Library › Leadership AI › Managers and team leads

Announce a team split with empathy and only the facts

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

About this exercise

Your team lead Rosa is leaving and her 10-person team is being split between you and another manager. Write the email to the team: a subject line starting "Change:", then who moves where and from what date, a line starting "What stays the same:", and a line starting "Not decided yet:". Keep it under 180 words, plain text, warm but factual, and don't share why Rosa is leaving.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Copying the hype subject line. The AI reuses 'Exciting new chapter!' because it's in the notes. Try: Say: "Subject line starts with Change: and states the change plainly."
  • Mixing confirmed and open items. The AI blends what's decided with what isn't, so people can't tell which is which. Try: Ask for two labeled lines: "What stays the same:" and "Not decided yet:".
  • Sharing private details. The AI explains why Rosa is leaving because the notes say it. Try: Add: "Don't give any reason for Rosa leaving."
  • Formatting like a press release. The AI adds bold headers and long paragraphs. Try: Add: "Plain text email, under 140 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: "each line under 15 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Fixes the subject line
  • Labels what stays and what's open
  • Protects private details
  • Sets the tone
  • Sets a word limit

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises