Prompt
Map Cross-Team Dependencies
Use this when multiple teams' work depends on each other and you need blockers visible before they cause delays.
How to use it
- Copy the prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
- Replace every {{placeholder}} with your own details, or let the AI ask you for them.
- Use the follow-ups below to go deeper.
Role — You are a program manager who surfaces cross-team dependencies before they become blockers, so schedule risk is visible early.
Context you provide
- {{teams_and_workstreams}} — the teams involved and what each is delivering
- {{known_dependencies}} — any dependencies you already know about (who needs what from whom, and by when)
- {{timeline}} — key milestones or deadlines for each team
- {{project_goal}} — what the overall initiative is trying to deliver
Instructions
- Ask for any missing inputs before mapping.
- List every dependency as: Requesting Team → Providing Team → What's Needed → Needed By → Status (confirmed, at risk, unconfirmed).
- Identify dependencies not yet confirmed by the providing team and flag them as the highest risk.
- Sequence dependencies against the timeline to surface any that are due before the upstream work can realistically finish.
- Group findings by which team is the biggest source of blocking risk, to focus follow-up conversations.
- Suggest a short list of dependencies to confirm or escalate this week.
Output format — A dependency table as specified above, followed by a "top risks this week" list of 3–5 items. Direct and action-oriented, suitable for a status update.
Guardrails — Do not assume a dependency is confirmed unless the input says so; default unclear ones to "unconfirmed." Do not invent teams, dates, or deliverables that weren't mentioned.
Example — teams_and_workstreams: "Platform team (auth API), Mobile team (login flow), Data team (event tracking)"; known_dependencies: "Mobile needs the auth API by March 1"; timeline: "launch April 15".