Internal Memo Prompt for Managers

What this prompt does

Internal memos die in inboxes because they bury the point. Most memos start with background, build slowly to the announcement, and leave employees searching for the "so what." This prompt flips it: decision first, then context, then what people need to do.

The output is structured for scanning — because in a busy workday, people scan first, read second.

The prompt

Write an internal memo for this announcement:

What is being announced: [THE CORE CHANGE OR NEWS — be specific, e.g., "we're moving to a 4-day work week starting July," "our expense approval process is changing," "Sarah Kim is joining as Head of Operations"]

Who needs to know: [AUDIENCE — e.g., "all staff," "the sales team," "managers only"]

Why this is happening: [THE REASON — honest and brief, e.g., "we're restructuring to improve response times," "this supports our growth plan," "the old process was causing delays"]

What they need to do (if anything): [ACTION REQUIRED — e.g., "update their calendar blocks by Friday," "complete the new expense form starting June 1," "nothing — this is informational"]

Deadline or effective date: [DATE]

Any sensitive context I should know to handle carefully: [OPTIONAL — e.g., "this replaces a role some staff will be sensitive about," "this reverses a policy we just introduced 3 months ago"]

Format the memo as:
- Subject: [clear, specific subject line]
- One-sentence summary at the top (the decision or news, stated plainly)
- Why this is happening (2–4 sentences max)
- What changes for you (numbered list if multiple items)
- What you need to do by when (clear, specific)
- Who to contact with questions

Tone: direct and clear. Not stiff corporate speak, but not overly casual either.

How to use it

1. Lead with the decision, not the background — managers often want to explain before announcing. Employees want to know the news first, then the context.
2. Be honest about the "why" — vague corporate language ("strategic realignment") creates speculation. "We're consolidating these two teams to cut costs" is unsettling but trustworthy.
3. Separate action from information — if some people need to do something and others don't, say so explicitly. "If you're affected, [do X]. If you're not, no action needed."
4. Run sensitive content past HR or legal first — this prompt helps with structure and clarity, not legal review.

Example output

Subject: Expense reporting process change — effective June 10

Starting June 10, all expense submissions over $100 will require a digital receipt attached to the form — not emailed separately. This replaces the current PDF-by-email process.

Why we're changing this: Our accounting team spends about 6 hours per month matching receipts to submissions across email threads. The new process eliminates that manual work and gets reimbursements processed 3 days faster on average.

What changes for you:

1. Download the updated expense form (linked below — the field for receipt attachment is new)
2. For expenses under $100, the process is unchanged
3. Reimbursements submitted with the new form will process within 5 business days, not 8

Action needed: Nothing before June 10. After June 10, use the new form for all submissions over $100.

Questions? Reach out to Maria in Finance (maria@company.com) — she's running a 15-minute walkthrough on June 8 if you want to see the new form in action.

Variations

For a new hire announcement

Add to the prompt:

"This is a new hire announcement. Include: name, role, start date, what they'll be working on, and one personal detail they shared. End with how to reach them."

For a difficult policy change

Add:

"This reverses a policy employees were told was permanent. Acknowledge the inconsistency honestly. Don't over-explain or justify — just name it and explain what changed."

For a one-page company update (all-hands style)

Change format to:

"Format this as an all-hands summary, not a traditional memo. Use 3 sections: What happened this [month/quarter], what we're focused on next, and one thing we need from everyone."

Common pitfalls

• Don't: Use passive voice for decisions ("it has been decided that…"). It sounds like nobody is accountable.

• Try instead: "We're changing [X] because [reason]." Own the decision.

• Don't: End the memo without a specific contact for questions. "If you have questions, feel free to ask" invites nobody to ask anyone anything.

• Try instead: Name a person, an email, a Slack channel, or a meeting where questions go.

Who uses this prompt

• Managers: Team announcements, process changes, policy updates
• Small business owners: Company-wide communications without an HR team to draft them
• School administrators: Staff communications, schedule changes, policy rollouts
• Operations leads: System changes, vendor updates, compliance deadlines