{"id":"exec-margin-issue-tree-plain-text","audience":"consultants","category":"leadership-work","track":"leadership","level":"beginner","technique":"context","title":"Break down a margin drop into two branches that add up","free":false,"task":"A client's gross margin fell from 42% to 38%. Build a simple issue tree in plain text with exactly two top-level branches, Price/mix and Cost, each with exactly two sub-questions that can be checked with the data listed in the notes. Number them 1, 1a, 1b, 2, 2a, 2b. Each line is under 18 words. The last line is Check first: followed by exactly one of Sales by product line, Supplier invoices or Freight bills.","materialLabel":"Client brief (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Client: Willow Creek Furniture (fictional), gross margin fell from 42% to 38% year over year.\n\nData available:\n- Sales by product line and customer type (monthly)\n- Average selling price by product\n- Supplier invoices (material costs by month)\n- Freight bills\n- Production labor hours\n\nNot available: competitor prices, customer surveys.\n\nWhat we know\n- They launched a lower-priced \"Starter\" line in March.\n- Lumber costs rose in the spring.\n- Freight carrier changed in June.\n- The owner believes customers are demanding bigger discounts.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":120},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Needing unavailable data","why":"The AI asks about competitor prices.","fix":"Say: \"Only questions answerable with the listed data.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Wrong structure","why":"The AI adds branches or sub-branches.","fix":"Say: \"Two branches, two sub-questions each, numbered 1, 1a, 1b, 2, 2a, 2b.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"No first step","why":"The AI skips the starting data.","fix":"Say: \"End with Check first: and one data source.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Markdown","why":"The AI uses nested bullets.","fix":"Say: \"Plain text with the numbering given.\"","checks":["plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it.","fix":"Cap each line: \"each line under 18 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it.","fix":"Cap each part instead, for example: \"each line under 12 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Branch names","patterns":["price/mix","cost"]},{"label":"Numbering","patterns":["1a","2b","numbered"]},{"label":"Data limit","patterns":["available data","listed data"]},{"label":"Check first line","patterns":["check first"]},{"label":"Plain","patterns":["plain text"]}],"hint":"Name the branches and numbering, limit it to listed data, and require a Check first line.","rubricLabels":["The tree has exactly two top-level lines labeled 1 and 2 (Price/mix and Cost) and four sub-lines labeled 1a, 1b, 2a and 2b","Each sub-line is a question answerable with the listed data (for example the Starter line mix, average selling price, material costs or freight bills) and none needs competitor prices or surveys","The last line starts with \"Check first:\" and names one data source from the list"]}