{"id":"exec-operating-review-questions-from-numbers","audience":"executives","category":"leadership-work","track":"leadership","level":"advanced","technique":"verification","title":"Prepare sharp questions for an operating review from the numbers","free":false,"task":"Prepare 5 questions you will ask the Sales leader in tomorrow's operating review. Write exactly 5 numbered questions, each under 22 words, each citing a specific number from the table, and each answerable with data, not opinion. Only ask about items where the numbers disagree with the story. Do not ask about anything that matches the story. Use the corrected figures.","materialLabel":"Sales operating review data (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Q3 Sales operating review\n\nStory from the Sales VP: \"Pipeline is healthy, win rates are stable, and new reps are ramping on time.\"\n\nData\n- Pipeline created: $9.4M this quarter vs $9.1M last quarter. (Matches the story.)\n- Win rate: 24% this quarter vs 31% last quarter. (A first draft said 29%; Finance corrected to 24%.)\n- Average sales cycle: 61 days vs 48 days last quarter.\n- New reps (hired Mar-Apr): 3 of 5 have closed no deal yet; planned ramp was a first deal by day 90.\n- Discount rate: average 18% vs 12%.\n- Customer count: 212 vs 205. (In line.)\n- Forecast accuracy: commit forecast was $4.0M, actual closed $3.1M.\n\nThe VP is new this quarter and sensitive about blame; keep questions factual.","rules":[{"type":"questionCount","count":5},{"type":"maxWords","max":140}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Using the draft win rate","why":"The AI cites 29%.","fix":"Say: \"Win rate is 24% (corrected).\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Asking about matching items","why":"The AI asks about pipeline created.","fix":"Say: \"Only ask where numbers disagree with the story.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Opinion questions","why":"The AI asks 'how do you feel about...'.","fix":"Say: \"Each question must cite a number.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Wrong count","why":"The AI writes 8 questions.","fix":"Say: \"Exactly 5 numbered questions.\"","checks":["questionCount"]},{"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 question: \"each under 22 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":"Five questions","patterns":["5 questions","five"]},{"label":"Cite numbers","patterns":["number","cite"]},{"label":"Only mismatches","patterns":["disagree","mismatch","story"]},{"label":"Corrected","patterns":["corrected","24%"]},{"label":"Neutral tone","patterns":["factual","no blame"]}],"hint":"Give the count, the number requirement, and what to skip.","rubricLabels":["Has exactly five numbered questions, each citing a specific number from the table","The questions cover the mismatches with the story: win rate 24% vs 31% (not 29%), sales cycle 61 vs 48 days, new reps with no deals, discount 18% vs 12%, and forecast $4.0M vs $3.1M","None asks about pipeline created or customer count, which match the story, and none blames a person"]}