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Check holiday shift fairness after an unrecorded swap
Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You want to know who's done more or less than their fair share of this year's 15 holiday shifts across 5 people. Eve swapped 2 of her shifts to Ben (you approved it; the schedule wasn't updated). Write exactly 5 numbered lines, each as Name: shifts − fair share = +X or −X, then one unnumbered last line: Next holiday: [person furthest under]. Plain text, under 70 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not mentioning the swap. The schedule doesn't show it, so the AI gives Ben −1 and Eve +1. Try: Add: "Eve swapped 2 shifts to Ben: Eve 2, Ben 4."
- Not defining fair share. The AI gives a vague 'Ana does a lot.' Try: Add: "Fair share = 15 ÷ 5 = 3. Show each person's difference."
- Not asking to see the work. Your team will want to see the math behind the next assignment. Try: Add a line to copy: "1. Ana: 5 − 3 = +2"
- 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 8 words."
- Forgetting where it goes. AI loves markdown tables and bold, which show up as clutter in a team chat. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, headings or tables."
What a strong prompt includes
- Mentions the swap
- Defines fair share
- Asks to show the math
- Sets a word limit
- Asks for plain text
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