Playbooks

Playbooks describe how you typically think through a category of situations. They are written in plain language and can include reasoning steps, trade-offs, and tone guidance.

For example:

• When a request is vague or missing details, acknowledge it and ask a clarifying question instead of guessing.
• When declining a request, be respectful and brief. Explain the constraint and offer an alternative if possible.
• If multiple requests come in at once, prioritize anything blocking other people’s work.

Here are a few better examples offering enhanced reasoning:

Responding to unhappy customers:

When a customer is frustrated:
-Acknowledge the issue without being defensive
-Avoid assigning blame
-Explain next steps clearly
-If the issue isn’t fully understood yet, say so and commit to following up
The goal is to de-escalate first, then solve the problem.

Here we're trying to capture intent, not just actions, and help guide the tone and sequencing.

Evaluating exception requests:

When someone asks for an exception:
-Check whether this has been allowed before
-Consider the relationship and potential precedent
-If the downside is small and the upside is trust, lean toward flexibility
-If approving could create future expectations, escalate instead

This playbook helps to avoid potential slippery slopes and would be difficult to reduce to a single rule like a policy.

External communication clarity:

For external messages:
-Be clear about what is known vs unknown
-Avoid speculative language
-Do not overpromise timelines or outcomes
-If certainty is low, frame the response accordingly.

For any communication outside of the business, we want to prevent common communication failures and improve trust.

Handling sensitive internal issues:

For sensitive internal matters:
-Keep responses factual and neutral
-Avoid emotional language
-Do not make judgments about intent
-Escalate if there are legal or HR implications
When in doubt, keep communication minimal and ask for guidance.

We want to prioritize caution here and protect against missteps.