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Explain a bank reconciliation to an owner and show the math

  • For Small business owners
  • You practice Catching mistakes and made-up facts
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Intermediate

About this exercise

Leo owns Harbor Lane Bakery and isn't an accountant. Write a prompt for a plain-text email (under 150 words) that explains October's bank reconciliation from the bookkeeper's notes. It needs a line starting "Bank side:" and a line starting "Book side:", each showing the math to an adjusted balance. Check the cleared checks yourself, and if a gap remains, say so plainly: nothing gets plugged to force a match.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Trusting the outstanding list. The AI takes the bookkeeper's list as given and keeps #1045 outstanding, though it cleared Oct 30. Try: Say: "Check each outstanding check against the cleared list first."
  • No labeled math lines. The AI explains in paragraphs, so the owner can't follow the numbers. Try: Ask for "one line starting Bank side: and one starting Book side:, each with the full math".
  • Plugging the difference. The AI goes along with booking the gap to misc expense so the rec 'balances'. Try: Add: "If a gap remains, say it's unexplained. Don't plug it to any account."
  • Writing for an accountant. The AI uses tables, bold and jargon an owner skims past, and runs long. Try: Say: "Plain-text email for an owner who isn't an accountant, under 110 words."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits. Try: Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each line short.

What a strong prompt includes

  • Says who reads it
  • Asks for labeled math
  • Checks the cleared list
  • Refuses to plug
  • Sets length and format

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