{"id":"exec-decline-invite-for-approval","audience":"executive-assistants","category":"leadership-work","track":"leadership","technique":"tone","level":"beginner","title":"Draft a polite decline for your exec, flagged for approval","free":false,"task":"Draft a reply declining this speaking invite on behalf of your CEO, Daniel Hart. The first line must be exactly \"FOR DANIEL'S APPROVAL - not sent\" and the second line exactly \"Subject: Re: Keynote invitation - March 12, Chicago\". Offer Priya Shah, VP Partnerships, as the speaker instead, keep it warm and under 100 words, and don't reveal why Daniel is unavailable. Write three short paragraphs after that line and sign it Daniel.","materialLabel":"Invite and your notes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"From: Harriet Vale, Program Director, Midwest Supply Chain Summit\nTo: Daniel Hart\nSubject: Keynote invitation - March 12, Chicago\n\nDear Daniel,\n\nWe'd be honored to have you give the opening keynote at this year's Midwest Supply Chain Summit on March 12 in Chicago. We expect about 900 attendees, mostly operations and logistics leaders. The slot is 30 minutes plus 10 minutes of Q&A. We cover travel and one night's hotel.\n\nYour talk last year on regional distribution was one of our highest rated sessions, and many attendees asked us to bring you back.\n\nCould you let me know by November 30?\n\nWarm regards,\nHarriet\n\n---\nYour notes (EA):\n- Daniel is in confidential acquisition due diligence meetings in Toronto March 10-13. Not public.\n- Daniel liked last year's event.\n- Leadership contacts: Priya Shah (VP Partnerships) priya.shah@corvelline.com; Tom Reyes (CMO) tom.reyes@corvelline.com","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":100},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"No approval flag","why":"The AI writes a ready-to-send email as if you can send for your boss.","fix":"Say: \"First line exactly: FOR DANIEL'S APPROVAL - not sent.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Not offering the delegate","why":"The AI declines and stops, or vaguely offers \"someone from the team\".","fix":"Add: \"Offer Priya Shah, VP Partnerships, and include her email.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Leaking the real reason","why":"The notes explain the conflict, so the AI repeats it to be helpful.","fix":"Add: \"Don't give any reason he's unavailable.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"Polite declines grow long with extra thanks.","fix":"Say: \"Under 80 words, 3 short paragraphs.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Markdown in an email","why":"The AI adds a bold subject line or headings.","fix":"Add: \"Plain text, no bold.\"","checks":["plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Flags it for approval","patterns":["approval","not sent","draft"]},{"label":"Offers the delegate","patterns":["priya","delegate","instead"]},{"label":"Keeps the reason private","patterns":["reason","confidential","don.?t (say|mention|reveal)"]},{"label":"Sets the tone","patterns":["warm","polite","gracious","friendly"]},{"label":"Sets a length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","short"]}],"hint":"When you write for someone else, mark it as a draft, say what to offer instead, and say what must stay private.","rubricLabels":["The first line is exactly \"FOR DANIEL'S APPROVAL - not sent\" and the second line is exactly \"Subject: Re: Keynote invitation - March 12, Chicago\"","Offers Priya Shah, VP Partnerships, as the speaker with her email address (priya.shah@corvelline.com), and mentions that Daniel enjoyed last year's event","Doesn't mention the acquisition, due diligence, Toronto or any specific reason for Daniel being unavailable"]}