skill will not activate for an email request. The employee reads the skill name and "When to use" description to decide relevance.
Q: What if an employee does not have the right skill? A: They will do their best with general knowledge. They can also search the platform catalog and add skills themselves.
Q: Is there a limit to how many skills an employee can have? A: No. Skills are loaded on demand, so you can add as many as needed without affecting performance.
Q: Can different employees share the same skill? A: Yes. Skills from the catalog can be assigned to multiple employees. Each employee gets their own copy that can be customized independently.
Q: Is a skill the same as a playbook? A: A playbook uses the same instruction foundation as a skill, but it is marked and surfaced as an end-to-end deliverable. Use a skill for a reusable method, then mark it as a playbook when you want that deliverable to stand out.