1.4 Audience Adaptation
Time: ~20 minutes
What You'll Learn
- How to write the same update for an executive, a peer, and a direct report
- What "writing up" actually means (hint: it's not just being formal)
- How to adjust detail level, tone, and framing for different audiences
- When the same message genuinely needs three different versions
Key Concepts
Writing Up (to Executives)
Executives want:
- The bottom line first — Lead with the decision or the ask
- Minimal context — Only what they need to act
- Options, not problems — "Here are two paths" beats "We have a problem"
- Brevity — 3-5 sentences for most updates
Writing Across (to Peers)
Peers want:
- Enough context to help — They don't have your full picture
- Clear asks — What you need from them specifically
- Collaborative tone — "What do you think?" works here
- Reasonable detail — More than for executives, less than for reports
Writing Down (to Reports)
Reports want:
- Clear expectations — What, when, and what "done" looks like
- Reasoning — Why this matters (motivates better than directives)
- Support offers — "Let me know if you hit blockers"
- Appropriate autonomy — Tell them what, not how
In This Lesson
Claude will give you a single work situation and ask you to write the same message three ways: to your boss, to a peer in another department, and to someone on your team. You'll see how the core message stays the same while everything around it shifts.
How to Start
start lesson 1.4