Library › Agents & Automation AI › Managers and team leads

Brief an assistant to shortlist an offsite venue that fits

  • For Managers and team leads
  • You practice Giving the right context
  • Time about 5 minutes

About this exercise

You're planning a one-day team offsite and want an AI assistant to pick a venue. Write its brief: 18 people on Dec 10, a total budget of $1,500 including catering, step-free access (a teammate uses a wheelchair), show each venue's total as math, place a hold on the one that fits, and never book or pay. Output exactly 7 numbered plain-text lines: one note per venue in order, the hold, an ASK_HUMAN for approval, then DONE.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Not showing the log format. Left alone, the AI writes a friendly report with headings instead of a checkable action log. Try: Show it literally: "Format every line like 1. ACTION: tool(args), then ASK_HUMAN: and DONE: lines. Plain text."
  • Hiding the math. The AI compares room prices and forgets catering for 18 people. Try: Say: "Show each total as room + 18 x catering = total."
  • Leaving out what only you know. The AI can't know about step-free access unless you say so, and it may suggest a different date. Try: Add: "Must be step-free and free on Dec 10, under $1,500 total."
  • Letting it book or pay. Given book and deposit actions, the AI locks in the venue on its own. Try: Add: "Hold only. Never book or pay. Ask me to approve."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Gives headcount and budget
  • Names the access need
  • Asks for the math
  • Says hold, never book
  • Shows the action-log format

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises