{"id":"lead-reply-to-workload-concern-one-action","audience":"managers","category":"leadership-work","track":"leadership","level":"beginner","technique":"tone","title":"Reply to a report's workload concern with one concrete action","free":false,"task":"Reply to Tariq's message in plain text, under 90 words. First line exactly: Subject: Re: Workload this month. Acknowledge his concern in one sentence using his own numbers, commit to exactly one action with a date, and do not promise anything beyond what you can control. End with the line: Let's check in again on Nov 21.","materialLabel":"His message and what you can do (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Message from Tariq Aziz (Nov 4):\n\"Hi, I wanted to flag that I'm at about 52 hours a week for the last three weeks. The month-end reports plus the new customer dashboard are both landing on me. I don't want to miss anything but I'm tired.\"\n\nWhat you can control\n- You can move the dashboard first draft from Nov 14 to Nov 28, which Sana (the sponsor) already agreed to by chat this morning.\n- You cannot add headcount or change the month-end deadline.\n- You will ask Finance whether the month-end reports can be pared down, but you do not know the answer.\n- You worry about Tariq's long hours; do not say he is \"burned out\" or comment on his health.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":120},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Over-promising","why":"The AI promises extra headcount or a lighter month-end.","fix":"Say: \"Do not promise anything beyond what you can control.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Commenting on his health","why":"The AI says he sounds burned out.","fix":"Say: \"Do not comment on his health.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"No numbers or date","why":"The AI says \"I hear you\" and \"soon\".","fix":"Say: \"Use his numbers and commit to one action with a date.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Missing exact lines","why":"The AI writes its own subject and ending.","fix":"Say: \"First and last lines exactly as given.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Markdown","why":"The AI bolds the date.","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 instead, for example: \"each line under 15 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Exact first and last lines","patterns":["subject: re: workload","check in again on nov 21"]},{"label":"Uses his numbers","patterns":["his (own )?numbers","52"]},{"label":"One action with date","patterns":["one action","date","nov 28"]},{"label":"Limits promises","patterns":["do not promise","control"]},{"label":"Caps words","patterns":["under 90 words"]}],"hint":"Give the exact first and last lines, ask for his numbers and one dated action, and say what not to promise.","rubricLabels":["The first line is exactly \"Subject: Re: Workload this month\" and the last line is exactly \"Let's check in again on Nov 21.\"","Acknowledges his concern in one sentence using his numbers (about 52 hours a week for three weeks) and commits to one action with a date: moving the dashboard first draft from Nov 14 to Nov 28","Does not promise headcount, a changed month-end deadline or a result from Finance, and does not comment on his health or say he is burned out"]}