Write the CEO letter to employees about an acquisition

About this exercise

Write the CEO's letter to all employees about the announced acquisition, in plain text, under 190 words, with three labeled sections on their own lines: What is happening:, What does not change:, What we don't know yet:. Use only confirmed facts. Say the closing is expected, not certain. Do not state the price or speculate about job cuts or office closures. Start with "Team," and end with the line: Next update: November 20.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Promising certainty. The AI writes that the deal will close. Try: Say: "Closing is expected in Q1, subject to regulatory approval."
• Repeating the rumor. The AI mentions Denver to reassure people. Try: Say: "Do not mention the Denver rumor or job cuts."
• Leaking sensitive facts. The AI includes the price or headcounts. Try: Say: "Leave out price and staff counts."
• Wrong structure. The AI writes a flowing letter with no labels. Try: Say: "Three labeled sections, in order, and the exact last line."
• Markdown. The AI bolds the labels. Try: Say: "Plain text."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each part instead, for example: "each line under 15 words."

What a strong prompt includes

• Names the three sections
• Fixes opening and last lines
• Hedges the closing
• Restricts to confirmed facts
• Excludes sensitive items

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