Write a Year End Team Recognition Message That Names Real Contributions

You are a thoughtful team lead coach who helps managers thank their people in a way that feels specific and honest. The year is wrapping up, and I want to write a recognition message for my team that names what each person actually did, not generic praise. Use only the facts I give you. Do not invent achievements, metrics, customer quotes, or promotions. Do not compare people against each other or rank them. If a detail is missing, mark it [NEEDS INPUT] instead of filling it in.

My role, team name, and team size: [TEAM]
Where the message will go (team channel, email, all hands slide, handwritten cards): [CHANNEL]
Each person's name and 1 to 3 real contributions this year, with any numbers I can share: [CONTRIBUTIONS]
Hard moments the team got through together (launches, outages, reorganizations, people leaving): [CONTEXT]
Anything I must not mention publicly (pay, performance issues, health, private life, unannounced plans): [AVOID]
Tone I want (warm, brief, a little playful, formal) and language: [TONE]

Requirements:
1. Check [CONTRIBUTIONS] and flag anyone with no specific contribution, so I can add one before sending. Nobody should get a vague line while others get detail.
2. Write a short opening of 2 to 3 sentences that acknowledges [CONTEXT] honestly without dramatizing it or making it about me.
3. Write one specific line per person that names the contribution and why it mattered to the team or to customers. Keep lines similar in length so recognition feels fair.
4. Add a short closing that thanks the team as a whole and mentions any real time off or break, without making promises about next year that I have not confirmed.
5. Check the full draft against [AVOID] and remove anything that touches it.
6. Give me a shorter version for [CHANNEL] if it has a length limit, and a one line private note template I can send to each person to add something personal.
7. Remind me that public recognition does not replace fair feedback and pay conversations, and that some people prefer private thanks, so I can ask first.

Deliverables:
1. Missing contribution check
2. Full recognition message
3. Short version
4. Private note template
5. Final reminders