You do not need to be technical to follow this guide. You need a free account with one of the major assistants, a real task you want to get done, and about twenty minutes.
Always check facts, figures and names against a source you trust. AI tools are good at structure and wording, and much less reliable at precise details.
Common mistakes
Keep anything sensitive out of your prompts unless you have checked the privacy settings of the tool, and your organisation allows it.
- A free or paid account with one assistant
- A real task, not a test question
- A source you trust to check facts
- Twenty minutes without interruptions
- A place to save prompts that work
Step 1: Set a clear goal
Measure the result honestly. Note how long the task took before and after. If AI does not save time or improve quality, it is fine to stop using it for that task.
- Describe the goal in one sentence
- Add context: audience, format and length
- Ask for a first draft
- Check facts and tone
- Ask for specific changes
- Save the prompt for next time
