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Build a workshop agenda backwards from a fixed end time

  • For Managers and team leads
  • You practice Catching mistakes and made-up facts
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Intermediate

About this exercise

Build the agenda as a table with the header Start | End | Item, one row per item, in the listed order. The workshop must end at 16:00 and the items run back to back with no gaps. Work backwards from the end time and use the latest durations. Use 24-hour times. Then add the line "Workshop starts at:" with the start time. Plain text, under 90 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Using the old lunch length. The AI keeps lunch at 45 minutes. Try: Say: "Use the latest durations; lunch is now 30 minutes."
  • Working forwards from a guess. The AI invents a start time. Try: Say: "Work backwards from the 16:00 end time."
  • Adding the icebreaker. The AI adds 20 minutes. Try: Say: "Use only the six listed items."
  • Wrong table. The AI reorders or adds columns. Try: Say: "Exactly this header and six rows in the listed order."
  • Markdown. The AI bolds the start time. Try: Say: "Plain text."
  • 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 15 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Gives the header
  • Work backwards
  • Latest durations
  • 24-hour times
  • Start time line

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