A colleague shares an example that makes a task suddenly clearer. Before copying it into your own work, establish whether it is a model to adapt, an approved procedure, or simply one person’s past solution.
The distinction matters even when the example is excellent. It may come from a different team, use an earlier form, or rely on a decision that does not apply to your case.
Ask two concrete questions
First, which parts explain the approach? Second, where is the current instruction that governs this task? You can learn from the example while checking the actual requirement against the right source.
Suppose an old briefing uses three sections. The structure might be helpful, but its approval route or information classification may be outdated. Copying the headings and copying the operational assumptions are different decisions.
Keep examples in a clearly labelled place rather than beside current instructions with indistinguishable names. If you annotate one, state what you found useful and what still needs checking.
When passing it to somebody else, preserve that qualification. “This helped me understand the level of detail; use the current procedure for approval” gives the next person both a starting point and a boundary.