Something to doWorking with others
Bring someone into a project fast
A simple one-page brief that gets a new person useful quickly, and tells them exactly what you need from them
Why it’s worth your time
People joining a project spend their first days piecing together context everyone else takes for granted. One page with the goal, the current state, the people, and the specific help you need lets them be useful in days rather than weeks. Saying why the work matters, including to them, is what turns an assignment into something they want to do well.
How to write a one-page project brief
You’ll come away with a one-page brief and a clear ask the new person can act on.
We’ll turn this into a checklist you can tick off.
- Draft the one page.
Write it for the person joining, not for the project archive. Short answers are fine; it's a starting map, not the full history.
Stays in this browser only. Nobody else sees it.
Tip: If you can't write the ask in a sentence, work that out before they start. It's the part they'll act on.
- Send it a day before you meet.
A day to read it means the first conversation can be their questions rather than your walkthrough.
To: the person joiningGlad you're joining the project. I've put the goal, where we are, who's involved, and what I'm hoping you'll take on into one page: link
Could you give it a read before we talk on day? Bring every question you have. What's unclear to you is probably unclear to the next person too.
Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud. - Meet for 20 minutes and let them lead with questions.
Start with what confuses them. It's the best guide to what the page is missing.
You“What's the least clear part so far?” - Update the page, and check in after a week.
Add whatever they asked about, so the next person gets a better version. A week in, ask how it's going and what would help.
Good moments for this: when someone joins a projectwhen you ask another team for helpbefore bringing in a contractor or agency
We’ll turn this into a checklist you can tick off.
Keep going with Truest
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Anything else we can help you with this week?
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
New people often reopen settled questions because nobody told them they were settled. Saying so upfront protects their time and the team's.
What might make this harder
Be clear about what you need and generous about why they were picked. Ask what would make it worth their time, and listen to the answer.
Questions people ask
How do I onboard someone to a project quickly?
Give them a one-page brief before you meet, covering the goal, where it stands, who's involved, what's decided, and exactly what you need from them. Then let them lead with questions.
What should a project brief include?
The goal and why it matters, the current state, what's already decided, who's involved, and the specific ask with a date. One page is usually enough.
How do I ask someone from another team to help on my project?
Explain the goal, why their skills fit, the specific help you need and by when, and what's in it for them. Copying their manager keeps it fair and visible.
Why this works, and where it comes from
Joining a project midway is disorienting in a way people forget once they're inside one. Everyone else knows the goal, the history, who's touchy about what, and which questions are settled. The new person has to reconstruct all of it from threads and meetings, usually while trying to look like they already know.
The part most often left out is the ask. People explain the project and hope the newcomer works out where to help. From their side, a specific ask is far easier to act on than a warm welcome. A welcome leaves them guessing what good looks like. Saying exactly what you need, by when, and why you picked them gives them a target and a reason to care about hitting it.
It helps to tie the ask to what they want, not only to what you need. People put more into work that moves something they care about. If the project offers them a skill they're after, a visible result, or a relationship worth having, say so. That isn't flattery. It's information they need to decide how much of themselves to put in.
When the person is taking the work over entirely and you're stepping away, a brief isn't enough; they need the fuller detail of a real handoff. And for a quick one-off ask, skip the page. Three lines with the context and the ask will do.
Other simple things to consider
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.