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Write weekly KPI commentary with the miss first
Practice: Asking for a format you can use. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You post a weekly KPI note for leadership. Write exactly 3 numbered lines, one per metric, each as 'Metric: this week vs target - On target or Below target', with the metric below target first, plain text, under 60 words. Use the corrected figure and add no causes that aren't in the notes.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Asking for 'a KPI update'. The AI writes paragraphs with bold headings and commentary on every number. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 3 numbered lines, 'Metric: this week vs target - status'. 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 line instead: "each line under 14 words."
- Using the uncorrected figure. 24% appears first and looks fine, so the AI misses the real miss. Try: Add: "Conversion is 19% (corrected)."
- Keeping the original order. The AI follows the data order, so the miss isn't first. Try: Add: "Put the metric below target first."
- Guessing causes. Marketing's theory sounds plausible, and the AI repeats it as the reason. Try: Add: "No causes beyond what the data team confirmed."
What a strong prompt includes
- Puts the miss first
- Uses the correction
- Shows the line shape
- Bans guessed causes
- Sets a word limit
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