{"id":"lead-headcount-request-memo-math","audience":"managers","category":"leadership-work","track":"leadership","level":"intermediate","technique":"constraints","title":"Write a one-page headcount request with the cost math shown","free":false,"task":"Write a headcount request to your director in plain text under 150 words. Lines in this order: Request: (one sentence), Cost: (a calculation of the first-year cost from the notes), Return: (a calculation of what it saves or earns), Risk if we don't: (one sentence), Decision needed by: (a date). Use the final numbers, and don't claim savings the notes don't support.","materialLabel":"Your notes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Headcount request - Support team\n\n- Ask: one more support agent (Tier 1).\n- Salary $52,000 plus 22% benefits and payroll costs. Equipment and onboarding: $3,500 one-time.\n- Current: average first reply time 14 hours (target 4). Tickets per agent per month: 410 (healthy is about 300).\n- Overtime this year: $38,000 across the team, mostly from backlog. A new agent might reduce overtime by about half, but that is my estimate, not measured.\n- Contractors we used last summer cost $11,000 for 6 weeks.\n- Decision needed by Dec 15 so the agent can start Jan 13 (before peak season).\n- Earlier I wrote tickets per agent as 380; the correct figure from the dashboard is 410.\n- Budget cycle is closed; this would come from the contingency fund.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":150},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Skipping the math","why":"The AI says 'a modest cost'.","fix":"Say: \"Show the cost as a calculation.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Presenting an estimate as fact","why":"The AI says it will save $19,000.","fix":"Say: \"Label the overtime saving as my estimate.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Old ticket count","why":"The AI uses 380.","fix":"Say: \"Tickets per agent is 410.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Missing labels","why":"The AI writes a narrative.","fix":"Say: \"Use the five labels in order.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Markdown","why":"The AI bolds labels.","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 line: \"each line under 30 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":"Labels","patterns":["request:","cost:","return:","risk if we don'?t","decision needed by"]},{"label":"Math","patterns":["calculation","x 1\\.22"]},{"label":"Estimate","patterns":["estimate","label"]},{"label":"Final number","patterns":["410","correct"]},{"label":"Plain","patterns":["plain text"]}],"hint":"List the five labels, ask for calculations, and say how to treat the estimate.","rubricLabels":["Has five lines starting Request:, Cost:, Return:, Risk if we don't: and Decision needed by: in that order","Cost shows the calculation $52,000 x 1.22 = $63,440 plus $3,500 = $66,940, and Return shows the estimated overtime reduction (about half of $38,000 = $19,000) labeled as an estimate","Risk uses the 410 tickets per agent (not 380) and the 14-hour first reply time, and Decision needed by is Dec 15"]}