Explain what changed since the last report, why, and what I should do next
Compares two versions or periods of a report and explains what moved, the likely reasons, and the actions it calls for.
The prompt
Compare these two versions of a report and tell me what changed, why, and what to do about it.
Previous version or period: [PASTE - last month's report, last week's dashboard, the earlier draft]
Current version or period: [PASTE]
What I'm responsible for: [ROLE and the metrics or outcomes I own]
Known events in between: [e.g. price change, reorg, launch, outage - optional]
Give me:
1. What changed - a table: Item | Before | Now | Change (absolute and %) | Material? (yes/no). Include changes in wording, scope, forecasts, dates, and risks, not just numbers.
2. Why it likely changed - for each material change, the explanation given in the report, or the most likely causes, clearly labeled as "stated in report" or "possible explanation - to confirm".
3. What's not changing but should be - anything stuck or flat that was supposed to move.
4. What I should do next - 3-5 actions, each tied to a change, with who I'd need to talk to.
5. Questions to ask the report owner about anything unexplained.
Rules: don't invent causes or numbers - if the reason isn't in the material, say so. Flag any change that might be due to a definition, method, or data change rather than real performance. Lead with the biggest change, not the order of the report.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Research & Summaries prompts
What to fill in
- PASTE
- ROLE and the metrics or outcomes I own
- e.g. price change, reorg, launch, outage - optional
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the RTF structure (Role, Task, Format). RTF tells the model who to be, what to do and what shape the answer should take. It is the quickest structure that still gives noticeably better results than a bare request.
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