Test eight close criteria and say what is open for the controller

About this exercise

You're checking whether the October period is ready to lock. Write a prompt for a markdown table with columns Criterion, Result and Evidence, one row per criterion in the listed order. Result is exactly Met or Not met against the stated threshold; Evidence is under 8 words. Then add two lines: "Met:" with the count as "n of 8", and "Open items:" listing the criterion numbers that are not met. Do not lock the period; the controller decides. Under 160 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Accepting the staff accountant. The AI says $2,400 is small and marks criterion 4 Met. Try: Say: "Judge each criterion only against its threshold."
• Deciding to lock. The AI recommends locking the period. Try: Add: "Do not lock the period; the controller decides."
• Long evidence. The AI writes full sentences. Try: Add: "Evidence under 8 words."
• Missing counts. The AI forgets the Met and Open items lines. Try: Add: "Two last lines: Met: n of 8 and Open items."
• 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 part short.

What a strong prompt includes

• Names the columns
• Uses the thresholds
• Asks for the two final lines
• Leaves the lock to the controller
• Caps length

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