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Pick the five emails that need action today and drop the rest

  • For Managers and team leads
  • You practice Setting limits and rules
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Beginner

About this exercise

From your inbox summary, list the 5 emails that need your action today. Write exactly 5 numbered lines in the form: 1. Sender - action - by time. Order by deadline, earliest first. Skip emails that need no action, are FYI, or have a deadline after today. Today is Tuesday Nov 12. Use the latest message in each thread.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Using Carla's first message. The AI says anytime today. Try: Say: "Use the latest message: after 3 pm."
  • Including later deadlines. The AI includes the Friday and Thursday items. Try: Say: "Only items with a deadline today."
  • Wrong order. The AI orders by sender seniority. Try: Say: "Order by deadline, earliest first."
  • Wrong format. The AI uses bullets. Try: Say: "Format: 1. Sender - action - by time."
  • 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."
  • 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 part instead, for example: "each line under 12 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Format
  • Order
  • Skips
  • Latest
  • Five

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