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Forecast this week's closing cash against a minimum balance
Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You're doing this week's cash forecast. Rook & Sons told AR this morning their $6,000 payment slips to next Friday, so leave it out. Company policy is to keep at least $15,000 in cash. Write exactly 3 numbered lines (receipts, payments, closing cash = opening + receipts − payments), each with the math, then one unnumbered last line: Above or below the $15,000 minimum by $X. Plain text, under 60 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not mentioning the late payment. The AI counts Rook's $6,000 and the week looks fine. Try: Add: "Rook's $6,000 moved to next week. Leave it out."
- Not giving the minimum. The AI can't tell the CFO there's a problem. Try: Add: "Our minimum cash balance is $15,000."
- Not asking to see the work. The CFO will check each sum. Try: Add a line to copy: "1. Receipts: 12,000 + 3,000 = $15,000"
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 14 words."
- Forgetting where it goes. AI loves markdown tables and bold, which show up as clutter in a CFO email. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, headings or tables."
What a strong prompt includes
- Mentions the late payment
- Gives the minimum
- Asks to show the math
- Sets a word limit
- Asks for plain text
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