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Weigh moving the team's office day by people affected

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

About this exercise

You're deciding whether to move the team's in-office day from Tuesday to Thursday. Weigh each pro and con by the number of people it affects (pros plus, cons minus). Write exactly 4 numbered lines, 2 pros then 2 cons, each like '1. Pro (+8): reason', then an unnumbered last line 'Net: +X, so Go' or 'Net: -X, so No go'. Two late survey responses changed one count. Plain text, under 80 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Using the old count. The summary says 4 people, and the AI misses the HR update. Try: Add: "Childcare is 6 people now, per Mara's update."
  • No weights. The AI lists pros and cons without saying how much each matters. Try: Add: "Weight each by people affected, like Pro (+8)."
  • No verdict. The AI ends with 'it depends on your priorities'. Try: Add: "End with 'Net: +X, so Go' or 'Net: -X, so No go'."
  • A long pros and cons table. The AI writes a markdown table and commentary on tacos and coffee. Try: Say: "Exactly 4 numbered lines plus a Net line. Plain text."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting words, so a total word cap usually lands over. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 12 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Weights by people affected
  • Uses the update
  • Asks for a net verdict
  • Sets the line count
  • Caps the length

Practice this now ↑

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