You ask AI for help with a work report and get back a wall of generic text that sounds like it was copied from Wikipedia. It’s too basic, too long, or just… not what you actually needed. Sound familiar?

Here’s the thing: AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot are powerful, but they’re only as good as the instructions we give them. Most people don’t realise they’re accidentally asking for rubbish answers. Let’s fix that.

 

PROBLEM 1: Getting Generic Responses That Miss the Mark

Imagine you need help preparing for a client presentation. You type: “Tell me about project management.” AI responds with 500 words of textbook definitions about Gantt charts and the waterfall method – nothing you can actually use.

The issue isn’t the AI. It’s that you’ve given it no context about who you are, what you need, or how you’ll use it.

 

THE FIX: THREE ESSENTIAL MOVES

Add Context – Tell AI Who You Are

Don’t assume AI knows your role or situation. Be explicit:

• “I’m a retail manager preparing to train new staff…”
• “I’m a mature student writing my first university essay…”
• “I’m a small business owner creating marketing content…”

 

Be Specific – Name Exactly What You Need

Instead of broad topics, drill down to the precise thing you’re working on:

• Not “explain project management” but “give me 5 ways to handle scope creep in client projects”
• Not “help with emails” but “draft a polite but firm response to a client missing deadlines”
• Not “marketing ideas” but “suggest 3 social media post ideas for a local bakery targeting young families”

 

Demand Structure – Control the Format

Tell AI exactly how you want the information presented, so that it’s most useful to you:

• “Give me 5 bullet points I can use in a presentation”
• “Create a comparison table”
• “Write three paragraphs: situation, solution, outcome”
• “Format this as an email I can adapt”

 

Real Examples That Work

 

For a work presentation:

❌ “Tell me about customer retention”

✅ “I’m presenting to my team about improving customer retention in our subscription service. Give me 5 practical strategies with brief examples, formatted as slides with a title and 2-3 bullet points each.”

 For professional development:

❌ “Help with time management”

✅ “I’m a working parent juggling a full-time job and evening classes. Suggest 4 realistic time management techniques I could implement this week. For each, explain what to do and why it works.”

For business writing:

❌ “Write about our services”

✅ “I run a small graphic design agency. Write a 150-word ‘About Us’ section for our website that emphasises our 10 years’ experience and personal service approach. Keep the tone professional but friendly.”

   

PROBLEM 2: When You’re Drowning in Tasks

Three reports due. Client presentation to prepare. Training session to plan. Part-time course assignment. You stare at the mountain of work and your brain just… stops. You don’t know where to start, so you do nothing. Then panic. Then scroll social media. Then panic more.

 

THE FIX: LET AI BREAK THE MOUNTAIN INTO PEBBLES

1. The Instant Breakdown Technique

Instead of staring at “Prepare Q4 sales presentation,” try this:

“I need to create a 20-slide sales presentation for our Q4 results, due in 4 days. Break this into 8-10 specific tasks I can complete in 30-45 minutes each. Order them by what I should do first.”

AI might respond:

1. Gather Q4 sales data from reports – organise by product line (30 mins)
2. Identify 3-4 key achievements to highlight (20 mins)
3. Create slide outline with main sections (30 mins)
4. Draft opening slides: title, agenda, executive summary (45 mins) [continues with manageable steps]

Suddenly, you have an action plan. Task 1 takes 30 minutes. You can do that.

 

2. The Reality Check Technique

When everything feels urgent:

“Here’s everything I need to do this week: [list your tasks]. I realistically have 12 hours available. Create a priority matrix showing: Must do / Should do / Could do / Park for later. Consider deadlines and impact.”

This forces you to face reality – you can’t do 30 hours of work in 12 hours. AI helps you see what actually matters and what can wait.

 

 3. The First Step Trick

When you’re completely stuck:

“I need to [write a funding proposal for our community project]. I have 20 minutes right now. What’s the smallest useful thing I could do to start? Give me exact instructions.”

Starting is often the hardest part. This can help get you moving.

 

 

Your Template for Better Prompts

Here is a structure that you can copy and adapt for your tasks:

“I’m a [your role/situation] working on [specific task]. [Explain/Create/Break down/Suggest] [precise need] in [specific format]. [Any special requirements].”

 

The principle is simple: the more context and direction you give AI, the more useful its responses become. You’re not asking it to read your mind – you’re giving it the brief it needs to actually help.