The hard email
Drafts a difficult message (bad news, a no, a firm boundary) that is clear, kind and short.
Use it when
Letting someone go, declining a deal, delivering bad news to a customer or investor.
What you fill in
- situation What happened and the relationship
- outcome What you need the reader to understand or do
The prompt
Write a difficult email. Situation: situation What the reader must understand or do: outcome Write two versions: one direct, one warmer. Each must state the news in the first two sentences, give the reason honestly without over-explaining, say what happens next, and offer what you genuinely can. Under 150 words each. No corporate euphemisms, no blame, no false hope. Before you answer, check your draft against every instruction above and fix anything that misses.
Why it works
- News up front, which readers prefer.
- Two tones so you can choose.
- Bans euphemism and false hope.