{"id":"pro-pm-status-color-rule","audience":"product-managers","category":"summarizing","technique":"format","title":"Write a weekly status report that uses the right status color","free":false,"task":"You're the PM for a mobile app's new loyalty program, and leadership reads a 3-line status in the weekly roundup. You want exactly 3 lines labeled Status:, Risk:, and Need:, under 60 words, plain text. The Status line must start with the color your company's rules give (Green, Yellow or Red), using this week's real dates, and include nothing from the team's side chatter. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.","materialLabel":"Your notes and the status rules (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Status color rules (from the PMO wiki):\n- Green: all milestones on track.\n- Yellow: any milestone slips, but the customer launch date is safe.\n- Red: the customer launch date is at risk.\n\nLoyalty program - customer launch date: Feb 2\n\nMilestones:\n- Rewards catalog finalized: was Nov 14, now Nov 21 (partner Sweetleaf Bakery late sending their offer list)\n- Design review: Nov 20 - on track\n- Beta with 500 users: Dec 8 - on track\n- Marketing emails ready: Jan 15 - on track\nTeam says the one-week slip uses buffer we built in; Feb 2 is still safe.\n\nNeed: Legal sign-off on the program terms by Nov 26 or beta could slip. Ask: can leadership nudge legal?\n\nSide chatter:\n- Devon thinks we should rename it \"Perks Club\" (not decided)\n- Office move to floor 6 next month\n- Anna is out Friday","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":60},{"type":"maxSentences","max":5},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Not giving the color rule","why":"The AI calls it Green because the team sounds confident, or Red because something slipped.","fix":"Add: \"Use our color rules: a slip with the launch date safe is Yellow.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Not giving the labels","why":"The AI writes a paragraph or a bulleted list with headings.","fix":"Add: \"Exactly 3 lines labeled Status:, Risk:, Need:.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Burying the ask","why":"The AI mentions legal as background instead of a clear request.","fix":"Add: \"Need line: what I need from leadership and by when.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Including side chatter","why":"The AI adds the rename idea and office move to look thorough.","fix":"Add: \"Skip side chatter. Plain text, no bold.\"","checks":["r2","plainText","maxSentences"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for \"under 60 words\" and it often lands well over.","fix":"Cap each part instead: \"each line under 10 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Gives the labels","patterns":["status:","risk:","need:","label"]},{"label":"Points to the color rule","patterns":["color","yellow","green|red","rules"]},{"label":"States the ask","patterns":["need","ask","legal","nov(ember)? 26"]},{"label":"Skips chatter","patterns":["skip","chatter","leave out"]},{"label":"Limits the sentences","patterns":["\\d+\\s*sentences?","(one|two|three|four|five) sentences?"]}],"hint":"Status colors follow rules, not vibes. Tell the AI to apply your company's rules, give the exact labels, and say what you need.","rubricLabels":["Has exactly three labeled lines in order: Status:, Risk:, Need: (nothing before or after)","The Status line starts with Yellow (a milestone slipped but the Feb 2 launch is safe) and mentions the catalog moving to Nov 21","The Need line asks leadership to help get legal sign-off by Nov 26, and nothing from the side chatter appears (rename, office move, Anna)"]}