Update templates after mistakes
Unit ID: AIT-M10-U04 Estimated active time: 15-20 minutes
The main idea
Templates improve when you record what went wrong.
A template is a record of lessons. Without the updating step it is only a record of what you thought on the day you wrote it.
Why this matters
The same mistake will recur otherwise. Fixing it in the output each time feels like diligence and is actually the absence of a fix.
Safe example
After a summary invents a deadline, the template adds "mark unknown dates as unknown".
One line, added once, and that particular failure does not come back.
Better working habit
Add one improvement after each important mistake.
One, not five. A template revised heavily after a single bad output usually acquires rules nobody can justify later.
What to watch for
Do not keep using a template that repeatedly produces risky output.
Two failures of the same kind after a fix means the template is wrong for the task, not under-specified.
Mini practice
Write a template change note after a sample mistake.
Record what went wrong, what line you added, and the date.
Check yourself
Before moving on, answer:
- What went wrong, and what single line addresses it?
- Has this kind of failure happened before?
- Is this template still right for the task at all?