A useful AI conversation starts with what you need help doing. You might want to write a clearer email, prepare for a meeting, or understand a difficult topic. Knowing what you want makes it easier to judge the answer.
Think. Plan. Act. is a simple way to approach the task: decide what you need, give AI useful instructions, and check what it produces.
Think: what do you need help with?
Start by finishing this sentence: “I need help with ___ so that ___.”
For example: “I need help summarizing today's meeting so that everyone knows what we decided and what to do next.” That tells AI who the summary is for and why it matters.
Think about what a useful answer would include. For the meeting summary, you might need decisions, next steps, the person responsible for each task, and any agreed deadlines. You also need to see what is still undecided.
If you are unsure what you need, start there. Describe the situation and ask AI to help you work it out, one question at a time. You can adjust the task as you talk.
Plan: give it the information it needs
A prompt is simply the request you give AI. A few clear sentences may be enough. These questions can help you write them:
The task: What do I need help doing?
The reader: Who is this for?
The information: What notes, facts or examples should it use?
The limits: What should it avoid doing or guessing?
The answer: Do I want a short email, a list, a table or something else?
The check: What must it get right?
For example, imagine you have meeting notes you are allowed to share with the tool. You could write:
Write a short follow-up email for our team using the notes below. List what we decided, what each person agreed to do, and any deadlines. Include questions we still need to answer. If the notes do not name a person or give a deadline, say “not listed in the notes.” Do not guess. Keep it under 250 words and leave it as a draft for me to check.
If you have an example of a good summary, you can share it to show the style you want. Only include information you have permission to use in that tool.
Act: check the answer and improve it
Read the answer alongside your original notes. Are the names and dates right? Did it leave anything important out? Did it turn a suggestion into a decision? An answer can sound confident and still be wrong.
Tell AI exactly what needs changing: “Friday was only a suggested deadline. Put that under questions we still need to answer.” Then check the new version. Asking AI to check its own answer can help, but you still need to compare it with the original information.
If the answer keeps missing the point, explain what is wrong or add missing information. You can also ask for another approach. If you use a tool that can send messages or change records, decide what it may do and what you need to approve first.
Notice how much work the whole task takes, including checking and correcting the answer. When an approach helps, save the instructions and a good example to use again.
Try it on one task
Choose a small task you know well. Write down what you need and three things the answer must get right. Give AI the information, ask for a draft, and check it. Make one change to your instructions based on what you learn.