{"id":"lead-decline-extra-project-email-boss","audience":"managers","category":"leadership-work","track":"leadership","level":"intermediate","technique":"tone","title":"Push back on an extra project by offering a trade-off, not a refusal","free":false,"task":"Your director asked you to take on a new reporting project. Write a reply email in plain text, under 140 words, that does not simply refuse. Open with one sentence saying you want to help. Lay out the trade-off using numbers from the notes. Offer two options labeled Option A and Option B, and end with a question asking which she prefers. Do not complain about workload.","materialLabel":"Context (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Director Sofia Reyes's ask: \"Can your team build the new exec reporting dashboard by Dec 15? It's a priority for the board.\"\n\nMy situation\n- Team of 5. Currently committed through Dec 20 to the customer-portal fix (8 person-weeks left) which has a contractual date of Dec 20 with Harbor Corp.\n- Dashboard estimate: 6 person-weeks.\n- Capacity until Dec 20: 5 people x 3 weeks = 15 person-weeks, but 8 are spoken for and 3 are holiday/leave. Leaves about 4 free.\n- Option A: build a thin dashboard (3 key charts) in 4 person-weeks by Dec 15.\n- Option B: full dashboard (6 person-weeks) done Jan 10, after the portal fix.\n- Option C (not recommended): pull people off the portal fix. Risks the Harbor date.\n- I'm tired of being asked for everything at the last minute. (Do not say this.)","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":140},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Flat refusal","why":"The AI opens with 'I can't take this on'.","fix":"Say: \"Open with one sentence saying you want to help.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Missing the numbers","why":"The AI says 'we're stretched' with no figures.","fix":"Say: \"Use the person-weeks and dates from the notes.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Venting","why":"The AI includes the frustration from the notes.","fix":"Say: \"No complaints about workload or last-minute asks.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Offering the risky option","why":"The AI proposes pulling people off the Harbor work.","fix":"Say: \"Only Options A and B.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Markdown","why":"The AI bolds the options.","fix":"Say: \"Plain text.\"","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 part: \"each sentence under 25 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":"Starts positive","patterns":["want to help","open with"]},{"label":"Labels options","patterns":["option a","option b"]},{"label":"Uses numbers","patterns":["person-weeks","dec 15","jan 10","numbers"]},{"label":"Ends with a question","patterns":["question","which (option )?she prefers","end with"]},{"label":"No complaining","patterns":["don'?t complain","no complaints","workload"]}],"hint":"State the opening, the two options by label, and what to leave out.","rubricLabels":["The first sentence says the writer wants to help with the dashboard and the email does not open with a refusal","Offers Option A (3 key charts, 4 person-weeks, by Dec 15) and Option B (full dashboard, 6 person-weeks, Jan 10) and does not offer to pull people off the portal fix","Ends with a question asking Sofia which option she prefers and has no complaint about being tired or asked at the last minute"]}