Internal Communications: Write Company Updates People Actually Read

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Official Anthropic skill on GitHub

Summary

Your CEO wants a layoff announcement drafted by 3pm. HR flagged three policy changes that need explaining. And someone still needs to write the all-hands recap nobody volunteered for.

Instead, describe the situation and the tone you need. Claude drafts communications that sound human, land the message clearly, and avoid the corporate-speak that makes employees skip to the bottom.

Stop agonizing over word choice. Start communicating clearly.

Nail the Tone

Layoff announcements need empathy. Policy updates need clarity. Team wins need energy. Claude adjusts the register so you don't sound like a robot—or a lawyer.

Handle Sensitive Topics

Reorganizations, benefit changes, performance processes. Claude helps you say hard things directly without creating panic or confusion.

Match Your Company Voice

Whether you're a scrappy startup or a Fortune 500, Claude adapts to your culture. Casual Slack updates or formal memos—same skill, different output.

Pros

  • Draft sensitive communications in minutes instead of hours of agonizing
  • Get the tone right the first time—empathetic, direct, or energizing as needed
  • Create consistent messaging across email, Slack, and all-hands
  • Adapt the same core message for different audiences without rewriting from scratch
  • No more staring at a blank page when the CEO needs something by 3pm
  • Handle difficult topics without defaulting to corporate-speak nobody trusts

Cons

  • Legal or compliance-sensitive announcements still need review from your legal team
  • Highly culture-specific humor or references work better with examples of your company's voice
  • Crisis communications involving external stakeholders may need PR or comms expertise

How to Use Internal Communications Skill

Skill command:
1

Install the Skill

Download the skill file directly, or install via the plugin marketplace. Skills auto-activate when relevant—no manual invocation needed.

Option 1: Direct Download
curl -o .claude/skills/internal-comms.md https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anthropics/skills/main/skills/internal-comms/SKILL.md
Option 2: Plugin Marketplace
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/skills
/plugin install example-skills@anthropic-agent-skills
2

Describe the Situation

Give Claude the context: what happened, who needs to know, and what you want them to do or feel afterward. The more context, the better the draft.

Example Prompt
We're closing the Austin office on March 15. 23 people affected—most can relocate to Denver or go remote. I need to tell the whole company before rumors start. Tone: direct but compassionate.
3

Specify the Format

Email? Slack message? All-hands talking points? Town hall script? Tell Claude what format works for your audience and channel.

Example Prompt
Make it an email from me (VP of Ops). Keep it under 400 words. Include a FAQ section at the bottom for the obvious questions.
4

Review and Adjust Tone

First drafts are starting points. Ask Claude to make it warmer, more direct, less corporate, or to emphasize different points.

Example Prompt
This sounds too formal. Make it feel more like how I actually talk—direct but warm. And move the relocation options higher up.
5

Get Variations for Different Audiences

Need one version for the affected team and another for the broader company? Claude can adapt the same core message for different audiences.

Example Prompt
Now write a shorter version for the #general Slack channel that links to the full email. And a separate note just for the Austin team with more specific next steps.

Example Prompts

Real-world scenarios showing how to use Internal Communications effectively

Scenario: Exploring different approaches to a sensitive announcement

Your Prompt

Before we draft the full message, show me 3 different angles for announcing our return-to-office policy. One that leads with flexibility, one that leads with business rationale, one that leads with team connection. Just give me the opening paragraph of each so I can pick a direction.

Expected Outcome

Claude provides three distinct opening paragraphs, each framing the same policy change differently. You choose the angle that fits your culture before committing to a full draft.

Scenario: Layoff announcement from leadership

Your Prompt

We're letting go of 40 people across engineering and sales tomorrow. I'm the CEO. I need an all-company email that's honest about why (missed targets, extending runway), treats affected people with dignity, and tells remaining employees what happens next. No corporate fluff. Under 500 words.

Expected Outcome

A direct, empathetic message that acknowledges the difficulty, explains the business reality without hiding behind jargon, and gives clear next steps for both affected and remaining employees.

Scenario: Policy change that will frustrate people

Your Prompt

HR is ending unlimited PTO and moving to 20 fixed days starting Q2. People will be annoyed. Write an email from me (CHRO) that explains why we're doing this (tracking showed most people took less than 15 days), positions the change as actually better for employees, and heads off the obvious complaints.

Expected Outcome

A message that leads with the insight that drove the change, reframes fixed PTO as a commitment employees can actually use, and proactively addresses "but I liked unlimited PTO" objections.

Scenario: All-hands recap for people who couldn't attend

Your Prompt

I need to write up yesterday's all-hands for the 100+ people who couldn't make it. Key topics: Q4 results (revenue up 18%, missed profit target), 2026 priorities (3 new markets, product relaunch), and the new VP of Sales hire. Make it scannable—busy people should get the gist in 60 seconds.

Expected Outcome

A well-structured recap with clear headers, bullet points for key numbers, and a brief "what this means for you" section. Easy to skim, no fluff.

Scenario: Celebrating a team win without sounding fake

Your Prompt

Our customer support team just hit a 94% satisfaction score—best in company history. Write a Slack message from me (Head of CX) celebrating this. Make it genuine and specific, not generic "great job team!" energy. Mention the 3-month improvement journey.

Expected Outcome

A celebration message that references specific efforts, names what made this hard, and makes the team feel genuinely seen—not just performatively praised.

Frequently Asked Questions

It's a skill that helps Claude draft company announcements, policy updates, team communications, and leadership messages. It focuses on getting the tone right—whether you need empathy, clarity, or energy—and avoiding the corporate-speak that makes employees tune out.
Yes. Claude can help draft difficult announcements with appropriate empathy and directness. You provide the context and decisions; Claude helps you communicate them clearly. Always have HR or legal review sensitive communications before sending.
Give Claude examples of past communications you liked, describe your company culture (casual startup vs. formal enterprise), or share specific phrases and tone markers you use. The more context, the better it matches your voice.
This skill is designed specifically for internal business communications. It understands organizational dynamics, knows how to handle sensitive topics, and produces drafts that sound like a real leader wrote them—not generic AI output.
Absolutely. This is one of the best uses. Draft the core message once, then ask Claude to adapt it for the affected team, the broader company, leadership, or a Slack summary. Same facts, different framing for each audience.
A straightforward team update takes under a minute. Sensitive announcements like layoffs or major policy changes typically take 5-10 minutes including iteration on tone. Much faster than staring at a blank page.

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