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Approve part of an overtime request with the math
Practice: Catching mistakes and made-up facts. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
A shift lead asked for overtime hours, and you can approve only part of it. Reply in under 70 words, plain text, with the approved hours in the first sentence, then exactly 2 numbered lines showing the budget math and how the rest is covered. Use the updated remaining budget, and don't share other teams' numbers.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Burying the answer. The AI explains the budget before saying how many hours are approved. Try: Add: "First sentence: 30 hours approved."
- 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: "each line under 20 words."
- Skipping the hold-back. The notes go back and forth, and the AI may approve 40. Try: Add: "Show the math: $1,320 - $330 = $990; $990 / $33 = 30 hours."
- No plan for the rest. The AI says no to 10 hours without saying how they're covered. Try: Add: "Exactly 2 numbered lines: the math, then Bea's picker for 10 hours."
- Sharing other teams' numbers. The AI mentions Dock A's budget to explain the loan. Try: Add: "Don't share Dock A's budget. Plain text."
What a strong prompt includes
- Puts the answer first
- Shows the math
- Covers the rest
- Keeps other budgets private
- Sets a word limit
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