This pack is built for people who run an organisation or a large team: founders, chief executives, directors and senior managers. It is organised around the work only a leader can do, not around what an assistant, consultant or HR team would do for you. There are 54 prompts in eight sections: strategy memos, decisions and pre-mortems; OKRs and quarterly planning; board and investor updates; all-hands and change communications; crisis and difficult news; 1:1s, feedback and delegation; hiring senior roles and evolving your own role; and managing your own time and priorities.
The investor update, board narrative and OKR check-in prompts work only from the figures you give them and show their arithmetic so you can check it. Many other prompts ask the model to mark gaps with placeholders instead of guessing, and those that touch job losses, legal duties or disclosure say where to take advice. Each prompt sets a role, asks for your specifics as {{VARIABLES}}, states the rules and specifies the output, so it works in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. Four prompts come with worked examples on fictional inputs, so you can judge the output before you use it.
Strategy, Decisions & Pre-Mortems
Leaders make a small number of decisions that matter most, and most of the work is thinking clearly about them. These prompts turn a decision into a one-page memo with a clear recommendation, test a strategic bet by imagining it has failed, sort decisions by how reversible they are, draw a strategy onto one page, decide what to stop doing, steelman the opposing view, prepare a measured response to a rival's move, make a first evaluation of an acquisition, partnership or investment, and say no to a request from the board or a director.
Best for: A clear recommendation you can defend
You are a chief of staff helping a senior leader write a decision memo for themselves and the people who must carry out the decision. Use only the facts below. Do not invent figures, customer reactions or precedents.
Decision to make: {{DECISION}}
Options on the table: {{OPTIONS}}
Constraints (money, people, time, commitments already made): {{CONSTRAINTS}}
What we know for certain: {{KNOWN_FACTS}}
Date by which the decision must be made: {{DECISION_DEADLINE}}
Write a memo of no more than 450 words with these headings:
1. Recommendation (one sentence, then the single strongest reason).
2. What we are deciding and what we are not.
3. Options compared: for each, the main upside, the main cost, and what would have to be true for it to be the right choice.
4. Risks of the recommended option and how we would notice early that it is going wrong.
5. What I still do not know, and whether it is worth waiting to find out before the deadline.
6. Next steps in the first two weeks, with an owner role for each.
If the facts do not support a recommendation, say so and name the one fact that would change that, instead of forcing an answer.
Fill in: DECISION OPTIONS CONSTRAINTS KNOWN_FACTS DECISION_DEADLINE
Check the owner roles and dates in the next steps before you share the memo.
Best for: Finding the failure modes before launch
You are a sceptical advisor running a pre-mortem for a senior leadership team. Assume it is {{REVIEW_DATE}} and the bet below has clearly failed. Work backwards from that failure.
The bet: {{STRATEGIC_BET}}
Why we believe it will work: {{ASSUMPTIONS}}
Who owns the outcome (role only): {{OWNER_ROLE}}
Risks we already know about: {{KNOWN_RISKS}}
Produce:
1. Eight distinct reasons it failed. Spread them across market, customers, execution, people, money and timing. Do not repeat the known risks unless you can show a way they would be worse than expected.
2. For each reason, a sentence on the earliest warning sign a leader would see, and which role would see it first.
3. The three reasons that are both most likely and hardest to reverse, with a one-line explanation of why you ranked them that way.
4. For those three, one action to take now that is cheap, and one tripwire: a specific signal at which we pause and rethink.
5. The assumption in my list that looks weakest, and a quick way to test it this month.
Write in plain, direct sentences. Mark any reason that depends on facts I did not give you with [ASSUMES]. Output as a table for items 1 and 2, then short paragraphs for the rest.
Fill in: REVIEW_DATE STRATEGIC_BET ASSUMPTIONS OWNER_ROLE KNOWN_RISKS
Run this with the leadership team in the room, then keep the tripwires in your planning doc.
Example output · Claude (example written by The Prompt Index)
Sample inputs (fictional)
- REVIEW_DATE: 30 June 2027
- STRATEGIC_BET: Launch a self-serve plan for small businesses alongside our current sales-led enterprise product.
- ASSUMPTIONS: Small firms will sign up without a sales call. Support load will stay manageable. The current team can build it in two quarters.
- OWNER_ROLE: Chief Product Officer
- KNOWN_RISKS: Support tickets could rise. Self-serve pricing could undercut enterprise deals.
Pre-mortem: it is 30 June 2027 and the self-serve launch has failed
Reasons it failed, and the first warning sign
| # | Why it failed | Earliest warning sign | Who sees it first |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Small firms signed up but never got past setup without a person to help them (market/customers) [ASSUMES] | Trial accounts stall before first use | Head of Customer Success |
| 2 | The build took far longer than two quarters because enterprise requests kept taking engineers (execution) [ASSUMES] | Self-serve milestones slip while enterprise tickets get closed | Engineering lead |
| 3 | Self-serve prices became the reference point and enterprise customers asked for discounts; this goes beyond the known undercutting risk because it can reach every renewal (money) | Enterprise renewals cite the self-serve price | Sales leader |
| 4 | Small-firm questions overloaded a support team that also serves enterprise customers; worse than the known ticket risk if the biggest customers feel it first (people) [ASSUMES] | Response times for enterprise customers lengthen | Head of Support |
| 5 | The plan attracted firms with a poor fit, who left in the first few months (customers) [ASSUMES] | Cancellations concentrated in new self-serve accounts | Head of Customer Success |
| 6 | Marketing had no way to reach small firms cheaply, so sign-ups never reached volume (market) [ASSUMES] | Cost per sign-up rises after the first month | Marketing lead |
| 7 | Leadership attention stayed on enterprise and the day-to-day work had no dedicated lead beneath the owner (people) [ASSUMES] | Self-serve missing from weekly leadership agendas | Chief Product Officer |
| 8 | A competitor offered a similar plan sooner, and we launched into a crowded space (timing) [ASSUMES] | Competitor announcements in our segment | Sales leader |
The three most likely and hardest to reverse
- Reason 3 (price anchoring): once a public price exists, it is hard to withdraw, and it can affect every enterprise renewal. That makes it likely to cause lasting damage.
- Reason 1 (no one to help at setup): it needs a product design change and not only a process fix, so it is slow to correct after launch.
- Reason 4 (support overload): it affects the customers who pay the most, and hiring and training take time.
Action now and tripwire
- Reason 3: Cheap action: agree with the sales leader a rule for how enterprise deals will refer to self-serve pricing, before launch. Tripwire: if more than [SET THRESHOLD] enterprise renewals cite the self-serve price in a quarter, pause expansion of the self-serve plan and review pricing.
- Reason 1: Cheap action: watch [NUMBER] real small-firm users set up the product before launch. Tripwire: if [SET THRESHOLD] percent of trial accounts do not reach first use within a week, hold marketing spend until setup is fixed.
- Reason 4: Cheap action: check whether enterprise and small-firm support can be separated before launch and agree response targets for each. Tripwire: if enterprise response times worsen for two weeks in a row, move staff before adding customers.
Weakest assumption
"Small firms will sign up without a sales call" is the weakest because nothing in the notes shows it has been tested. Test this month: offer the plan to a handful of small firms you already talk to, with no sales call, and record how many get through setup without help.
Reasons marked [ASSUMES] depend on facts I was not given about our customers and market.
Best for: Moving faster on reversible calls
You are an operating partner helping a leader speed up decision-making. Sort the decisions below by how reversible they are and who should make them.
Decisions waiting on me or my team: {{DECISION_LIST}}
Who normally makes decisions here and how: {{CURRENT_DECISION_HABITS}}
The cost of a wrong call in our situation (money, customers, reputation, morale): {{COST_OF_ERROR}}
For each decision, give me:
1. Door type: "Two-way" (easy to reverse at low cost) or "One-way" (hard or expensive to reverse), with one sentence of reasoning.
2. Who should decide: me, a named role, or a small group, and why that level.
3. Speed: decide today, decide this week, or gather more first. If gather, state the one thing to learn and the cheapest way to learn it.
4. What to tell the person or team: the decision rule, in one sentence, they can use next time without asking.
Then list the two decisions where I am most likely to be too slow or too hasty, and say why. Be specific to my inputs and avoid generic advice about decisiveness.
Output as a table with one row per decision, followed by the two-item list.
Fill in: DECISION_LIST CURRENT_DECISION_HABITS COST_OF_ERROR
Use it at the start of a planning week, or when your own queue feels stuck.
Best for: A strategy people can repeat
You are a strategy lead helping an executive turn scattered notes into a one-page strategy their team can repeat from memory. Work only from what I give you; where something is missing, write [GAP] instead of inventing it.
Organisation and context: {{ORGANISATION_CONTEXT}}
Where we compete (customers, segments, geographies): {{WHERE_WE_COMPETE}}
Why customers choose us, as far as we know: {{CUSTOMER_REASONS}}
Choices already made: {{CHOICES_MADE}}
Open questions: {{OPEN_QUESTIONS}}
Write a page of no more than 350 words with these headings:
- Ambition (one sentence; no slogans).
- Where we play and, equally, where we do not.
- How we win: three specific advantages or moves, each tied to something in my notes.
- What we will stop or decline doing.
- Capabilities we must build or buy.
- Three measures that would tell us the strategy is working.
- Open questions, each with a suggested owner role and a date range for answering it.
After the page, list the three places where my notes contradict each other or where the strategy is still a wish rather than a choice.
Fill in: ORGANISATION_CONTEXT WHERE_WE_COMPETE CUSTOMER_REASONS CHOICES_MADE OPEN_QUESTIONS
Test the result by reading it aloud to someone outside the leadership team.
Best for: Making room by cutting, not adding
You are an advisor helping a leader free up capacity for what matters most. Be honest about trade-offs; do not suggest that everything can continue.
Strategic priorities for the period: {{STRATEGIC_PRIORITIES}}
Current initiatives and projects, with rough team time each takes: {{CURRENT_INITIATIVES}}
Recurring commitments (reports, meetings, services, customers) that eat time: {{RECURRING_COMMITMENTS}}
Capacity I need to free up and why: {{CAPACITY_NEEDED}}
Do the following:
1. Score each initiative and commitment from 1 to 5 on contribution to the priorities, and explain each score in one sentence. Use only the information I gave; where it is not enough, write [NEED MORE] and say what to ask.
2. Group items into Keep, Shrink, Pause, or Stop, with the reason.
3. Estimate the capacity released by the Shrink, Pause and Stop groups using only the time figures I provided, and show the sum.
4. List who will be unhappy about each Stop or Pause, what they will say, and how I should answer.
5. Give a three-line script for announcing the list to my team.
If the freed capacity is smaller than I need, say how much short it is and suggest the next hardest cut. Output as a table, then the script.
Fill in: STRATEGIC_PRIORITIES CURRENT_INITIATIVES RECURRING_COMMITMENTS CAPACITY_NEEDED
Add real time estimates before you rely on the arithmetic.
Best for: Hearing the best counter-argument
You are a respectful but rigorous adversary. I am about to commit to a position and I want to hear the best case against it before I do.
My position: {{YOUR_POSITION}}
The evidence behind it: {{YOUR_EVIDENCE}}
Who disagrees and what they have said so far: {{OPPOSING_VIEWS}}
Do this in order:
1. State the strongest version of the opposing case in the voice of the person who holds it, in 150 words or fewer. Do not caricature it, and do not use arguments they have not made unless you label them [MY ADDITION].
2. List the three facts or developments that would show my position is wrong, and what I could check to see whether any of them is already true.
3. Point out any place my own evidence is weaker than I make it sound, such as one source, small samples, or hopes presented as facts.
4. Suggest a middle path only if one genuinely exists, and say what it costs. If not, say there is none.
5. Write the two questions I should put to the opposing side, and the two I should expect from them.
Keep the tone factual. Finish with one sentence: would you change your recommendation, based only on what I told you?
Fill in: YOUR_POSITION YOUR_EVIDENCE OPPOSING_VIEWS
Share the steelman with the person who disagrees and ask if you have represented them fairly.
Best for: A measured response to a rival's move
You are a strategy advisor preparing a leader for a short, calm response to a competitor's announcement. You know nothing beyond what I give you, so do not state facts about the competitor that I did not provide.
What the competitor did: {{COMPETITOR_MOVE}}
Our current position and strengths: {{OUR_POSITION}}
Signals from customers or the sales team, if any: {{CUSTOMER_SIGNALS}}
What we can and cannot change in the next 90 days: {{OUR_CONSTRAINTS}}
Write a brief of no more than 400 words:
1. What we actually know versus what we are guessing, in two short lists.
2. Three plausible readings of what the competitor is trying to do, each with the evidence for and against it from my notes.
3. Four possible responses, including "do nothing and watch". For each: cost, risk, and the signal that would make it the right choice.
4. Your recommended response and why, with a single review date range.
5. What to tell the leadership team and the sales team today in two sentences each.
6. Three facts we should find out this week and who in the business would know.
Avoid dramatic language. If the move should not change our plans, say so plainly.
Fill in: COMPETITOR_MOVE OUR_POSITION CUSTOMER_SIGNALS OUR_CONSTRAINTS
Keep the facts section updated as new information arrives.
Best for: A disciplined first look at a deal
You are a corporate development analyst helping an executive structure an early evaluation of a possible acquisition, partnership, joint venture or investment. This is a thinking aid, not valuation, legal or financial advice. Use only what I provide and do not invent facts about the other party.
The opportunity: {{OPPORTUNITY}}
Why it might fit our strategy: {{STRATEGIC_RATIONALE}}
What we know about the other party, and the source of each fact: {{KNOWN_FACTS}}
Risks and concerns we already see: {{KNOWN_RISKS}}
Our limits (money, time, people, things we will not do): {{OUR_LIMITS}}
Write a memo of no more than 500 words with:
1. The question to be answered, in one sentence, and whether this is better than doing nothing or building it ourselves.
2. The strategic case: what would have to be true, and the evidence for each from my notes.
3. What we do not know: a list of questions we must answer, labelled by whether they need the other party, our finance team, legal counsel, or independent research.
4. Risks in four groups: strategic, people and culture, integration or operational, and reputational. Mark risks I did not mention as [ADDED BY AI].
5. Two alternative structures (such as a pilot or staged commitment) and what each would test.
6. A clear recommendation: stop, explore further, or proceed to formal diligence, with a reason.
7. The advisers to involve before any commitment (legal, tax, financial) and the first question for each.
Do not estimate valuations, synergies or deal terms.
Fill in: OPPORTUNITY STRATEGIC_RATIONALE KNOWN_FACTS KNOWN_RISKS OUR_LIMITS
Use it to decide whether to spend money on diligence, not to decide the deal.
Best for: Declining a board or director request without damaging trust
You are an advisor helping a chief executive decline, or defer, a strategic request from the board or an individual director. The goal is to keep the relationship and be clear.
The request: {{THE_REQUEST}}
Who is asking (board or director, role only): {{REQUESTER}}
What influence they hold over the business or my role: {{REQUESTER_LEVERAGE}}
Why I think we should not do it now: {{MY_REASONS}}
What I can offer instead: {{ALTERNATIVE_OFFER}}
What is at stake if the relationship with the board sours: {{RELATIONSHIP_STAKES}}
Prepare:
1. A test: three honest questions to check that my reasons are strategic and not just comfort or pride. Tell me if my notes suggest the request deserves a yes.
2. A conversation plan: an opening that acknowledges what they want, the "no" or "not yet" in one clear sentence, the reason in plain terms, and the alternative I can offer.
3. Responses to the three most likely pushbacks: pressure, a trade, and an appeal to someone senior.
4. Words and framings to avoid because they sound dismissive or like a bargaining position.
5. A follow-up email of 120 words or fewer that records what I said and the next step, without adding commitments.
6. A line of fallback if they escalate: what I can concede, and what I will not.
Use only my facts. If the request touches contractual or legal duties, flag it for counsel.
Fill in: THE_REQUEST REQUESTER REQUESTER_LEVERAGE MY_REASONS ALTERNATIVE_OFFER RELATIONSHIP_STAKES
Do not send the email until you have had the conversation; it should record, not surprise. Customer requests belong in the sales or small-business prompts.
OKRs & Quarterly Planning
Goals work when they are specific, owned and checked. These prompts draft outcome-based OKRs from your priorities, test key results for weaknesses, cascade company goals into team goals, design a quarterly planning session that ends in decisions, and review progress mid-quarter and at the end using your own numbers with the calculations shown.
Best for: Outcome-based OKRs from real priorities
You are an OKR coach working with a leadership team. Turn the priorities below into a draft set of objectives and key results for one quarter. Do not invent baselines or targets; where I have not given a number, write [BASELINE NEEDED] or [TARGET TO SET] so we fill it in together.
Quarter: {{QUARTER}}
Strategic priorities: {{STRATEGIC_PRIORITIES}}
Last quarter's results, if any: {{LAST_QUARTER_RESULTS}}
Biggest constraint this quarter: {{BIGGEST_CONSTRAINT}}
Scope (whole company or a named function): {{OKR_SCOPE}}
Write no more than 3 objectives. Each objective should be qualitative, inspiring in plain words, and achievable in the quarter. Under each, write 3 key results that:
- measure an outcome (a change in customers, revenue, quality, speed, risk) rather than an activity ("launch X");
- have a starting value and a target value, or the placeholders above;
- could be scored 0 to 1 by someone who was not in the room.
Then add for each objective: the one initiative that matters most, a suggested owner role, and one thing we are deliberately not trying to do this quarter.
Finish with two questions that would help us sharpen the weakest key result. Output as a numbered list, with key results in a table showing KR, baseline, target, and how it is measured.
Fill in: QUARTER STRATEGIC_PRIORITIES LAST_QUARTER_RESULTS BIGGEST_CONSTRAINT OKR_SCOPE
Fill in the placeholders in a working session; do not let the model supply the numbers.
Best for: Catching weak key results before they are locked in
You are a tough but constructive OKR reviewer. Review the draft OKRs below as if you were the CEO reading them the night before the quarter starts.
Draft OKRs: {{DRAFT_OKRS}}
What the business must achieve this year: {{ANNUAL_GOALS}}
Who will be responsible for each, by role: {{OWNER_ROLES}}
For each key result, check and report in a table:
1. Outcome or activity? If an activity, rewrite it as an outcome.
2. Measurable by someone who was not involved? What is the data source?
3. Has a baseline and a target? If not, mark it.
4. Ambition: is it a stretch target or a commitment we expect to hit? Say which it reads as, and why. Ask me which scoring convention my team uses rather than assuming one.
5. Within the owner's control, or does it depend on another team?
6. Gaming risk: how could someone hit the number while hurting the business?
Then: list objectives that do not link to the annual goals, any two key results that conflict, and the one key result you would delete. Give a rewritten version of the three weakest key results.
Use plain language. Do not suggest numbers I did not provide; use [TARGET TO SET] if needed.
Fill in: DRAFT_OKRS ANNUAL_GOALS OWNER_ROLES
Run this the day before sign-off, with the owners reading along.
Best for: Aligned goals that are not copies
You are an operating lead helping a department head write OKRs that support company goals without simply restating them.
Company objectives and key results: {{COMPANY_OKRS}}
My team and what it is responsible for: {{TEAM_REMIT}}
Team size and any known capacity limits: {{TEAM_CAPACITY}}
What other teams depend on mine for: {{TEAM_DEPENDENCIES}}
Draft 2 objectives with 2 or 3 key results each for my team. Rules:
- Each team key result must contribute to a company key result that I can actually influence. Name which one in brackets.
- No copy-and-paste of company key results. If my team cannot move any company key result, say so.
- No invented baselines or targets. Use [BASELINE NEEDED] or [TARGET TO SET].
- Include one key result about quality or reliability for another team that depends on us, if the dependencies justify it.
Then add:
1. A short list of company key results my team cannot influence, so I do not take them on by accident.
2. Two trade-offs with other teams that I should raise with their leaders before I commit.
3. A two-sentence version of my team's goals that I could say out loud to my own manager.
Output with the draft in a table (objective, KR, linked company KR, owner role), then the three extras.
Fill in: COMPANY_OKRS TEAM_REMIT TEAM_CAPACITY TEAM_DEPENDENCIES
Use it after the company OKRs are published and before your team meeting.
Best for: A planning session that ends in decisions
You are an experienced facilitator designing a leadership planning session. The agenda must lead to decisions, not presentations.
Quarter being planned: {{PLANNING_QUARTER}}
Participants (roles only): {{PARTICIPANT_ROLES}}
Total time available, in hours: {{SESSION_HOURS}}
Decisions the session must produce: {{REQUIRED_DECISIONS}}
Known tensions or disagreements: {{KNOWN_TENSIONS}}
Produce:
1. A timed agenda that fits exactly within the hours I gave, with the timings adding up. For each block give the purpose, the method (for example silent writing, vote, debate with a time limit), who leads, and the output.
2. A pre-read list of no more than four items and what each person should prepare, with a rule that nothing is presented in the room that was in the pre-read.
3. A plan for each known tension: when it comes up, who speaks first, and how we will decide if we do not agree.
4. A closing block that records each decision, owner role and next step before people leave.
5. Three ground rules for the room, written in one line each.
If the required decisions cannot all fit, say which to move out and why. Output as a table for the agenda, then lists.
Fill in: PLANNING_QUARTER PARTICIPANT_ROLES SESSION_HOURS REQUIRED_DECISIONS KNOWN_TENSIONS
Send the pre-read list at least a few days before the session.
Best for: A fast, checkable mid-quarter read
You are a chief of staff preparing a mid-quarter OKR review. Use only the numbers in my table. Show every calculation so I can check it.
Today's date: {{TODAY}}
Weeks left in the quarter: {{WEEKS_LEFT}}
Key results with start value, current value and target (one per line): {{KR_STATUS_TABLE}}
Known blockers and recent changes: {{BLOCKERS}}
For each key result:
1. Calculate progress as (current minus start) divided by (target minus start), shown as a percentage, with the working.
2. State whether it is on track, at risk or off track. Judge this against the share of the quarter that has passed, which you should compute from the weeks I gave you and say so if the quarter length is unclear.
3. Name the most likely reason in one line, using only my blockers. If the cause is not in my notes, write [CAUSE UNKNOWN] and suggest one question to ask the owner.
4. Recommend one action: keep going, add resource, change the approach, or reset the target. If resetting, say the decision I would need to make and who must agree.
Finish with a three-line summary I can read to the leadership team and the two key results that need my attention this week.
Fill in: TODAY WEEKS_LEFT KR_STATUS_TABLE BLOCKERS
Paste values straight from your tracker; do not round them first.
Best for: Learning from results without blame
You are a facilitator who helps leadership teams learn from a quarter without blame. Use only the results and notes I provide.
Quarter: {{QUARTER_NAME}}
Objectives, key results and final values: {{FINAL_RESULTS}}
What changed during the quarter (market, people, priorities, customers): {{WHAT_CHANGED}}
What the team believes went well or badly: {{TEAM_VIEWS}}
Complete these steps:
1. Score each key result from 0 to 1 using (final minus start) divided by (target minus start), capped at 1, and show the calculation. Where the start value is missing, say so and do not guess.
2. Group the key results into: delivered, partly delivered, missed, and no longer relevant. Say what the score tells us and what it hides.
3. For each miss, separate possible causes into plan, execution, outside change and measurement problem. Mark each cause as supported by my notes or [HYPOTHESIS].
4. Identify two patterns across the quarter, such as consistent over-commitment or late starts.
5. Recommend three changes to how we set or run OKRs next quarter, each one concrete enough to put on a calendar.
6. Draft a short, honest note to the whole company on how the quarter went, in 120 words or fewer.
Output with a table for steps 1 and 2, then short paragraphs.
Fill in: QUARTER_NAME FINAL_RESULTS WHAT_CHANGED TEAM_VIEWS
Share the note only after the leadership team has agreed the facts.
Board & Investor Updates
Boards and investors want the facts, the risks and what you need from them. These prompts write a monthly investor update from the numbers you provide, lead a board pre-read with the decisions needed, frame the CFO's numbers in a one-page board narrative, break bad news honestly, rehearse hard board questions, pre-wire the chair and turn meeting notes into decisions and owners.
Best for: A consistent monthly update investors can scan
You are a founder's chief of staff writing a monthly investor update. Use only the figures and facts below. Do not add benchmarks, market statistics, customer names or claims that are not in my notes. If a figure I give does not reconcile, point it out rather than fixing it quietly.
Key metrics, this month and last month, labelled with the month names (one per line): {{KEY_METRICS}}
Highlights (wins, launches, hires): {{HIGHLIGHTS}}
Lowlights and problems: {{LOWLIGHTS}}
Cash balance, as stated by finance: {{CASH_BALANCE}}
Net monthly burn, as stated by finance: {{MONTHLY_BURN}}
What we need from investors: {{INVESTOR_ASKS}}
Take the month and its name from my metric labels. Write the update with these headings: Summary (three sentences), Metrics (a table showing last month, this month and the change, computed from my figures and shown as numbers and percentages), Highlights, Lowlights and what we are doing about them, Cash and runway (state runway in months only if I gave both cash balance and burn, with the arithmetic shown), and Asks (specific, each with a named reason).
Keep it under 400 words, in an honest and plain tone. Put bad news before good news in the summary if it is material. Do not use words such as "exciting" or "thrilled".
Fill in: KEY_METRICS HIGHLIGHTS LOWLIGHTS CASH_BALANCE MONTHLY_BURN INVESTOR_ASKS
Send finance's figures, not your memory; fill any gaps before you send.
Example output · Claude (example written by The Prompt Index)
Sample inputs (fictional)
- KEY_METRICS: MRR $41,200 (August), $44,300 (September). Paying customers 212 (August), 226 (September). Customers lost in the month 6 (August), 9 (September). Active pilots 4 (August), 4 (September).
- HIGHLIGHTS: Signed a second regional distributor on a 12-month contract. Hired a head of customer success, who starts in October.
- LOWLIGHTS: Nine cancellations in September versus six in August; five of the nine had joined in the last 90 days. We are interviewing all nine. The reporting module release slipped from September to October.
- CASH_BALANCE: $380,000 at 30 September (finance figure).
- MONTHLY_BURN: $38,000 net per month (finance figure).
- INVESTOR_ASKS: Introductions to operations leaders at mid-sized logistics companies, to learn how they judge onboarding quality. Advice on onboarding for new customers.
Investor update: September
Summary
Customer losses rose in September, from 6 to 9, and five of the nine had joined in the last 90 days. The reporting module slipped from September to October. Against that, MRR grew 7.5% to $44,300 and we signed a second regional distributor.
Metrics
| Metric | August | September | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MRR | $41,200 | $44,300 | +$3,100 (+7.5%) |
| Paying customers | 212 | 226 | +14 (+6.6%) |
| Customers lost in month | 6 | 9 | +3 (+50%) |
| Active pilots | 4 | 4 | 0 (0%) |
Highlights
- Signed a second regional distributor on a 12-month contract.
- Hired a head of customer success, who starts in October.
Lowlights and what we are doing about them
- Churn: nine cancellations against six in August. Five of the nine had joined in the last 90 days. We are interviewing all nine.
- Product: the reporting module release moved from September to October.
Cash and runway
Cash was $380,000 at 30 September. At net burn of $38,000 per month, runway is $380,000 / $38,000 = 10.0 months, using finance's figures.
Asks
- Introductions to operations leaders at mid-sized logistics companies: to learn how they judge onboarding quality.
- Advice on onboarding for new customers, given that five of September's nine losses were recent joiners.
Note: the figures you gave me reconcile as stated. I did not have the number of new customers won in September, so I have not tried to reconcile the customer count with the 9 losses.
Best for: Directors who arrive ready to decide
You are an experienced board secretary and chief of staff. Draft the opening section of a board pre-read so directors can see within two minutes what is being asked of them. Use only what I provide; do not invent figures or details.
Meeting purpose: {{MEETING_PURPOSE}}
Decisions or approvals needed from the board: {{DECISIONS_NEEDED}}
Performance since the last meeting, with the numbers: {{PERFORMANCE_SUMMARY}}
Top risks management is watching: {{TOP_RISKS}}
Topics for discussion without a decision: {{DISCUSSION_TOPICS}}
Write:
1. A cover note of no more than 150 words: why this meeting matters, the decisions required, and how long each topic needs.
2. For each decision: the recommendation, the two best reasons, the main risk, what happens if the board says no, and the page where the detail sits (leave the page as [PAGE]).
3. A one-page performance summary in plain language, using my numbers, showing what moved and why only where my notes explain it.
4. A risk table: risk, current action, owner role, and what has changed since last time ([CHANGE] if not given).
5. A discussion section with the question we want the board to help us with for each topic.
If the material in this pre-read may be sensitive to disclose, flag it for review by counsel before it goes out. Use headings and short paragraphs.
Fill in: MEETING_PURPOSE DECISIONS_NEEDED PERFORMANCE_SUMMARY TOP_RISKS DISCUSSION_TOPICS
Have your finance lead and counsel read the pre-read before circulation.
Best for: Plain, accountable news to investors
You are a trusted advisor helping a founder or chief executive write an honest message to investors about something that has gone worse than planned. The tone is calm, factual and accountable. Do not minimise, spin or blame others.
What happened: {{THE_BAD_NEWS}}
What we know for certain: {{KNOWN_FACTS}}
What we do not know yet: {{UNKNOWNS}}
Actions already under way: {{ACTIONS_UNDERWAY}}
What we are asking of investors, if anything: {{INVESTOR_ASK}}
Write an email of no more than 300 words that:
1. States the news in the first two sentences, in plain words.
2. Separates facts from unknowns, and says when the next update will come as [DATE TO CONFIRM] if I have not given one.
3. Explains the impact only as far as my facts support it; write [IMPACT TO CONFIRM] for anything else.
4. Lists what we are doing, and what changes in how we will report from now on.
5. Makes any ask specific and easy to answer, or says clearly that we are not asking for anything yet.
Then give three lines for the likely follow-up questions and a short draft answer for each, using only my facts. Before sending, check the email against any legal or contractual duties to share or limit information with investors, and take advice where you are unsure.
Fill in: THE_BAD_NEWS KNOWN_FACTS UNKNOWNS ACTIONS_UNDERWAY INVESTOR_ASK
Read it aloud once; if any sentence sounds defensive, ask the model to rewrite that sentence only.
Best for: Walking into the boardroom prepared
You are a seasoned non-executive director who has sat on many boards. I will present the materials below, and I want to meet the hardest questions in advance.
Summary of what I will present: {{PRESENTATION_SUMMARY}}
The directors and what each cares about, by role or background: {{DIRECTOR_CONCERNS}}
Topics where the board has pushed back before: {{PAST_PUSHBACK}}
Numbers I will quote, with their sources: {{KEY_NUMBERS}}
Produce:
1. Twelve questions the board is likely to ask, grouped by theme (performance, risk, people, cash, strategy). Tie each to a specific director concern when you can.
2. For the five hardest, a draft answer of two to four sentences, using only my materials, with [NEED DATA] where I would otherwise have to invent something.
3. Three questions I should be embarrassed not to be able to answer, and what I need to find out before the meeting.
4. Two moments where my presentation may sound defensive or evasive, and how to rephrase them.
5. A one-minute opening that sets the context and tells the board what I need from them.
Keep a respectful tone. Do not predict how any director will vote, since you do not know them.
Fill in: PRESENTATION_SUMMARY DIRECTOR_CONCERNS PAST_PUSHBACK KEY_NUMBERS
Rehearse the five hardest answers aloud with a colleague.
Best for: Building trust before the meeting
You are an advisor helping a chief executive prepare a short conversation with the board chair a few days before a meeting where something sensitive will be discussed. The goal is no surprises, not lobbying.
What the chair already knows: {{CHAIR_CONTEXT}}
The sensitive topic: {{SENSITIVE_TOPIC}}
What I plan to recommend: {{MY_RECOMMENDATION}}
What I am worried the board will say: {{EXPECTED_OBJECTIONS}}
What I want from the chair in the meeting: {{CHAIR_SUPPORT_NEEDED}}
Prepare:
1. A 60-second opening for the conversation, in my voice, that states the issue and my recommendation without drama.
2. The three points I must make, in order, and what to leave for the meeting itself.
3. For each expected objection, one question I can ask to understand it rather than defend against it.
4. How to ask for what I need from the chair without asking them to commit before they have heard the board.
5. What not to say: three phrases or approaches likely to make the chair feel managed.
6. A follow-up email of under 100 words to confirm what was agreed.
Use plain, calm wording. If my recommendation has a weak point, tell me which one and how to acknowledge it.
Fill in: CHAIR_CONTEXT SENSITIVE_TOPIC MY_RECOMMENDATION EXPECTED_OBJECTIONS CHAIR_SUPPORT_NEEDED
Use the follow-up note only for what was actually agreed in the conversation.
Best for: Clear actions and owners after the board
You are a board secretary turning rough notes into a clear record. Use only my notes. Do not add decisions, deadlines or people's views that I did not write down.
Meeting date: {{MEETING_DATE}}
Attendees (names or roles): {{ATTENDEES}}
My raw notes from the meeting: {{RAW_NOTES}}
Decisions I believe were made: {{DECISIONS_MADE}}
Create:
1. A decisions list: for each decision, the exact wording, who proposed it if recorded, and any conditions. If my notes are not clear on the wording, write [CONFIRM WORDING].
2. An action table with action, owner, due date and status. Use [DUE DATE NEEDED] if no date was given.
3. Topics discussed without a decision, with the main points raised in neutral language.
4. Items where my notes and my list of decisions disagree, so I can check them.
5. A short email to directors, under 150 words, thanking them and listing the decisions and the actions they own.
These are working notes, not formal minutes. Remind me to check the draft with the chair and company secretary before it goes anywhere.
Fill in: MEETING_DATE ATTENDEES RAW_NOTES DECISIONS_MADE
Send the draft to the chair and company secretary rather than straight to directors.
Best for: A CEO view that sits on top of the finance pack
You are a chief executive's chief of staff. The CFO has produced the financial pack; my job is to tell the board what the numbers mean for the business. Do not restate the variance analysis or add figures I did not supply. If you quote a number, take it from my input, and show any calculation you make.
The headline numbers from the CFO's pack (with the period): {{CFO_HEADLINE_NUMBERS}}
What I think the numbers say about the business: {{MY_INTERPRETATION}}
What changed in the business that the numbers do not show: {{CONTEXT_BEHIND_NUMBERS}}
Decisions or concerns I want the board to focus on: {{BOARD_FOCUS}}
What I am watching over the next quarter: {{WATCH_LIST}}
Write a one-page narrative of no more than 350 words with these parts:
1. The story in two sentences: what happened this period and what it means.
2. Three things the numbers show, each with the single figure from my input that proves it.
3. Two things the numbers cannot show, from my context, and why they matter.
4. How this changes what we ask of the board, tied to my focus list.
5. What I am watching next quarter and what would make me change course, using only my watch list.
Where my interpretation goes further than the numbers support, say so in a short "Check before sending" list at the end. Keep the tone plain; avoid words such as "robust" and "headwinds".
Fill in: CFO_HEADLINE_NUMBERS MY_INTERPRETATION CONTEXT_BEHIND_NUMBERS BOARD_FOCUS WATCH_LIST
Ask your CFO to read the narrative against the pack before it goes to directors.
All-Hands & Change Communications
How a leader speaks to the whole organisation shapes trust. These prompts plan an all-hands, write a change announcement that says what is and is not decided, draft a mission, vision and values people recognise, prepare for hard town hall questions, explain a strategy shift in plain language, turn raw notes into a short weekly note and align the leadership team on one message before they speak.
Best for: An all-hands people remember
You are a communications-savvy chief of staff helping a leader plan a company all-hands. Make it useful to employees, not a performance for the leadership team.
Purpose of this all-hands: {{ALLHANDS_PURPOSE}}
Updates and announcements to cover: {{KEY_UPDATES}}
Length of the meeting in minutes: {{MEETING_MINUTES}}
Format (in person, remote or hybrid): {{MEETING_FORMAT}}
Audience (who attends): {{AUDIENCE}}
Topics people are likely to be anxious about: {{LIKELY_WORRIES}}
Produce:
1. A run of show with timings that add up to exactly the minutes I gave, naming the speaker role for each segment and what the audience should leave knowing.
2. Talking points for the opening and closing, each 120 words or fewer, written to be spoken aloud in short sentences.
3. For each update, one sentence on what changes for employees and one on what does not change.
4. A place in the schedule for questions, with a plan for taking anonymous questions and for what to say when we do not have an answer yet.
5. Two things to cut from my list if time is short, and why.
6. A short follow-up note to send the same day, using only the updates I listed.
Do not invent figures or promises. Where I have not decided something, write [DECISION PENDING] and offer wording that says so honestly.
Fill in: ALLHANDS_PURPOSE KEY_UPDATES MEETING_MINUTES MEETING_FORMAT AUDIENCE LIKELY_WORRIES
Say the 'what does not change' lines aloud in rehearsal; they land best when they are short.
Best for: A change message that earns trust
You are an internal communications lead writing a change announcement from a senior leader to employees. It must be honest about what is decided and what is not. Use only the facts below; do not invent reasons, dates, numbers or benefits.
The change: {{THE_CHANGE}}
Why we are doing it: {{REASON_FOR_CHANGE}}
Who is affected and how: {{WHO_IS_AFFECTED}}
Dates and facts already confirmed: {{CONFIRMED_DATES}}
What is not yet decided: {{NOT_YET_DECIDED}}
Where people can ask questions: {{QUESTION_CHANNEL}}
Write a message of 250 words or fewer from the leader, in a direct and humane tone, with this order:
1. The change in the first two sentences.
2. The reason in plain terms, including any hard truth I gave you.
3. What it means for the different groups affected.
4. What is decided, what is not, and when people will hear more. Do not give a date for further news unless I provided one; otherwise write [DATE TO CONFIRM].
5. How to ask questions or raise concerns.
Then list three phrases from the draft that could be heard as corporate evasion, and rewrite them. Avoid words such as "exciting opportunity" and "synergies". If the change involves job losses, contracts or pay, remind me that HR and legal advice must check the message before it is sent.
Fill in: THE_CHANGE REASON_FOR_CHANGE WHO_IS_AFFECTED CONFIRMED_DATES NOT_YET_DECIDED QUESTION_CHANNEL
Read the draft as if you were the most affected employee, then adjust the order if needed.
Example output · Claude (example written by The Prompt Index)
Sample inputs (fictional)
- THE_CHANGE: We are retiring the Classic dashboard on 31 March and moving all customers to the new Insights platform.
- REASON_FOR_CHANGE: Maintaining two products is slowing every release, and engineering time is split roughly evenly between them.
- WHO_IS_AFFECTED: Support and customer success teams will handle customer migrations. Sales stops selling Classic from 1 February. Engineers who work on Classic move to Insights.
- CONFIRMED_DATES: Classic retires on 31 March. Sales stops selling Classic on 1 February.
- NOT_YET_DECIDED: Whether customers with custom Classic integrations get extra migration help. Support rota changes during March.
- QUESTION_CHANNEL: the #insights-migration channel
Message from the leader
Subject: Retiring Classic on 31 March
Hello everyone,
We are retiring the Classic dashboard on 31 March and moving all customers to the new Insights platform.
Running two products is slowing every release, and our engineering time is split roughly evenly between them. We are choosing to put that time into one.
What this means for you:
- Support and customer success: you will handle customer migrations.
- Sales: from 1 February we stop selling Classic.
- Engineering: engineers who work on Classic move to Insights.
Decided: Classic retires on 31 March, and sales stops selling it on 1 February.
Not decided yet: whether customers with custom Classic integrations get extra migration help, and how the support rota changes during March. I will tell you when those are settled: [DATE TO CONFIRM].
If you have a question or a concern, post it in #insights-migration.
[Name]
Phrases that could be heard as evasive, and rewrites
1. "I will tell you when those are settled: [DATE TO CONFIRM]." Without a real date this is a vague promise. Rewrite once a date is set: "I will update you on both by [date]."
2. "We are choosing to put that time into one." The word "one" leaves out which product. Rewrite: "We are choosing to put that time into Insights."
3. "Engineers who work on Classic move to Insights." It gives no timing, which readers may take as already done or hidden. Rewrite: "Engineers who work on Classic move to Insights; the timing is [TIMING TO CONFIRM]."
No job losses, contracts or pay were mentioned in the inputs, so I have not added a reminder to involve HR and legal advisers.
Best for: Honest answers under pressure
You are a communications coach preparing a leader for the toughest questions employees might ask in a town hall. Base the answers on my facts only.
What we are announcing or discussing: {{TOWN_HALL_TOPIC}}
Facts I can share publicly: {{SHAREABLE_FACTS}}
Facts I cannot share yet, and why: {{CONFIDENTIAL_FACTS}}
What employees are saying or worried about: {{EMPLOYEE_CONCERNS}}
Produce:
1. Fifteen likely questions, including the uncomfortable ones, grouped by theme (jobs, pay, workload, leadership credibility, strategy, fairness).
2. For the ten hardest, an answer of two to four spoken sentences. Each must be truthful with my shareable facts. Where the honest answer is "I cannot say that yet", write the best way to say so, including what I can say about when or why.
3. Three answers that might sound defensive and a better phrasing for each.
4. A list of promises I should not make, given what I have told you.
5. A plan for how to handle a question that is hostile, one that is off topic, and one I cannot answer.
Never suggest I deny something that is true or imply a decision has not been made when it has. Label any answer that depends on facts I did not give as [NEED FACT].
Fill in: TOWN_HALL_TOPIC SHAREABLE_FACTS CONFIDENTIAL_FACTS EMPLOYEE_CONCERNS
Rehearse the hardest questions aloud with a colleague playing the audience.
Best for: A strategy everyone can explain
You are a speechwriter who writes clearly for people who have a busy job and limited patience for jargon. Turn the strategy points below into an explanation that every employee can understand and repeat.
The strategy shift, in the words leaders use: {{STRATEGY_SUMMARY}}
What we are changing from: {{CURRENT_STATE}}
What we are changing to: {{NEW_DIRECTION}}
What it means for day-to-day work in different teams: {{TEAM_IMPACT}}
Terms or phrases we use internally that may confuse people: {{INTERNAL_JARGON}}
Write:
1. A 200-word explanation that begins with why, then what, then how it affects people. Short sentences. No jargon from my list unless you explain it immediately in words a newcomer would follow.
2. A two-sentence summary that someone could say to a family member who asked what is changing at work.
3. Three concrete "this means that on Monday you might notice..." examples. Only use impacts I described; do not invent new ones. If I gave too few, tell me which groups are missing.
4. A glossary of the five terms people are most likely to misread, with a plain definition.
5. Three questions employees will ask first, with honest short answers drawn from my notes, or [NEED ANSWER] where I have not given one.
Check at the end that the explanation does not promise outcomes, only intentions, and mark any sentence that does.
Fill in: STRATEGY_SUMMARY CURRENT_STATE NEW_DIRECTION TEAM_IMPACT INTERNAL_JARGON
Test the two-sentence version on someone outside the leadership team.
Best for: A short weekly note people actually read
You are a ghostwriter helping a leader send a short weekly note to their team or company. It should sound like a real person who respects people's time.
Raw notes from my week (decisions, wins, worries, things I learned): {{WEEKLY_NOTES}}
Audience: {{AUDIENCE}}
Tone and how formal our culture is: {{TONE}}
Things I must not mention, because they are confidential or not final: {{OFF_LIMITS_TOPICS}}
One thing I want people to do or think about this week: {{CALL_TO_ACTION}}
Write a note of 220 words or fewer:
1. A one-line opening that is specific to this week, not a greeting about "another busy week".
2. Three short items: one thing that went well (credit the people or teams by role or name only if I gave names), one thing that is hard or unresolved, one decision or change.
3. One short paragraph in my voice on something I am thinking about, based only on my notes.
4. The call to action as the last line.
Rules: no invented facts, no filler praise, no more than one exclamation mark, and nothing on my off-limits list. After the note, list any place where you had to guess my meaning, so I can fix it before sending.
Fill in: WEEKLY_NOTES AUDIENCE TONE OFF_LIMITS_TOPICS CALL_TO_ACTION
Paste two of your past notes first so the model can match your voice.
Best for: One consistent message across leaders
You are a communications strategist helping a leadership team say the same thing before they speak to their own teams.
Announcement: {{ANNOUNCEMENT}}
Decisions already made and not up for debate: {{SETTLED_DECISIONS}}
What is still open: {{OPEN_ITEMS}}
Audiences and what each cares about: {{AUDIENCES}}
Timeline for telling people: {{ANNOUNCEMENT_TIMELINE}}
Create a message house that fits one page:
1. A core message in one sentence, with no hedging.
2. Three supporting messages, each backed by a fact I supplied. Mark any claim that has no supporting fact as [NEEDS EVIDENCE].
3. A "what we will say" and "what we will not say yet" table for the open items.
4. For each audience, the first question they will ask, and the answer that every leader gives.
5. A sequence for who hears what, in what order, using the timeline I gave, with a rule for avoiding leaks to the wrong group first.
6. Five phrases leaders should avoid because they will sound evasive or dismissive.
Finish with a three-minute briefing for leaders to read together before they go out and speak. Output as headed sections and tables.
Fill in: ANNOUNCEMENT SETTLED_DECISIONS OPEN_ITEMS AUDIENCES ANNOUNCEMENT_TIMELINE
Use it in a short leadership meeting, with every leader editing the core message before they leave.
Best for: Statements that reflect real behaviour
You are a communications strategist helping a leader write a mission, vision and set of values that people will recognise as true, not a poster. Use my material; do not borrow slogans from other organisations.
What we do and for whom: {{WHAT_WE_DO}}
Where we want to be in three to five years: {{FUTURE_AMBITION}}
Behaviours we reward in practice: {{REWARDED_BEHAVIOURS}}
Behaviours we have tolerated but do not want: {{UNWANTED_BEHAVIOURS}}
Existing statements we are replacing, if any: {{EXISTING_STATEMENTS}}
Produce:
1. A mission in one sentence (what we do and for whom) and a vision in one sentence (where we are going), each under 25 words, avoiding "world-class", "best-in-class" and "passionate".
2. Four or five values, each as a short phrase plus a sentence on what it looks like in daily work and a sentence on what it rules out, drawn from my two behaviour lists.
3. For each value, an example decision a team might face where the value would change the outcome.
4. A test: three questions to check each statement is specific (could a competitor say it?), true (do we act this way?) and usable (does it help someone choose?).
5. The behaviours in my second list that no value currently addresses, and what to do about them.
6. A short plan to roll the statements out: who to test them with first, and how to hear honest feedback.
If my inputs read like marketing language, point to the specific lines and ask for real examples.
Fill in: WHAT_WE_DO FUTURE_AMBITION REWARDED_BEHAVIOURS UNWANTED_BEHAVIOURS EXISTING_STATEMENTS
Test the drafts with a handful of employees from different levels before announcing them.
Crisis & Difficult News
In a crisis, calm structure and plain words matter most. These prompts organise the first hour, draft a holding statement when facts are still emerging, own a mistake publicly, tell employees before they hear it elsewhere, rehearse a hostile interview, announce cuts or a hiring freeze and run a blame-free review afterwards. Legal and regulatory questions go to counsel, and the prompts that touch them say so.
Best for: Calm structure in the first hour
You are a crisis-management advisor helping a senior leader organise the first hour after a serious incident. Speed and clarity matter more than polish. Use only the facts below; do not guess at causes.
What has happened: {{INCIDENT_DESCRIPTION}}
Confirmed facts so far: {{CONFIRMED_FACTS}}
Who is affected (customers, employees, partners, public): {{AFFECTED_GROUPS}}
People and roles available right now: {{AVAILABLE_ROLES}}
Produce:
1. A one-paragraph situation summary that separates what is confirmed, what is probable and what is unknown.
2. A first-hour checklist in order of priority: protect people, stop further harm, preserve records, inform decision-makers, inform affected groups.
3. Role assignments from my available roles only: incident lead, communications lead, a person to log decisions, a person to speak to affected groups, and who talks to legal advisers. Flag any role I do not have covered.
4. A decision log template with columns for time, decision, who decided, and why.
5. A list of the people or organisations that may need to be told by law, contract or insurance terms, written as questions to ask counsel and not as legal conclusions.
6. The next check-in time, expressed as an interval ("every 30 minutes") and what each check-in must cover.
Do not blame individuals. End with the three questions most likely to be asked of us in the first day.
Fill in: INCIDENT_DESCRIPTION CONFIRMED_FACTS AFFECTED_GROUPS AVAILABLE_ROLES
Keep it open in a shared document so the decision log is written as events happen.
Best for: Honest statements before the full story is known
You are a communications adviser drafting a short holding statement for a leader to release while an incident is still being investigated. It must be truthful, not speculative, and not over-promise.
What happened, in confirmed terms only: {{CONFIRMED_EVENT}}
Who is affected: {{AFFECTED_PEOPLE}}
What we are doing right now: {{CURRENT_ACTIONS}}
What we do not yet know: {{CURRENT_UNKNOWNS}}
Where people can get updates: {{UPDATE_CHANNEL}}
Write three versions of the statement, each under 120 words: one for customers or the public, one for employees, one for partners or suppliers. Each should:
1. Say what we know in the first sentence, in plain words.
2. Express concern for those affected without grandstanding.
3. Describe what we are doing, using only my list.
4. Say what we do not know yet and when we will update, writing [UPDATE TIME TO CONFIRM] if I have not given a time.
5. Give the channel for updates.
Do not state a cause, apportion blame, estimate impact, or promise outcomes I did not give you. List five phrases to avoid in this situation and why, and note any statement that should be read by legal counsel before release, since wording can create obligations.
Fill in: CONFIRMED_EVENT AFFECTED_PEOPLE CURRENT_ACTIONS CURRENT_UNKNOWNS UPDATE_CHANNEL
Release only after the facts in the first sentence have been confirmed by the incident lead.
Best for: An apology that sounds like a person wrote it
You are a senior communications adviser helping a leader write a public statement taking responsibility for something the organisation got wrong. The aim is credibility, not damage limitation by vagueness.
What went wrong, in plain terms: {{WHAT_WENT_WRONG}}
Who was affected and how: {{HARM_DONE}}
What we have already done to put it right: {{REMEDIES_STARTED}}
What we will do next, with dates only if I have confirmed them: {{NEXT_STEPS}}
Anything we cannot say for legal or investigation reasons: {{LEGAL_LIMITS}}
Write a statement of 250 words or fewer in the leader's first-person voice:
1. Open with the mistake and that it is ours; no passive voice.
2. Describe the impact on those affected specifically, without minimising it.
3. State what has been done and what will be done, using only my lists.
4. Explain what we are changing so it does not happen again, only if I gave you the changes; otherwise write [PREVENTION STEPS TO CONFIRM].
5. Close with where affected people can get help or answers.
Avoid phrases such as "mistakes were made", "we apologise if anyone was offended" and "out of an abundance of caution". Then add a short note on what to check with counsel before publishing, such as admissions of liability or regulatory duties, recognising that I should take legal advice and you cannot.
Fill in: WHAT_WENT_WRONG HARM_DONE REMEDIES_STARTED NEXT_STEPS LEGAL_LIMITS
Have counsel read the statement for liability, but keep the sentence that names the mistake.
Best for: Employees hear it from you first
You are an internal communications lead helping a senior leader tell employees about a serious situation affecting the organisation before it reaches them from the media or social platforms.
The situation: {{SITUATION}}
What employees need to know: {{EMPLOYEE_FACTS}}
What employees must not do or say externally, if anything: {{COMMS_RULES}}
Who to contact inside the company for questions: {{INTERNAL_CONTACT}}
What we are able to share about timing: {{TIMING_FACTS}}
Write:
1. An email of 220 words or fewer, in a calm leader voice. State the situation, what it means for employees, what we ask of them, who to contact, and when they will hear more (use [TIME TO CONFIRM] if I did not give one).
2. A two-minute script that managers can read aloud to their teams, with the same facts and no more.
3. A short answer sheet for managers: five likely questions with approved answers drawn from my facts, and a rule for what to do when they do not know.
4. A line for any request to avoid commenting publicly. It must be reasonable and must not discourage employees from reporting wrongdoing or speaking to regulators.
5. A reminder of how employees can raise worries or look after their wellbeing, if I have supplied a channel.
Do not create facts or reassurances I did not provide.
Fill in: SITUATION EMPLOYEE_FACTS COMMS_RULES INTERNAL_CONTACT TIMING_FACTS
Send the manager script first, so managers are not surprised by the email.
Best for: Practising before the real interview
Play the role of a fair but tough reporter interviewing me about the situation below. I want to rehearse. You are not allowed to make up facts about our organisation; you may only ask questions based on what I tell you and on general questions any reporter would ask.
The situation: {{CRISIS_SITUATION}}
Facts I am able to share: {{PUBLIC_FACTS}}
Facts I cannot share, and my reason: {{OFF_LIMITS_FACTS}}
My three key messages: {{KEY_MESSAGES}}
Rules for the exercise:
1. Ask me one question at a time and wait for my answer. Start with an easy one and become more probing; include at least one question that blames me or assumes bad intent, and one I cannot fully answer.
2. Stay in character until I type STOP. When I type STOP, step out of character and give feedback.
3. After STOP, give feedback in four parts: where I answered clearly, where I dodged or rambled, any moment I said something that could become a damaging quote, and a better phrasing for my three weakest answers.
4. Then rate how well I delivered each key message, with a short reason.
Begin with the first question now.
Fill in: CRISIS_SITUATION PUBLIC_FACTS OFF_LIMITS_FACTS KEY_MESSAGES
Do this at least twice, and use a different tone of reporter the second time.
Best for: Hard news with dignity
You are an experienced chief of staff helping a leader announce a cost-saving measure. Treat employees as adults: explain the situation plainly and do not oversell.
The measure (for example a hiring freeze, travel limits, budget cuts): {{COST_MEASURE}}
The reason, in honest terms: {{HONEST_REASON}}
What it affects and what it does not: {{SCOPE_OF_MEASURE}}
How long it will last, if known: {{DURATION_IF_KNOWN}}
What decisions have not been made: {{DECISIONS_PENDING}}
Write:
1. An announcement of 250 words or fewer, in the leader's voice, with the measure in the first two sentences.
2. A "what this means for you" list covering three groups most affected, using only my scope information.
3. An explanation of how decisions will be made from here and who to ask, written only if I gave you the facts; otherwise add [PROCESS TO CONFIRM].
4. A script of two or three sentences for managers who are asked "Is my job safe?" It must not promise anything beyond what I told you.
5. Five questions I should be ready to answer.
If the measure could lead to dismissals, redundancy or changes to contracts, note that employment law and consultation duties vary and my HR and legal advisers must be involved before any message is sent. Do not write about redundancy terms.
Fill in: COST_MEASURE HONEST_REASON SCOPE_OF_MEASURE DURATION_IF_KNOWN DECISIONS_PENDING
Tell managers a day earlier than staff, with the script and the answer sheet.
Best for: Learning from a crisis without scapegoating
You are a facilitator running a blameless review of a crisis after it has been contained. The goal is to learn and fix, not to find someone to blame. Use only what I provide; label anything you infer.
What happened: {{INCIDENT_SUMMARY}}
Timeline of events and decisions, with times: {{TIMELINE_NOTES}}
What worked well in our response: {{WHAT_WORKED}}
What did not work: {{WHAT_FAILED}}
Who took part in the response, by role: {{RESPONDER_ROLES}}
Produce:
1. A clean timeline table: time, event or decision, who (role), and what was known at that moment. Flag any gaps in my timeline.
2. Three contributing causes with the evidence from my notes for each, and the conditions that made the failure possible, such as unclear ownership or missing alerts. Mark inferences as [INFERRED].
3. Decisions that looked reasonable at the time given what was known, and decisions that need a closer look.
4. Five fixes ranked by how much risk they remove, each with an owner role and a date range I can adjust.
5. What we should tell employees, customers or partners about what we learned, if anything.
6. The questions I should ask the board or leadership team in the next meeting.
Use blame-free language throughout: describe systems and decisions, not personalities.
Fill in: INCIDENT_SUMMARY TIMELINE_NOTES WHAT_WORKED WHAT_FAILED RESPONDER_ROLES
Hold the review within two weeks while memories are fresh, and share the timeline before the session.
1:1s, Feedback & Leading Your Team
Leaders spend much of their time with the people who report to them. These prompts prepare a 1:1 around the report's agenda, coach someone who is stuck, give feedback on behaviour and impact, delegate with clear authority, hold a skip-level meeting, brief your own boss, run a leadership team meeting that decides things and address a conflict between two senior reports.
Best for: A 1:1 that is not a status meeting
You are an executive coach helping a leader prepare a 1:1 with a direct report. The meeting belongs to the report: the agenda should leave plenty of room for what they need, and for my own priorities in a limited slot.
Notes from our last 1:1 (actions and topics): {{LAST_ONE_TO_ONE_NOTES}}
What has happened in their work since then: {{RECENT_EVENTS}}
Things I need to raise: {{MY_TOPICS}}
Length of the meeting in minutes: {{MEETING_LENGTH}}
Anything about their situation I should be sensitive to: {{PERSON_CONTEXT}}
Create:
1. A timed agenda for the minutes I gave, with timings that add up, starting with their topics, then follow-ups on last time's actions, then mine.
2. Five open questions tailored to the notes, avoiding yes/no questions and anything that sounds like a status check.
3. A recognition item: one specific thing they did, drawn only from my notes, and how to say it.
4. One piece of feedback to give, if my notes support one, in behaviour-and-impact form; if not, say so rather than inventing one.
5. A list of actions from last time that are still open, to review.
6. A closing question and a two-line template for recording actions after the meeting.
Do not diagnose their feelings or motives. Keep notes factual, and remember that notes about a named person are personal data, so use initials or a role if you paste this anywhere shared.
Fill in: LAST_ONE_TO_ONE_NOTES RECENT_EVENTS MY_TOPICS MEETING_LENGTH PERSON_CONTEXT
Send the agenda to your report a day ahead so they can add to it.
Example output · Claude (example written by The Prompt Index)
Sample inputs (fictional)
- LAST_ONE_TO_ONE_NOTES: Actions: Dana to send the Q3 hiring plan to finance; I will ask finance about the contractor budget. Topics: Dana is worried about workload on the onboarding project.
- RECENT_EVENTS: Dana ran the customer webinar on 12 September. The hiring plan went to finance. One of her two analysts is on leave until the end of the month.
- MY_TOPICS: Update on the contractor budget. Ask about the timing of the board pack data.
- MEETING_LENGTH: 45
- PERSON_CONTEXT: Dana is covering for the analyst who is on leave.
1:1 agenda with Dana (45 minutes)
Timed agenda
| Minutes | Item | Whose |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 15 | Dana's topics, starting with how the onboarding project workload feels now | Dana |
| 15 to 25 | Follow-ups on actions from last time | Both |
| 25 to 40 | My topics: contractor budget update; timing of the board pack data | Me |
| 40 to 45 | Close: next steps and recording actions | Both |
Total: 15 + 10 + 15 + 5 = 45 minutes.
Five open questions
1. What would you most like to use this time for?
2. How is the onboarding project workload now, compared with last time?
3. What is the hardest part of covering for your analyst at the moment?
4. What would make the next two weeks easier?
5. What would you like me to know that I may not have heard?
Recognition
Dana ran the customer webinar on 12 September. Say: "Thank you for running the webinar on 12 September." Add what you personally saw or heard about it; my notes do not say how it went, so I have not guessed.
Feedback
My notes do not support a piece of feedback, so I have not invented one.
Open actions from last time
- Dana to send the Q3 hiring plan to finance: your notes say the plan went to finance, so this looks closed; confirm with Dana.
- Me to ask finance about the contractor budget: still open until you report back in your topics.
Closing question
"What is the one thing we agreed today, and who is doing it?"
Action template
Action: ____ Owner: ____ By when: ____
Action: ____ Owner: ____ By when: ____
These notes are about a named person. If you paste them anywhere shared, use initials or a role.
Best for: Helping without taking over
You are a leadership coach. A direct report of mine is stuck, and I want to help them find their own way forward without handing over the answer or taking the problem back.
What they are stuck on: {{STUCK_ON}}
What they have already tried: {{ALREADY_TRIED}}
How they usually respond when stuck: {{USUAL_RESPONSE}}
What is at stake for the business if this stays stuck: {{STAKES}}
How much time I can give: {{MY_TIME_AVAILABLE}}
Prepare:
1. An opening of two sentences that signals I am here to help them think, not to judge.
2. Ten coaching questions in the order I might ask them, grouped under: understanding the situation, finding options, choosing, and committing. At least half must start with "What" or "How". None of them should hold a hidden suggestion.
3. Three moments in the conversation where I will be tempted to jump in with an answer, and what to say instead.
4. A way to move from talk to a specific next step they own, with a date they choose.
5. A short closing line and a follow-up message of under 60 words.
If the stakes mean I must step in, tell me the signs that coaching is no longer enough and how to switch to a direct instruction while keeping the relationship intact.
Fill in: STUCK_ON ALREADY_TRIED USUAL_RESPONSE STAKES MY_TIME_AVAILABLE
Choose three questions before the meeting rather than using all ten.
Best for: Specific feedback that lands
You are an experienced leadership coach helping me prepare to give feedback. Help me describe what I saw, the effect it had, and what I would like to see next, without judging the person.
The person's role and my relationship with them: {{PERSON_ROLE}}
The specific situation, with date or setting: {{SITUATION}}
What I observed (what they did or said, as a camera would see it): {{OBSERVED_BEHAVIOUR}}
The effect it had on the team, customers or results: {{IMPACT}}
What I want to see instead: {{DESIRED_BEHAVIOUR}}
Write:
1. A feedback statement of 80 words or fewer in this order: situation, behaviour, impact, request. It must describe actions, not character, and must not use words such as "always", "never" or "attitude".
2. An opening line to start the conversation and ask whether now is a good time.
3. Three open questions to ask after I have spoken to hear their view.
4. Responses to the three most likely reactions: defensiveness, surprise, and agreement with no change. For each give a calm sentence I can say.
5. A closing that agrees on what happens next and when we will check in.
6. A check on my own bias: three questions to ask myself about whether I would give this feedback in the same way to someone else.
If my description of the behaviour includes interpretations or guesses, point them out and suggest observable wording instead.
Fill in: PERSON_ROLE SITUATION OBSERVED_BEHAVIOUR IMPACT DESIRED_BEHAVIOUR
Say the feedback aloud before the meeting to hear whether it sounds like judgment.
Best for: Delegation that sticks
You are an operations coach helping a senior leader delegate work properly. Write a brief that I can give to the person, so they know what is theirs and what is not.
The task or decision to delegate: {{TASK_TO_DELEGATE}}
The outcome I want and how I will know it is done well: {{DESIRED_OUTCOME}}
Level of authority I am giving them: {{AUTHORITY_LEVEL}}
Constraints (budget, deadline, things they must not do): {{DELEGATION_LIMITS}}
Who is involved or affected: {{STAKEHOLDERS}}
Produce:
1. A one-page brief written to the person: the outcome, why it matters, the authority they have (decide and tell me, recommend and I decide, or decide and act), the limits, and who they can go to.
2. Three decisions they can make without checking with me, and three they must bring to me.
3. Check-in points at sensible intervals, with a purpose for each, so I do not hover or disappear.
4. A line for the moment when they come to me with a problem, to keep the problem with them: two questions I can ask before offering advice.
5. What I will do if the work goes off track: how I will step in, and how I will say it.
6. A note to myself on my own habits that could undermine this delegation.
Keep the language respectful and clear; do not write as though the person lacks capability.
Fill in: TASK_TO_DELEGATE DESIRED_OUTCOME AUTHORITY_LEVEL DELEGATION_LIMITS STAKEHOLDERS
Hand over the brief in person and ask them to repeat back what they will own.
Best for: Hearing how it feels two levels down
You are a leadership advisor preparing me for a skip-level meeting with someone who reports to one of my direct reports. I want an honest view of how things are, without undermining their manager.
The person and their role: {{SKIP_LEVEL_PERSON}}
Their manager's role and my relationship with that manager: {{MANAGER_CONTEXT}}
Why I am holding the meeting: {{MEETING_PURPOSE}}
Time available in minutes: {{AVAILABLE_MINUTES}}
Topics I must avoid or handle carefully: {{SENSITIVE_TOPICS}}
Prepare:
1. An opening that puts them at ease and states clearly the purpose, how I will use what they say, and what I will not share without their consent. Do not promise confidentiality I may not be able to keep; explain the limits honestly.
2. Eight open questions about their work, the team, obstacles, learning and what they would change, ordered from easy to more candid.
3. Listening cues: what to do if they criticise their manager, raise something serious, or say very little.
4. A rule for what I do with concerns afterwards, including when I must act and when I should return the issue to their manager.
5. A short note for their manager that respects the person and does not betray what was said.
6. A thank-you message to the person of 50 words or fewer.
Keep notes brief and factual; remember they are personal data.
Fill in: SKIP_LEVEL_PERSON MANAGER_CONTEXT MEETING_PURPOSE AVAILABLE_MINUTES SENSITIVE_TOPICS
Tell the manager beforehand that the meeting is happening and why.
Best for: Updating upward in thirty seconds
You are a communications coach helping me manage upward. I need to update my own boss so they feel informed and can make decisions with little time. Use only my notes.
My boss and what they care about most: {{BOSS_PRIORITIES}}
Topic of the update: {{UPDATE_TOPIC}}
What has happened and the current status: {{STATUS_NOTES}}
Problems I know about: {{PROBLEMS}}
Risks I know about: {{RISKS}}
What I need from them, if anything: {{WHAT_I_NEED}}
Write:
1. A five-line update in this order: where we are, what changed, what is at risk, what I am doing about it, what I need from you. Each line is one sentence. No jargon.
2. A longer version of 150 words or fewer for when they ask for more.
3. Three questions they are likely to ask and a short answer for each from my notes, or [NEED FACT].
4. A subject line.
5. A check: have I buried the bad news? If so, show how to move it up.
6. A note on what I should not include because it adds noise for this boss, given their priorities.
Keep the tone factual and confident, not defensive, and do not exaggerate progress.
Fill in: BOSS_PRIORITIES UPDATE_TOPIC STATUS_NOTES PROBLEMS RISKS WHAT_I_NEED
Send the five-line version first, and keep the longer one in reserve.
Best for: Meetings where the team decides
You are an organisational consultant redesigning a weekly leadership team meeting. Most of its time should go to decisions and cross-functional problems, not reporting.
Team members (roles only): {{TEAM_ROLES}}
Current meeting length and format: {{CURRENT_FORMAT}}
What is wrong with the current meeting: {{CURRENT_PROBLEMS}}
Topics and decisions waiting this week: {{THIS_WEEK_TOPICS}}
Meeting length I want, in minutes: {{TARGET_MINUTES}}
Produce:
1. A recommended structure for the weekly meeting, with timings that add up to my target length, explaining what to remove from the current format.
2. An agenda for this week using my topics, labelled by type (decide, discuss, inform), with the owner role, time, and the question to be answered for each. Move "inform" items to a written update.
3. A one-paragraph pre-read rule: what to send in advance and by when.
4. Ground rules in four lines or fewer.
5. A decision log format with decision, owner, date, and whether it is reversible.
6. Two signs to watch for over the next month that suggest the meeting is drifting back to old habits, and the fix for each.
If the topics cannot fit in the time, tell me which to defer, and why. Output as short sections with a table for the agenda.
Fill in: TEAM_ROLES CURRENT_FORMAT CURRENT_PROBLEMS THIS_WEEK_TOPICS TARGET_MINUTES
Trial the new format for four weeks, then review it with the team.
Best for: Resolving conflict between senior colleagues
You are a mediator and executive coach helping me address a conflict between two senior people who report to me. I want to resolve the issue and protect the working relationship, not pick a winner.
The two people (roles only): {{TWO_ROLES}}
The conflict as I understand it, with facts I have seen: {{CONFLICT_FACTS}}
How it is affecting the business: {{BUSINESS_IMPACT}}
What each person has told me, separately: {{EACH_VIEW}}
What I have already done: {{ACTIONS_SO_FAR}}
Prepare:
1. A short analysis of the issue as it may look to each person, and what each may need. Label anything not in my notes as [ASSUMPTION].
2. Separate the facts from interpretations in what I have told you.
3. A plan for individual conversations first, with six questions for each person.
4. A structure for a joint conversation, including a clear purpose, ground rules, who speaks first, and how to move from grievances to agreements.
5. The agreements I should aim for, such as how they share information or make joint decisions, and how to check them in 30 days.
6. Signs the issue is about behaviour that needs a different response, such as harassment or discrimination, and what I should do if I see them (involve HR and take advice).
Keep my role neutral. Do not suggest I take sides.
Fill in: TWO_ROLES CONFLICT_FACTS BUSINESS_IMPACT EACH_VIEW ACTIONS_SO_FAR
Keep notes minimal and factual; the content here is about named people.
Senior Hires & Your Own Role
A senior hire shapes the organisation for years, and so does how you change your own role as the organisation grows. These prompts define what a hire must achieve in year one, compare finalists against that definition using evidence, plan your first 90 days in a new leadership role and decide what a founder or chief executive should stop doing as the company scales. Recruiting workflow such as job ads, screening and reference checks sits in the recruiters pack.
Best for: Hiring for outcomes, not for a feeling
You are an executive search consultant helping a hiring leader define a senior role by outcomes rather than a list of qualities.
The role: {{ROLE}}
Who it reports to: {{REPORTING_LINE}}
The business problem this hire must solve: {{BUSINESS_PROBLEM}}
The team and context they will inherit: {{TEAM_CONTEXT}}
What the last person in the role did well and badly, if relevant: {{PREDECESSOR_LESSONS}}
Write a scorecard with:
1. A mission statement for the role in two sentences.
2. Four to six outcomes for the first 12 months, each with a measure I can verify. Where I have not given a baseline or target, use [TARGET TO SET] and do not invent numbers.
3. Five to seven competencies that matter for these outcomes, each defined by what the person would actually do, with one sign of strength and one warning sign.
4. Must-haves versus nice-to-haves, with a rule for what I will trade off if a strong candidate lacks one.
5. Three things that would be deal-breakers for this team and why, avoiding anything that could be discriminatory or unrelated to doing the job.
6. A list of questions I need to settle with my own boss or board before I start the search.
Keep the language plain and free of cliches such as "rockstar" or "self-starter". Output as headed sections with outcomes in a table.
Fill in: ROLE REPORTING_LINE BUSINESS_PROBLEM TEAM_CONTEXT PREDECESSOR_LESSONS
Agree the scorecard with everyone who will interview before the search begins.
Best for: A decision based on evidence
You are an independent hiring adviser helping me compare finalists for a senior role using the evidence we gathered, not the impression we have of each candidate. Use only the notes I give you.
The scorecard (outcomes and competencies): {{ROLE_SCORECARD}}
Evidence notes for each finalist, labelled Candidate A, Candidate B, and so on: {{FINALIST_EVIDENCE}}
Interviewer scores or comments, if any: {{INTERVIEWER_COMMENTS}}
Concerns the team has about any finalist: {{TEAM_CONCERNS}}
Produce:
1. A table with a row per competency and a column per finalist, with the evidence each time (quote from my notes or write NO EVIDENCE) and a rating of Strong, Adequate, Weak or Unknown. Do not rate without evidence.
2. For each finalist, the three strongest points and three biggest risks, each tied to my notes.
3. Where interviewers disagree, the facts that explain the disagreement, and a question that could resolve it.
4. A check for bias: places where the notes use vague words such as "fit", "polish" or "presence", and the observable evidence we should ask for instead.
5. What I would need to see in a final conversation to be sure, and what each finalist would need to be coached on in their first 90 days.
6. A recommendation if the evidence supports one; if not, say it does not and what is missing.
Do not use candidate names or personal data beyond labels A, B and C.
Fill in: ROLE_SCORECARD FINALIST_EVIDENCE INTERVIEWER_COMMENTS TEAM_CONCERNS
Use only labels for candidates when you paste notes, then match the labels to names yourself.
Best for: A deliberate first quarter in a new role
You are an executive coach helping me plan the first 90 days in a new senior role. I want to learn quickly, build trust and choose where to make early progress.
My new role and who I report to: {{NEW_ROLE}}
What I know about the situation I am inheriting: {{INHERITED_SITUATION}}
What my boss and the board expect: {{EXPECTATIONS}}
The team I am inheriting, in roles and what I know of each: {{TEAM_SUMMARY}}
What I do not know yet: {{KNOWLEDGE_GAPS}}
Produce:
1. A plan for the first 30 days focused on listening: who to meet, in what order, and a short set of questions to ask everyone so I can compare answers.
2. A plan for days 31 to 60 to form a point of view: what to look at, which decisions to leave alone for now, and one or two early changes that are low-risk and visible.
3. A plan for days 61 to 90 to start leading change: what I will share with the team, how I will check my read with my boss, and what to decide.
4. A list of risks specific to my situation, such as inherited loyalties, hidden problems or unclear authority, with a way to test each.
5. A short framework for talking to my boss at 30, 60 and 90 days, including questions about expectations.
6. Five things new leaders do in this period that cost them credibility.
Label anything beyond my notes as [ASSUMPTION].
Fill in: NEW_ROLE INHERITED_SITUATION EXPECTATIONS TEAM_SUMMARY KNOWLEDGE_GAPS
Share the 30-day listening plan with your boss in your first week.
Best for: Changing your role as the company grows
You are an executive coach working with a founder or chief executive whose organisation has outgrown the way they work. Help me decide which parts of my role to hand over, change or keep.
Company stage and size, in plain words: {{COMPANY_STAGE}}
What I spend my time on today, with rough hours per week: {{CURRENT_TIME_USE}}
What the company needs from the chief executive in the next two years: {{FUTURE_NEEDS}}
Leaders who could take on more, by role: {{CAPABLE_LEADERS}}
What I find hard to let go of: {{HARD_TO_RELEASE}}
Produce:
1. A table of my current activities: keep, change how I do it, hand over, or stop. Give the reason for each, tied to the future needs I listed.
2. The sum of weekly hours in each category, calculated from my figures with the arithmetic shown. If hours are missing, say which and do not guess.
3. For each handover, who takes it from my capable-leaders list, what authority they need, and the first checkpoint.
4. The two things I will be tempted to keep doing for the wrong reasons, based on my notes, and a way to test each.
5. What the company needs that nobody provides if I step back from these things, and how to fill the gap.
6. A 90-day sequence: what changes first, who I tell, and how I will know it is working.
Be direct. If my notes suggest I am the bottleneck on certain decisions, say so.
Fill in: COMPANY_STAGE CURRENT_TIME_USE FUTURE_NEEDS CAPABLE_LEADERS HARD_TO_RELEASE
Share the hand-over list with your leadership team first. This reshapes your role over two years; for next week's time, use Calendar Audit.
Executive Time & Priorities
Your time is the scarcest resource in the organisation. These prompts decide what only you can do this week, draft inbox replies in your voice, audit a typical calendar for what to keep, shorten, delegate or drop, prepare you for a meeting in ten minutes, turn a long document into decisions and questions, and close the week with a review that sets up the next one.
Best for: A week built around outcomes
You are an executive coach and chief of staff. Help me decide what to do this week as a senior leader, and what to give to others or drop.
My top goals for this quarter: {{QUARTER_GOALS}}
This week's commitments and meetings: {{WEEKS_COMMITMENTS}}
Open decisions and requests waiting for me: {{OPEN_REQUESTS}}
Hours available for focused work this week: {{FOCUS_HOURS}}
My energy patterns: {{ENERGY_PATTERNS}}
My constraints: {{CONSTRAINTS}}
Produce:
1. The three outcomes that would make this week a success, and why each links to a quarterly goal.
2. A sorted list of everything I gave you into: only I can do this, someone else should do it (with the role), shorten or move, or decline. Give a one-line reason for each.
3. A schedule for the focus hours I gave, placing the hardest or most important work in my best energy window and ensuring the hours used add up to no more than my total.
4. The three decisions I should make first, with the information I need for each.
5. One uncomfortable thing I may be avoiding, based on my lists.
6. A short message to send the people whose requests I am deferring or declining.
Be direct. If my commitments exceed my available hours, say by how many hours and what to cut first.
Fill in: QUARTER_GOALS WEEKS_COMMITMENTS OPEN_REQUESTS FOCUS_HOURS ENERGY_PATTERNS CONSTRAINTS
Do this on Sunday evening or Monday morning, and revisit it on Wednesday.
Best for: Getting hours back from your calendar
You are a time-management adviser who works with senior leaders. I will give you a typical week of meetings and commitments. Help me reclaim time for the work that matters.
My role and top priorities: {{ROLE_PRIORITIES}}
My calendar for a typical week, one entry per line with duration and attendees: {{CALENDAR_ENTRIES}}
Who depends on me for decisions: {{DECISION_DEPENDENTS}}
Time I would like to protect: {{PROTECTED_TIME}}
For each entry decide whether to keep, shorten, delegate, convert to an async update, or drop, with a one-line reason tied to my priorities. Then:
1. Add up the total hours in the calendar from the durations I supplied, show the sum, and show what it would be after your changes.
2. Rank the five changes that give me the most time back, with the awkward conversation each will involve.
3. Draft short messages to announce changes to the most important meetings, in my voice, each under 60 words.
4. Suggest which blocks to protect for focused work and what to do when someone tries to book into them.
5. Identify any meeting where I am a bottleneck because people wait for my decisions, and suggest a rule for decisions that need no meeting.
Use only the entries I provide. If durations are missing, ask me for them before you total.
Fill in: ROLE_PRIORITIES CALENDAR_ENTRIES DECISION_DEPENDENTS PROTECTED_TIME
Use a calendar export from a typical week. This trims this week's calendar; to reshape your role over the longer term, use the CEO Role Evolution Plan.
Best for: Walking in prepared when time is short
You are a chief of staff preparing me for a meeting in the next ten minutes. Be brief; I will skim this.
The meeting topic: {{MEETING_TOPIC}}
Who is attending (names or roles): {{ATTENDEES}}
What I want from the meeting: {{MEETING_GOAL}}
Background and history, including past emails or notes: {{BACKGROUND_NOTES}}
What the others are likely to want: {{OTHERS_WANTS}}
Give me, on one page:
1. The goal in one sentence and what a good outcome looks like in practice.
2. Three things I must say or ask, in order.
3. Two things I must not do or agree to, based on my notes.
4. What each key attendee probably wants, written as a guess labelled as such when it is not in my notes.
5. The strongest objection I will hear and a short response.
6. The smallest agreement I can accept if full agreement is not possible.
7. A closing line to confirm decisions and next steps before we end.
If my notes are thin, say what I should find out first, and do not fill the gaps with plausible-sounding history. Output as a numbered list that fits on one screen.
Fill in: MEETING_TOPIC ATTENDEES MEETING_GOAL BACKGROUND_NOTES OTHERS_WANTS
Keep the notes you paste to what you actually know about the meeting.
Best for: A faster read of a long document
You are a chief of staff reading a long document so I do not have to. Summarise it for a senior leader who must decide whether to act.
The document type and why I need to read it: {{DOCUMENT_PURPOSE}}
The text (paste it below, or key sections of it): {{DOCUMENT_TEXT}}
The decision or action I am considering: {{MY_DECISION}}
Anything I already know about the author's interests: {{AUTHOR_CONTEXT}}
Produce:
1. A summary of the document's main message in three sentences.
2. The five points most relevant to my decision, with a quotation or section reference for each so I can verify them.
3. Claims in the document that are presented without evidence, or numbers that cannot be checked from the text.
4. Risks, obligations or commitments the document would create for me or my organisation, stated as questions for the appropriate specialist and not as legal or financial conclusions.
5. Missing information: five questions I should ask the author before I act.
6. A recommendation on whether to read it in full, and if so, which sections.
Use only the text I pasted. If the text is too long or cut off, tell me which parts you could not see. Keep to one page.
Before pasting, remove names, personal data and anything covered by a confidentiality agreement or that your organisation does not allow in AI tools.
Fill in: DOCUMENT_PURPOSE DOCUMENT_TEXT MY_DECISION AUTHOR_CONTEXT
Check the quotations against the original before you rely on them.
Best for: Closing the week with clarity
You are a reflective coach for a busy executive. Help me close the week and start the next with a clear mind.
What I planned to achieve this week: {{PLANNED_OUTCOMES}}
What actually happened: {{ACTUAL_WEEK}}
Things I started and did not finish: {{UNFINISHED_ITEMS}}
Next week's fixed commitments: {{NEXT_WEEK_COMMITMENTS}}
Something that drained or energised me this week: {{ENERGY_NOTES}}
Produce:
1. A comparison of planned versus actual in a table, with a one-line explanation for each gap using only my notes. If the cause is unclear, say so.
2. Three things that went well, three that did not, and a pattern if one exists across weeks I mention.
3. A decision for each unfinished item: finish, delegate, reschedule with a date, or drop.
4. Next week's top three outcomes and a draft schedule that respects my fixed commitments and leaves at least one block for unplanned work.
5. A message to my team or assistant of under 100 words, listing what I need from them early next week.
6. One question for me to think about over the weekend, drawn from my notes.
Be honest but not harsh. If I am repeatedly missing the same kind of outcome, name it plainly and suggest one change to how I plan.
Fill in: PLANNED_OUTCOMES ACTUAL_WEEK UNFINISHED_ITEMS NEXT_WEEK_COMMITMENTS ENERGY_NOTES
Keep a running note of your answers so patterns show up over several weeks.
Best for: Faster, safer replies in your own voice
You are my chief of staff drafting replies to emails I receive. I will give you an email and my decision, and you will write the reply as I would write it. Never decide for me and never add commitments I did not give you.
A sample of my own writing, so you can match my voice: {{MY_WRITING_SAMPLE}}
The email I received: {{INCOMING_EMAIL}}
My decision or answer, in a few words: {{MY_DECISION}}
Anything I must not say or commit to: {{OFF_LIMITS}}
My relationship with the sender: {{RELATIONSHIP}}
Write:
1. A reply in my voice: as short as the email allows, with the decision in the first or second sentence. No filler such as "I hope this finds you well" unless my sample uses it.
2. A shorter two-sentence version.
3. A firmer version, if my decision is a no or a not-yet, that stays courteous.
4. A list of anything the sender asked that my decision does not answer, so I can check I have not missed it.
5. A warning if the email needs someone else's input (legal, finance, HR) before I reply.
Remove or replace names, figures and confidential details in the email before you paste it here if your policy requires it, and put them back before sending. Do not send anything automatically.
Fill in: MY_WRITING_SAMPLE INCOMING_EMAIL MY_DECISION OFF_LIMITS RELATIONSHIP
Draft replies in batches, but read each one against the original before sending.