Library › Leadership AI › Managers and team leads

Rank three competing requests with a one-line reason each

  • For Managers and team leads
  • You practice Setting limits and rules
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Beginner

About this exercise

Three people asked for your team's time this week. Rank them using the rule in the task: revenue-linked first, then legal or compliance deadlines, then everything else by the earliest due date. Write exactly 3 numbered lines in the form: 1. Request - requester - reason under 10 words. Use the latest due dates. Then a last line: Say no to: and the one request you will push back, with a counter-date.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Ignoring the rule. The AI ranks by who is senior. Try: Say: "Apply the rule: revenue, compliance, then earliest date, exactly 3 numbered lines."
  • Old due date. The AI keeps C as needed Friday. Try: Say: "Eli moved C to Mar 21."
  • No pushback line. The AI lists three and stops. Try: Say: "End with Say no to: and a counter-date."
  • Long reasons. The AI writes sentences. Try: Say: "Reason under 8 words."
  • 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 line: "each line under 18 words."
  • 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 12 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Format
  • Rule
  • Say no line
  • Latest dates
  • Short

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises