Library › Agents & Automation AI › Managers and team leads
Brief an assistant to put approved time off on the team calendar
- For Managers and team leads
- You practice Keeping the AI to your sources
- Time about 5 minutes
About this exercise
You want an AI assistant to add your team's time off to the shared calendar from HR emails. Write its brief: add only approved requests as all-day events titled "Out of office: [Name]", send pending requests to you with ASK_HUMAN, use the dates exactly as approved, and never decline or move anyone's meetings. Output exactly 5 numbered plain-text lines: one per request in email order, then DONE.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not showing the log format. Left alone, the AI writes a friendly report with headings instead of a checkable action log. Try: Show it literally: "Format every line like 1. ACTION: tool(args), then ASK_HUMAN: and DONE: lines. Plain text."
- Copying the wrong dates. The AI uses Priya's original request instead of the approved day, or makes up its own title. Try: Add: "Use the approved dates exactly. Title: Out of office: Name, all day."
- Adding pending requests. The AI puts everything on the calendar, so the team plans around time off that isn't approved. Try: Add: "Only approved requests. Pending ones go to ASK_HUMAN."
- Acting on people's meetings. Someone asks, so the AI declines their meetings for them. Try: Add: "Never decline or move meetings."
What a strong prompt includes
- Only approved requests
- Sets the title
- Uses approved dates
- Forbids declining meetings
- Shows the action-log format
Related exercises
- Accept a job offer and confirm the exact terms (Writing AI · Job seekers)
- Allocate shared rent by headcount using the right roster (Finance AI · Accountants)
- Announce a seasonal offer with its real terms and no fake scarcity (Sales AI · Small business owners)
- Answer a 'where is my order' email with the real new date (Writing AI · Customer support teams)
- Answer a big discount ask with two priced options (Writing AI · Sales and customer success)