The prompt
Score 10 of 10, Excellent
Use it when It is your last day at work, and you want a short goodbye that thanks people specifically and tells them who now owns your work.
- {{organization}}
- {{audience}}
- {{tenure}}
- {{thanks}}
- {{handover}}
- {{contact}}
- {{next_step}}
- {{voice}}
Full prompt and why it works
Prompt
Write my goodbye email for my last day at {{organization}}, to send to {{audience}}. People will read it quickly, so it should thank them in a way that sounds true, tell them who now owns each part of my work, so that nothing I leave behind gets lost, and give them a way to stay in touch if they want one. How long I have been here, and my role: {{tenure}} People or teams I want to thank, and for what: {{thanks}} Where my work now lives, and who owns each part: {{handover}} Personal contact I am happy to share: {{contact}} Where I am going, if I want to say: {{next_step}} How I usually write (formal, relaxed, dry): {{voice}} Write it in this order: 1. A first line that says today is my last day, plainly. 2. A short paragraph of thanks with two to four specific moments or kinds of help from what I listed, rather than "thanks to everyone for everything". 3. "Who to ask from tomorrow": each area of my work and its new owner, as a short list. 4. How to reach me, if I gave a contact, and a one-line goodbye. Keep it under 200 words, with a subject line such as "Last day, and who to ask from tomorrow". That example shows the form only. It should sound like me on a good day: warm, brief and generous, in the voice I described. Do not include grievances, criticism of the organization or anyone in it, hints about why I am leaving, pay, confidential work or details about my new employer beyond what I gave. Avoid long lists of names, which leave out the people not on them; where I named many people, thank the team or group instead. Do not invent shared memories or jokes. If my handover list leaves an area of my work without an owner, put [OWNER NEEDED: area] in the list and tell me above the draft so I can sort it out before I send.
Variables
- {{organization}}
- Where you are leaving.
- {{audience}}
- Who gets it, for example "my team and the people I work with in finance".
- {{tenure}}
- For example "four years, most recently as office manager".
- {{thanks}}
- Who you want to thank and for what, with one or two specific moments if you can.
- {{handover}}
- Each area of your work and who owns it now, for example "supplier invoices: the finance assistant".
- {{contact}}
- A personal email or profile link to share, or "none".
- {{next_step}}
- Where you are going, or "leave out".
- {{voice}}
- How you usually write at work, for example "relaxed, a little dry".
Why it works
- Who it's for. The email does two jobs for people who read it once: it thanks them specifically and tells them who to ask from tomorrow.
- What to avoid. No grievances, no reasons for leaving and no long lists of names, which are the parts of goodbye emails people regret.
- If unsure. An area of work with no new owner is marked in the list and raised before sending, so the handover gap is fixed rather than announced.