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Write a talk track for announcing a policy change

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

About this exercise

Write a 60-second talk track for a manager to read aloud at the team stand-up announcing the new remote-days policy. Plain text, under 95 words, in four short paragraphs labeled Open:, What changes:, What stays:, Questions:. Each paragraph is under 25 words. Spoken style, no bullet points. The Open: paragraph begins "Quick heads-up from the People Team." The last line of the whole script is exactly: Thanks, I'm at my desk after stand-up. Name the exact start date, and in Questions: say that anything about individual arrangements goes to the People Team. Do not mention exceptions at all. HR reviews before the manager uses it.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Leaking the private aside. The AI references people being unhappy or Jamal. Try: Say: "Use only the policy memo. Do not mention any individual."
  • Reads like a memo. The AI uses bullets, long paragraphs and its own ending. Try: Say: "Four labeled paragraphs under 20 words, first and last lines exactly as given."
  • Missing details. The AI skips the start date or what stays. Try: Say: "Name the exact start date and what stays the same."
  • Markdown. The AI bolds labels. Try: Say: "Plain text, no bold."
  • 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

  • Four labels
  • Exact opening and closing
  • Start date
  • No exceptions
  • Short paragraphs

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