Management is the job nobody trains you for. You get promoted into it because you were good at the thing the people on your team now do, and from your first day you are supposed to be good at a different thing entirely. The thing is not motivating people, not running good meetings, not having a leadership style. The thing is making a sequence of decisions and having a sequence of conversations, week after week, year after year, where the stakes are high enough that the wrong call compounds and the right call also compounds.
Most management content treats the job as soft skills and inspiring quotes. The honest version is harder. Most of what makes a manager good versus average is whether they make the harder version of each call (firing the underperformer, delivering the unflattering feedback, sequencing the layoff humanely) and whether they have the specific words ready when the moment arrives. Soft skills produce thank you notes. Decisions and conversations produce outcomes.
This is where structured AI rehearsal earns its keep. Not because AI replaces the relationship with your team. What AI does is help you prep the 1 on 1, draft the feedback that lands, structure the review without copy pasting last year's, model the firing conversation before you walk in, draft the offer letter language, sequence the layoff announcements, write the priority memo the team will actually read. It is the cheapest management coach you will ever access, available at 11pm before a Monday week where six difficult things will happen.
The SHAPE Framework is fifty prompts for the manager job actually done. Five pillars across the full arc of running a team: setting direction, hiring well, aligning the team, running the performance conversations, and managing the exits cleanly.
This guide is LLM agnostic. The prompts work in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and any approved enterprise model. Anonymise sensitive personnel information where required. Specificity in your inputs is the difference between generic management advice and a real plan for your specific team.
What is the SHAPE Framework
A method for using AI as a structured thinking partner across the five categories of work that determine whether you do the manager job well or badly. Each pillar maps to one part of the manager arc.
- S: Set Direction. Clarify the mission of the team. Define what success means. Decide what the team does and what it explicitly does not do. Communicate it three times before assuming it is heard.
- H: Hire. Design the role you actually need. Run interviews that select for capability rather than charisma. Onboard so the new hire ships by week four. Pass on candidates without burning the relationship.
- A: Align. Run the 1 on 1 that is actually worth the time. Set expectations clearly. Communicate up, down, and sideways with the right cadence. Hold the team to the priorities without becoming a process tax.
- P: Performance. Give feedback that lands. Run reviews that drive growth. Make the promotion case or the difficult "not yet" conversation. Coach the high potential without burning them out.
- E: Exit. Manage the firings, layoffs, and departures with the seriousness they deserve. Run the offboarding cleanly. Repair team morale after a loss. Decide when to fight to retain and when to let go.
Five pillars. The SHAPE Framework runs in rough sequence but loops constantly. You will set direction on Monday and revise it on Wednesday based on what came up in a 1 on 1. The point is structure: when the work compresses and you cannot tell which fire to fight first, you can find the pillar that fits and run the right prompt rather than reacting.
How to use this guide
Three principles before you run any of the prompts below.
First, the prompts are for the thinking, not the relationship. The conversations with your team have to happen in your own voice, with your own face, in your own moments. AI drafts the structure of the feedback. You deliver it. AI surfaces the question worth asking in the 1 on 1. You ask it. The manager job is fundamentally relational. The framework sharpens the inputs to the relationship, not the relationship itself.
Second, the model can only help with what you give it. Paste the actual person's recent work, the actual recent feedback, the actual team situation, the actual business pressure. Generic input produces generic management advice. The specificity is the value. Use consistent pseudonyms for sensitive personnel data if your model tier does not support enterprise retention controls.
Third, the writing the model produces is a draft, not a deliverable. Anything that touches your team in writing (review documents, feedback messages, role descriptions, firing scripts) must be rewritten by you in your own voice. Pure AI prose in management contexts reads as low effort and damages the trust you need to deliver the underlying message. Where the prompt says [paste context], be specific.
S: Set Direction
S1: The Team Mission Drafter
My team is [paste size, function, current charter]. The broader
company strategy is [paste]. Draft three versions of the team mission
statement for the next 12 months. First leans tactical (what we do
this year). Second leans strategic (why we matter to the company).
Third leans contrarian (what we explicitly are not). For each,
predict how the team will hear it and how leadership will. End with
the recommended version and the sentence that signals real
commitment versus performative ambition.
S2: The Success Definition
The team needs a clear answer to "what does success look like for us
in 12 months." Below is the current state and the broader business
context. Draft the success definition: three to five concrete
outcomes, the metric for each, the signal at month three that we
are on track, the signal that we are not. Be specific. End with the
outcome I am most likely to drop when things get hard. Context:
[paste]
S3: The OKR Pressure Test
Below are the OKRs I am about to commit my team to for the next
quarter. Pressure test them. Are the objectives actually
strategically valuable or are they activity disguised as outcome.
Are the key results actually leading indicators or are they
trailing measurements I cannot influence in a quarter. End with the
one OKR I should rewrite and the one I should remove entirely.
OKRs: [paste]
S4: The Strategic Narrative for the Team
Draft the strategic narrative I will use with the team for the next
quarter. Three to four minute spoken version. Structure: where we
were, where we are, where we need to go, why it matters to them
specifically, the one thing I am most worried about. Predict the
question the most sceptical person on the team will ask. Draft my
answer. Context: [paste]
S5: The Priority Filter
Below is the list of things my team could work on next quarter.
Filter ruthlessly. For each candidate, score on (a) strategic
importance, (b) team capability to deliver, (c) cost of not doing
it, (d) whether someone else is already expected to own it.
Recommend the three to commit to publicly and the four to
deliberately drop. End with the drop that will create the loudest
complaint. Candidates: [paste]
S6: The Operating Principles Drafter
My team needs three to five operating principles that govern how we
work together and make decisions. Below is the team context, the
type of work we do, and the kinds of conflicts we have had recently.
Draft the principles. For each, the sentence that communicates it,
the behaviour it produces, and the behaviour it deliberately
excludes. End with the principle I should expect pushback on.
Context: [paste]
S7: The "What We Do Not Do" Filter
Below is the broad set of things people across the company keep
asking my team to do. For each, tell me whether it should be on our
charter, whether it should be politely declined as off scope, or
whether it should be done once as a favour and then formally
declined the next time. Recommend the language for each decline
that preserves the relationship. Requests: [paste]
S8: The 12 Month Vision Drafter
Draft a 12 month vision for the team that is specific enough to
guide decisions but ambitious enough to motivate. Below is the
current state, the resources we will have, and the constraints we
are working under. Generate the vision. For each component, the
work this quarter that compounds toward it, and the work that
deliberately does not. End with the component I am most likely to
oversell. Context: [paste]
S9: The Decision Rights Map
Below are the kinds of decisions my team makes (technical, hiring,
budget, scope, prioritisation, customer escalation). For each, tell
me who should decide, who should be consulted, who should be
informed, and where I should explicitly take the decision off
someone's plate that they are currently making badly. Recommend the
one decision right I should formalise this quarter. Context: [paste]
S10: The Communication Cadence Audit
Below is my current communication cadence with the team (1 on 1s,
team meetings, async updates, skip levels, all hands appearances).
Audit it. Where am I over communicating (signals of insecurity or
control). Where am I under communicating (signals of disengagement
or that I am missing context). End with the one cadence change to
make this month and the explicit rationale to share with the team.
Cadence: [paste]
H: Hire
H1: The Role Design Prompt
I am about to open a role for [paste function and level]. Before I
write the job description, design the role. What problem does this
seat solve in the next 12 months, what are the three deliverables
in the first 90 days, what kind of person actually solves problems
like this. End with the version of the role that is one level
smaller and the version that is one level bigger, and which is the
right call for my situation. Context: [paste]
H2: The Candidate Scorecard
For the role of [paste], draft the candidate scorecard. Five to
seven attributes that genuinely predict success in this seat, each
with a specific behavioural definition and a 1 to 5 rubric. Exclude
attributes that everyone scores 5 (eg "communication"). End with
the one attribute that distinguishes "great" from "good" candidates
in this specific role.
H3: The Interview Question Generator
For the candidate scorecard above and the role of [paste], generate
the interview questions across the interview loop. For each, what
attribute it tests, what a strong answer sounds like, what a weak
answer sounds like, and the follow up question that distinguishes
real experience from rehearsed answers. End with the one question
that costs me the most insight if I drop it.
H4: The Reference Call Structure
The candidate is [paste]. The reference is [paste their role
relative to the candidate]. Draft the reference call structure. Six
to eight questions ordered from warm up to harder. For each, the
specific signal in the answer I am listening for, and the follow up
if the reference dodges. End with the one question that will
generate the most candid response if asked third in the sequence.
H5: The Offer Letter Language
I am extending an offer to [paste candidate and role]. The
compensation is [paste]. Draft the offer message that goes with the
formal letter. Three versions: warm and direct, formal and
professional, strategic and forward looking. Predict how each
lands. End with the version that fits this candidate based on what
I know about them, and the one sentence that signals real
investment in their success. Context: [paste]
H6: The 30 60 90 Plan for the New Hire
The new hire is [paste name and role]. Draft their 30 60 90 day
plan. For each phase, the deliverables, the conversations to have,
the access to provide, and the signal of success. Identify the one
thing I should explicitly tell them not to do in the first 30 days
even though they will want to. End with the milestone at day 60
that tells me whether the hire was right. Context: [paste]
H7: The Onboarding Sequence
Below is the new hire's role and the current state of the team.
Design the first two weeks of onboarding. Day by day for the first
week, then weekly for week two. For each day, the conversation,
the document, the meeting, or the experience that should happen.
End with the conversation in week two that is critical and would
be easy to skip if the new hire seems fine.
H8: The "We Are Going to Pass" Drafter
I am rejecting [paste candidate] for [paste role]. They were strong
but not the right fit for this specific seat. Draft the rejection
that preserves the relationship and keeps a credible door open for
a future role. Predict how they will receive it. End with the one
sentence that does the heaviest lifting in keeping the door open.
Context: [paste]
H9: The Internal Hire Versus External Decision
I have an internal candidate and external candidates for [paste
role]. Below are the relative strengths and gaps. Audit the choice.
What does promoting the internal candidate signal to the rest of
the team. What does going external signal. What is the realistic
12 month outcome of each path. End with the verdict and the one
factor I am most likely underweighting. Context: [paste]
H10: The Senior Hire Integration Plan
I just hired a senior person at [paste level]. Their integration is
politically sensitive because [paste reason: existing team member
wanted the role, peers will reorient around them, they have
authority on day one]. Draft the integration plan: how I introduce
them, how I sequence their first conversations, what I tell the
team before they arrive, what I tell them before they start. End
with the failure mode I am most likely to walk into.
A: Align
A1: The 1 on 1 Agenda Builder
My 1 on 1 with [paste direct report] is in [paste timeframe]. Below
is the recent context: their work, their stated priorities, the
last 1 on 1 notes, anything I have heard from peers. Draft the
agenda. Three to five topics worth the time, the order, the
question that opens each topic, the signal of where the
conversation should go versus stay. End with the topic I should be
ready to skip if they bring something more urgent. Context: [paste]
A2: The Expectations Conversation Drafter
I need to set expectations with [paste direct report] on [paste
topic: scope, performance, behaviour, deliverables]. The current
state is [paste]. The target state is [paste]. Draft the
conversation. Structure: where we are, where we need to be, what
specifically I will see if it is working, what I will see if it is
not. Predict their response. End with the sentence that converts
the conversation from a discussion into a commitment.
A3: The Team Meeting Agenda
My next team meeting is in [paste timeframe]. The recent context is
[paste]. Draft the agenda. Identify what genuinely needs the team
together synchronously versus what should be async, what should be
covered by me versus delegated, and what should be parked entirely.
End with the topic that will generate the most useful disagreement
if I make space for it.
A4: The Skip Level Talking Points
My skip level with [paste senior leader] is in [paste timeframe].
Below is the recent context for my team. Draft the talking points.
Three points where I am confident and seeking visibility, two where
I am uncertain and seeking input, one where I am asking for
explicit air cover. For each, the specific framing. End with the
question I should ask that demonstrates judgement rather than just
update.
A5: The Reset Conversation Drafter
I am not aligned with [paste direct report or peer] on [paste
topic]. The misalignment has been brewing for [paste timeframe].
Draft the reset conversation. How to open without making it about
fault, how to surface the actual disagreement, how to land at a
clear decision rather than another conversation about the
conversation. Predict their first response. End with the sentence
that signals real commitment to the reset versus another round of
the same talk.
A6: The Communication Cadence Audit
Below is the communication cadence between me and the team this
quarter (meeting count, async update frequency, channels used).
Audit it for over communication and under communication. For each,
what behaviour by me would shift it. End with the one change that
would most improve signal to noise without making the team feel
abandoned or over managed. Cadence data: [paste]
A7: The Async Versus Sync Decision Filter
Below are the topics that are scheduled to be discussed live in the
next two weeks. For each, audit whether sync is genuinely required
or whether async would work better. For the sync ones, what makes
the meeting earn its time. For the async ones, what is the right
format (memo, doc with comments, Slack thread, recorded video). End
with the one meeting to cancel this week and the async replacement.
Topics: [paste]
A8: The Team Norm Setting
My team needs to set or reset norms around [paste: meetings,
working hours, response times, decision making, conflict].
Generate three to five candidate norms for the topic, the behaviour
each produces, and the trade off each makes explicit. End with the
process for actually getting the team to adopt the norms (not
mandating them) and the cadence to revisit. Context: [paste]
A9: The Decision Communication Template
I just made a decision on [paste]. The reasoning is [paste]. Some
of the team will agree, some will disagree, some will not have
strong opinions either way. Draft the communication. Three
versions: brief and decisive, balanced with rationale, detailed
with the alternatives I considered. For each, predict how the team
will receive it. End with the version that fits this decision and
the audience.
A10: The All Hands Message Drafter
I am presenting at all hands on [paste timeframe]. My team has done
[paste accomplishments] and is working through [paste challenges].
Draft a three to five minute version. The hook, the substance, the
specific credit to specific people, the one acknowledgement of
something hard. End with the version that signals real leadership
versus performative summary.
P: Performance
P1: The Feedback Drafter
I need to give [paste direct report] feedback on [paste behaviour
or outcome]. Below is the context. Draft the feedback. Structure:
the specific observation, the impact, the change I want to see, the
support I will provide. Predict their response. End with the
sentence that signals this is real feedback and not a soft
suggestion they can ignore. Context: [paste]
P2: The Performance Review Drafter
I am writing the performance review for [paste direct report] for
[paste review period]. Below are their stated accomplishments, my
observations, peer feedback, and the rubric for their level. Draft
the review. Five sections: what they did well, where they grew,
what they did not do well, the specific development priorities,
the rating with rationale. End with the sentence in the review they
will remember a year from now.
P3: The Early "This Is Not Working" Conversation
[Direct report] is below the bar for [paste duration]. I have not
yet had the direct conversation. Draft the early conversation that
is not yet a formal plan but is also not a soft check in. Structure:
what specifically I am seeing, what bar they are below, what would
have to change in the next month for me not to escalate, what they
should not interpret this conversation as. End with the version
they will hear as care rather than threat. Context: [paste]
P4: The Improvement Plan Drafter
[Direct report] is on a formal improvement plan starting [paste
date]. The behaviours that need to change are [paste]. Draft the
plan. Three to five specific behaviours, the observable measure for
each, the timeline, the support I will provide, the consequence if
they do not improve. End with the one criterion that is most likely
to be argued about and the framing that holds the line. Context:
[paste]
P5: The Strength Reinforcement
[Direct report] has a real strength on [paste]. They under index on
it because it does not feel hard to them. Draft the reinforcement
that helps them see the strength and the development conversation
that channels it into bigger impact. End with the question that
opens the development conversation without making it sound like
flattery. Context: [paste]
P6: The Career Growth Conversation
My 1 on 1 with [paste direct report] this week is dedicated to
career growth. They are at [paste level] and want to be at [paste
target] in [paste timeframe]. Draft the conversation. The gaps I
genuinely see, the development they can drive themselves, the
opportunities I can create, and the timeline that is honest rather
than aspirational. End with the one piece of feedback they need to
hear that they are unlikely to invite. Context: [paste]
P7: The Promotion Case Builder
I am promoting [paste direct report] from [paste current level] to
[paste target level]. Build the promotion case. The evidence at the
new level, the specific projects that demonstrated it, the peer
calibration, the rebuttal to the most likely objection from
calibrators. End with the one piece of evidence that does the most
work and the one I should leave out because it weakens the case.
Context: [paste]
P8: The Lateral Move Adviser
[Direct report] is asking for a lateral move to [paste team or
function]. Audit the move. Is it career growth or career avoidance.
What does it cost my team. What does it gain them. What does it
signal about how they see their current trajectory. End with the
verdict, the framing of the decision conversation, and the one
sentence that protects the relationship regardless of outcome.
Context: [paste]
P9: The Skip Level Performance Check
My skip level reports up are [paste names and roles]. I want to
understand whether my managers are managing them well. Draft the
agenda for skip level 1 on 1s that surfaces real signal without
undermining the managers. Three to four questions, the order, the
follow up that distinguishes "things are fine" from "things are
politely fine on the surface." End with the question that
generates the most candid response. Context: [paste]
P10: The "Doing Great But Not Yet Promo" Conversation
[Direct report] is performing well but not yet at the bar for
promotion. They are likely to ask. Draft the conversation. The
honest assessment of where they are, the specific bar for the next
level, the realistic timeline, the work that closes the gap. End
with the framing that motivates rather than demoralises and the
sentence I should not say even though it is true. Context: [paste]
E: Exit
E1: The Firing Decision Audit
I am considering firing [paste direct report]. Below is the case
and the counter case. Audit the decision. Have I given them fair
feedback. Have I given them fair time. Is the bar I am holding
them to consistent with how I hold the rest of the team. Is the
underlying issue them or the role design. End with the verdict and
the trigger that converts the decision into action versus another
month of waiting. Context: [paste]
E2: The Firing Conversation Prep
I am firing [paste name] on [paste date]. The reason is [paste].
HR has signed off on the framing. Draft the conversation prep. The
first sentence, the next five sentences, the boundaries on what I
will and will not discuss, the practical logistics to communicate.
Predict their first reaction. End with the sentence I should never
say even if it would feel kind in the moment. Context: [paste]
E3: The Layoff Conversation Template
I am laying off [paste names] as part of [paste broader restructure].
Draft the conversation template. The opening, the structural reason,
the personal acknowledgement, the severance summary, the next steps.
Predict the three questions most likely asked. End with the version
of the conversation that treats the person with the seriousness the
moment requires without performing it. Context: [paste]
E4: The Performance Termination Drafter
I am terminating [paste name] for performance after [paste
duration] on a plan. The plan was [paste]. They did not meet [paste
specific bars]. Draft the conversation. The frame, the evidence
without re litigating, the decision, the severance and transition
support. Predict their first reaction. End with the sentence that
holds the line without humiliating them. Context: [paste]
E5: The Team Announcement After an Exit
[Name] has been [paste: let go, laid off, resigned]. Draft the
team announcement. Two versions: brief and respectful, fuller with
context. For each, what to disclose, what to leave to private
conversations, what to explicitly not say. Predict the most likely
team reaction and the follow up I should be ready to address.
Context: [paste]
E6: The Resignation Acceptance and Transition
[Direct report] has resigned. They were a [paste: strong performer,
adequate performer, underperformer I was about to address]. Draft
the acceptance conversation and the transition plan. The
acknowledgement, the timeline, the knowledge transfer, the team
announcement timing, the offboarding logistics. End with the
sentence that closes the relationship in a way that survives a
future reference call. Context: [paste]
E7: The Departure Interview Question Set
[Departing direct report] is leaving in [paste timeframe]. I want
the departure conversation to actually surface signal I can use.
Draft the question set. Eight questions ordered from warm up to
candid, what each is probing for, and the follow up if they hedge.
End with the question that generates the most useful answer if
asked last when their guard is down. Context: [paste]
E8: The Knowledge Transfer Planner
[Departing person] holds knowledge the team will lose. Below is
the inventory of what they do, the documents they own, the
relationships they hold. Plan the knowledge transfer. For each
knowledge area, the format (doc, video, paired sessions, written
runbook), the recipient, the timeline. End with the knowledge that
is most likely to slip through the transfer and the explicit move
to capture it. Inventory: [paste]
E9: The Counter Decision Audit
[Departing direct report] has been countered by another offer or
is on the fence about staying after I countered. Audit whether to
push to retain or let them go. Their performance, their
trajectory, the cost of replacing them, the risk of retaining
someone who has already mentally left. End with the verdict and
the framing of the conversation that closes either outcome
gracefully. Context: [paste]
E10: The Team Morale Repair After Departures
The team has lost [paste names] in [paste timeframe]. Morale is
[paste current state]. Draft the morale repair plan over the next
30 days. The one on one acknowledgements, the team conversation,
the visible actions that signal the team is stable, the one thing
to avoid doing that would feel performative. End with the
behaviour from me that does the most work over the month.
The SHAPE Framework in one image
S H A P E
Set Direction Hire Align Performance Exit
Five pillars. Sequential in rough terms but the loop is constant. You set direction on Monday and revise it on Wednesday based on what came up in a 1 on 1. You hire one week and exit someone the next. The point is structure: when the manager week compresses and you cannot tell which fire to fight first, you can find the pillar that fits and run the right prompt rather than reacting to the loudest voice in the room.
How to combine SHAPE with your model of choice
ChatGPT: 4 series models are strong for the generative pillars (Align, Performance) where the work is drafting messages and writing reviews. o series models are stronger for the analytical pillars (Set Direction, Exit) where the work involves judgement and trade off analysis.
Claude: works well across all five pillars, especially when you load 1 on 1 notes, the team mission, and recent feedback into a Project. Claude tends to be honest about whether a manager move is the right one versus the comfortable one, which is exactly the bias managers need pushed back against.
Gemini: deep research mode is useful for the Hire pillar when researching candidate backgrounds or comparable team structures. Watch for context drift on longer review drafts.
The cross model habit worth keeping is to run the performance review (P2) and the firing decision audit (E1) in two models. Where they agree the decision is sound. Where they diverge the divergence reveals where you have not made the case clearly to yourself yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this framework for new managers or experienced managers?
Both. New managers use SHAPE for the entire job because every pillar is unfamiliar. Experienced managers use it for the specific pillars where they are weakest, usually Exit (most managers undertrain on the hard conversations) or Set Direction (most managers underinvest in clarity because they assume the team knows).
Will my team know I am using AI to prep for our conversations?
Not if you use AI for the thinking upstream and your own voice for everything that touches them. AI generated management prose reads as low effort and damages trust. Use the prompts to structure the feedback and anticipate the response. Deliver in your own words.
How is SHAPE different from generic management books?
Generic books teach concepts. SHAPE gives you the specific prompts to apply concepts to your specific team at the moment you need them. Read Andy Grove, Camille Fournier, or Manager Tools for the theory. Use SHAPE for the Sunday night before the Monday week where the theory has to translate into a real review draft and a real firing script.
Can I use these prompts with confidential personnel data?
Check your model tier's data retention policy. Enterprise tiers of ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini typically allow personnel context. Consumer tiers usually do not. For firing or layoff prep on consumer tiers, anonymise names and details. The framework reads patterns, not identities.
Is there a paid version of these prompts?
Yes. The fifty prompts above are the free version. The SHAPE Pro Pack includes 150 expanded prompts with example outputs, ready to load Claude Projects and custom GPT configurations for each pillar, and role specific sets for engineering managers, design managers, sales managers, product managers, and managers of managers. The Pro Pack is on the PromptLeadz Pro Collection at $29.
Where to go next
SHAPE sits at the core of the role lifecycle. Pair with LAUNCH for the first 90 days of a manager role. Pair with POWER for the political dynamics that determine whether your good management gets seen. Pair with HARDER for the specific hard conversations the manager job produces. Pair with MONEY for the comp and budget conversations managers run for their teams. Pair with CRITIC when you need AI to push back on whether your manager moves are the right ones rather than the comfortable ones.
The thing to internalise is that management is not a personality. It is a stack of decisions and conversations, run week after week, where the difference between average and great is whether you had the specific words ready when the moment arrived. The framework gives you the structure. The judgement is yours.
PromptLeadz publishes battle tested AI prompt packs for founders, product, sales, marketing, operations, HR, finance, customer success, adversarial thinking, hard conversations, new role launches, job searches, money conversations, office politics, and managers. All prompts are LLM agnostic. Pricing is in USD.
แสดงความคิดเห็น: