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Report pulse survey changes in points, not percent
Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
Your director wants your team's pulse survey readout in exactly 3 numbered lines: 1) the biggest drop, 2) the biggest gain, 3) the response rate this quarter vs last. Changes must be in percentage points (78% to 62% is −16 points), never percent change. Plain text, under 60 words, nothing else.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not defining the change. The AI mixes percent change and points, or copies HR's −20.5%. Try: Add: "Show changes in percentage points, like 78% to 62% = −16 points."
- Leaving the shape open. The AI walks through all five questions and quotes every comment. Try: Say: "Exactly 3 numbered lines: biggest drop, biggest gain, response rate."
- Forgetting the response rate. A drop from 23 to 18 responses changes how much the results mean. Try: Add: "Line 3: response rate now vs last quarter, as a percent."
- 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 director's Slack. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, headings or tables."
What a strong prompt includes
- Asks for points
- Defines the 3 lines
- Says how many lines
- Sets a word limit
- Asks for plain text
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