{"id":"mgr-x-vacation-delegation-plan","audience":"managers","category":"planning","track":"productivity","technique":"context","title":"Hand off your work before vacation with clear decision rights","free":false,"task":"You're out for 2 weeks and need a delegation plan for your team's wiki. Write exactly 4 numbered lines in the form 'Task - person - Decide, Recommend or Inform', plain text, under 80 words. Pick people who are actually available, and follow the approval policy: spending decisions can't be delegated below a manager.","materialLabel":"Your notes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Vacation coverage - I'm out Dec 15-29 (Kim, Ops Manager, Fulfillment)\n\nPeople:\n- Raul (shift lead) - here the whole time.\n- Bea (shift lead) - OUT Dec 20-Jan 2, so she misses most of it.\n- Theo (my peer, Ops Manager, Returns) - here, offered to back me up on anything that needs a manager.\n- Ana (analyst) - here.\n\nThings that come up while I'm out:\n1. Daily shift schedule changes - Raul knows the schedule best. He can just decide.\n2. Overtime approvals (spending). Policy: only a manager or above can approve spending.\n3. Weekly carrier performance report to the director - Ana builds it. She can send it, just keep the director informed.\n4. Customer escalations about late orders - Bea usually handles these. Someone who's here needs to own them; Raul can draft the reply but Theo should sign off on any refund.\n\nAlso: I'll check email once, on Dec 22. Please don't call unless the building is on fire.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":4},{"type":"maxWords","max":80},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Asking for 'a coverage plan'","why":"The AI writes a long document with sections, contacts and FAQs.","fix":"Be exact: \"Exactly 4 numbered lines like 'Task - person - Decide/Recommend/Inform'. Plain text.\"","checks":["numberedItems","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 instead: \"each line under 15 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Ignoring the approval policy","why":"The AI gives overtime to whoever runs the schedule.","fix":"Add: \"Spending approvals go to a manager only: Theo.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Assigning someone who's out","why":"Bea usually owns escalations, so the AI assigns her by habit.","fix":"Add: \"Bea is out Dec 20-Jan 2, don't assign her.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Not saying how much authority","why":"The AI says who covers a task but not whether they can decide.","fix":"Add: \"End each line with Decide, Recommend or Inform.\"","checks":["r2"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Shows decision rights","patterns":["decide","recommend","inform","decision rights"]},{"label":"Checks availability","patterns":["bea","available","out ","who'?s here"]},{"label":"Follows the policy","patterns":["policy","spending","manager","theo"]},{"label":"Sets the number of lines","patterns":["\\b(4|four)\\b.{0,15}(line|task)"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]}],"hint":"Delegation fails when people don't know how far their authority goes. Tell the AI who's actually around, the spending policy, and to label each line with decision rights.","rubricLabels":["Shift schedule changes go to Raul with Decide, and overtime approvals go to Theo (a manager), never to Raul, Ana or Bea","Bea, who is out most of the period, is not assigned anything; late-order escalations go to Raul with Recommend (Theo signs off on refunds) or to Theo","The carrier report goes to Ana with Inform (or Decide with director informed), every line uses one of Decide, Recommend or Inform, and there is no intro or extra notes"]}