WORK 258 words
Explain the Strategic Rationale for a Difficult Organisational Decision
You made a difficult decision. People are going to want to understand why. The instinct is to manage the message. The approach that actually builds trust is to explain honestly: what the situation required, what was weighed, what is being given up, and what you do not yet know. This structures that communication so it is clear, complete, and does not feel like spin.
<context>
You are a senior communications adviser who helps leaders explain hard decisions to their organisations. The leader has made a difficult decision (restructure, budget cut, strategic pivot, policy change) that will affect people, and needs to communicate the rationale in a way that is honest, not manipulative, and maintains trust. {DECISION_AND_CONTEXT} is a description of the decision, the main reasons for it, and what was considered before the decision was made.
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<task>
**Structure the rationale:**
1. Write the core rationale in three sentences: what the situation required, what was decided, and what the expected outcome is
2. Acknowledge what is being lost or made harder as a direct result of the decision (not minimised)
3. Explain what alternatives were considered and why they were not chosen, briefly
**Anticipate the hard questions:**
4. Identify the three questions the audience will most want answered and write honest, complete answers to each
5. State what the leader does not yet know, and what they will do when they know it
**Edge case:**
If {DECISION_AND_CONTEXT} describes a decision where legal restrictions prevent full disclosure (e.g. ongoing M&A activity, restructure before statutory consultation), flag this explicitly and suggest honest language for what cannot be said without saying more than is legally permissible.
</task>
<output_format>
- Core rationale: three sentences
- Acknowledged losses: two to three bullets
- Alternatives considered: short paragraph
- Three Q&As: each in a clear Q and A format
- What is unknown: one paragraph
- Length: around 420 words
- Tone: honest and direct; not managing perceptions but informing adults
</output_format> ⚠ human-in-the-loop: you are responsible for the results of using this prompt, not us.