The Secret to Smarter Teamwork & AI Collaboration: Personal User Manuals (PUMs)

This article will explore: 

✅ How PUMs improve human communication 

✅ How they can guide AI interactions (featuring insights from Frederick Ros) 

✅ A real-world example of cultural differences in feedback 

Introduction: Why Miscommunication Holds Teams Back

Have you ever sent a message you thought was crystal clear, only for it to spark confusion? Or given feedback that was meant to help but instead made the other person defensive?

The problem isn’t just what you said. It’s how you said it.

Miscommunication leads to frustration, delays, and even damaged relationships. But what if every colleague or friend had a personalized guide or a "social cheat sheet" on how they think, work, and communicate best?

That’s the idea behind Personal User Manuals (PUMs)—simple, structured documents that outline an individual’s communication style, feedback preferences, motivations, and work habits. Instead of guessing how colleagues or friends operate, a PUM provides instant clarity—leading to smoother collaboration and fewer awkward moments.

First emerging in the early 2000s as a team productivity tool, PUMs gained widespread adoption after Atlassian popularized them in 2022., PUMs help teams align expectations, communication styles, and feedback preferences upfront, eliminating months of trial and error. 

But what if PUMs weren’t just for humans?

In our recent interview, I had the opportunity to discuss PUMs with Frederick Ros, Head of Digital Workplace Services at Amadeus IT Group. In his Medium article Empowering Human-AI Collaboration: How Personal User Manuals Can Level Up LLM Interactions, he explains how PUMs help both people and AI work better together by laying out how individuals prefer to communicate. When AI has access to this kind of context—like whether someone prefers short emails or detailed explanations—it can respond in a way that feels more natural. At the same time, AI can also analyze communication patterns and offer insights to refine PUMs over time, creating a feedback loop that makes interactions smoother for everyone.

(Just a heads-up: Frederick’s sharing his own views here, not speaking on behalf of Amadeus).

Case Study: Feedback That Lands Well vs. Feedback That Fails

Meet Arnaud and Priya, longtime friends and now business partners running a boutique brand specializing in handcrafted yoga slippers. Their business blends Arnaud’s keen eye for design with Priya’s deep knowledge of traditional craftsmanship. However, their contrasting communication styles sometimes create tension.

One day, Arnaud notices Priya missing deadlines for an upcoming batch of their handcrafted yoga slippers and decides to address it in an email:

✉️ "Priya, our latest shipment is running behind. If we don’t catch up, we might miss key orders. We need to speed things up."

Priya sees the message and feels blindsided. To her, direct criticism—especially in writing—can feel impersonal and harsh. She continues working but avoids responding. A week later, they still have not talked, and customers start complaining.

What if Arnaud had Priya’s Personal User Manual?

Frustrated but determined to improve communication, Arnaud pulls out the

PUMs they created when they started working together. He reviews Priya’s preferences:

✅ Prefers empathetic feedback with context 

✅ Responds best when positives are acknowledged first 

✅ Values face-to-face or call-based discussions for serious topics

With this in mind, Arnaud adjusts his approach and sends her a text:

✉️ "Hey Priya, our new marketing campaign on Instagram is working like a dream, and I know you are working overtime to keep up with orders. How about we catch up on a conf call this afternoon?"

This time, Priya feels respected rather than criticized. On the call, she shares the production hurdles she’s facing, including a supplier delay. Together, they brainstorm solutions, adjust their timeline, and develop a plan to keep up with demand.

On the call, she shared the production hurdles she’s facing, including a supplier delay. Together, they brainstormed solutions, adjusted their timeline, and developed a plan to keep up with demand.

PUMs turn tense exchanges into productive conversations and real problem-solving.

Supercharging PUMs with AI

Imagine if Arnaud had an AI chatbot loaded with their PUMs. Before sending a message, the AI could analyze its tone and structure, suggesting adjustments to align with Priya’s communication preferences. For example, instead of a blunt reminder about delays, the AI might prompt Arnaud to frame the message with positive reinforcement first, making it more effective and well-received.

🚀 “This message might feel too abrupt for Priya. Want to soften the tone?”

This is where PUM-powered AI changes the game. By integrating user manuals into AI systems, we can create truly personalized AI interactions that not only adjust messaging in real time but also help teams prepare, practice, and review their communication and collaboration strategies for more effective teamwork.

Some of the many ways AI can use PUMs to improve teamwork:

✅ Personalized Feedback Assistance – AI suggests phrasing based on the recipient’s preferences 

✅ Meeting Prep & Summaries – AI adjusts meeting time, formats, and summaries based on team preferences 

✅ Proactive Miscommunication Warnings – AI flags messages that might come across as too harsh or unclear 

✅ Conflict Mediation – AI references both parties’ PUMs to suggest a communication middle ground

Example: If Arnaud and Priya both had their PUMs integrated into an AI system like Chat GPT, it could help facilitate smoother communication. If Arnaud starts drafting a direct message, the AI could remind him to include positive reinforcement first, aligning with Priya’s preferences. Likewise, if Priya hesitates to raise an issue, the AI could suggest a structured way to address it based on Arnaud’s data-driven decision-making style.

Final Thoughts: The Future of Work is Personal

The workplace is evolving, and teams need better communication tools to thrive.

At its core, a high-performing team is built on clear, personalized, and human-centered communication—and PUMs provide a structured way to achieve that. 

Imagine a workplace where interactions are seamless, misunderstandings are rare, and relationships feel more natural—all with less effort, thanks to the creative use of AI. That future is possible—with PUMs at the heart of it.

🚀 Want to see the impact for yourself? Have a look at our free PUM template, along with a step-by-step guide to implementing it in your team.

How do you think a Personal User Manual could improve your team’s communication?