A good place to start with AI is a small task that matters to you and that you know how to check. You might turn meeting notes into a summary, draft a reply to a common question, or prepare a weekly update.
Use Think. Plan. Act. to choose one task and give it a try.
Think: what keeps slowing you down?
Write down three tasks you repeat often. For each one, ask where the time goes. Are you searching for information, writing, waiting for someone, or correcting mistakes?
Look at a recent example. If writing is slow because the instructions are unclear, agree on the instructions first. If information is out of date, correct it. You may find that a simple checklist already makes the task easier.
Plan: choose a task you can check
Ask these questions about each task. Write “I don't know yet” wherever you need more information.
| Question | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Would help with this task matter? | Something you do often or find difficult |
| Can I explain what I need? | A clear task and an example of a good result |
| Do I have the right information? | Useful notes or documents I am allowed to share with the tool |
| Can I check the answer? | Enough knowledge to spot mistakes, or someone who can help |
| Can I catch mistakes before they cause trouble? | A draft I can review before anyone uses it |
| Can I try it on a small scale? | A few examples and time set aside to check them |
| Will I know whether it helped? | A way to compare time, effort and mistakes with my usual approach |
If you cannot check the answer or are unsure whether you may share the information, resolve that before starting. Choose a simpler task if needed.
Of the tasks that pass these checks, choose one that would help you and is easy to try. Keep the others on a list for later.
What this could look like
Imagine a small team choosing between three ideas:
- Write a weekly update from project notes. Someone who knows the project can check the draft against the notes. This could be a useful starting point.
- Automatically email customers with promised delivery dates. A wrong date could cause problems. Start by drafting messages for a person to check and send.
- Answer staff questions using documents that disagree. The team first needs to decide which information is correct and update the documents.
These are made-up examples. Your choice will depend on the work you do, the information you have, and who can check it.
Act: try it on a few examples
Write a short plan before you begin:
I will try using AI to help with [task].
I will give it [information I may share] and ask for [the result I need].
[Person] will check [what must be right] before the work is used or sent.
I will try [number] examples and compare the time, effort and mistakes with my usual approach.
I will review the results on [date]. I will stop or change the approach if [problem to watch for].
Include an awkward example as well as an easy one. For a project update, try notes with a missing deadline or a task nobody has agreed to do. The answer should flag what is missing instead of making it up.
Count the time spent preparing the request, checking the answer and fixing mistakes. Then ask: Was the finished work easier to produce? Was it good enough to use? Would I try this approach again?
Write down what helped and what you would change. Use that experience to decide whether to keep going or try another task.