Write prompts like you'd brief a new hire

Lists of magic phrases are popular, and they rarely fix a bad result. The usual problem is simpler: the request leaves out things the writer knows and the model doesn't.

Imagine handing the task to a smart new hire on their first day. They don't know your customers, your style or what happened last week. You'd tell them what you need, who it's for, what to use and what a good result looks like.

A quick check

• Could someone new do this from your prompt alone?
• Did you say what to do when information is missing?
• Did you include an example of good output?

When the output is wrong, resist the urge to add stronger words. Find what it misunderstood, and add the missing information. Then save the prompt somewhere your team can find it.

A briefing you can reuse

Task: [one clear instruction]
Context: [who we are, what happened, why this matters]
Use this material: [paste it]
Audience: [who reads it, what they need to do]
Format: [length, structure]
Don't: [things to avoid]
If information is missing: [ask me / write "unknown"]
Example of good output: [paste one]