Library › People & HR AI › Managers and team leads

Announce a colleague's departure neutrally to the team

  • For Managers and team leads
  • You practice Getting the tone right
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Intermediate

About this exercise

Write a short team message in plain text, under 80 words, announcing that Reggie is leaving. First line exactly: Subject: Reggie's last day. Give the last day, who covers his work, and the farewell details. Do not give or guess a reason for leaving, do not say whether he resigned or was let go, and do not praise or criticize his work. Last line exactly: Thanks, Corinne. HR reviews before sending.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Giving a reason. The AI says he is moving on to new opportunities. Try: Say: "Do not give or guess any reason or how he left."
  • Praise. The AI says 'he'll be missed'. Try: Say: "No praise or criticism."
  • Missing coverage. The AI says 'please reach out'. Try: Say: "Name who covers each task and the date."
  • Exact lines. The AI writes its own subject and ending. Try: Say: "First and last lines exactly as given."
  • 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."
  • Markdown. The AI bolds words or adds headings. Try: Say: "Plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Exact lines
  • Coverage
  • No reason
  • No praise
  • Word cap

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises