Output or outcome
The Anatomy of a Perfect Prompt to Get You Where You Need to Be, Sooner
Over the past year and a half, I’ve been using AI daily to help me with everything from note-taking to creating website copy, writing proposals, developing marketing materials, and even supporting my hobbies like developing exercise plans, cooking instructions and reviewing progression. I even use AI to journal by verbally talking to reflect and then asking for themes, patterns and objective advice at the end of the week. It’s a tool that has transformed how I approach technology, saving me time and improving my results.
Yet, I’m realising that many people around me still aren’t using AI to its full potential, if at all.
A recent conversation with a colleague highlighted this. They were struggling to create marketing content for a new training course, feeling stuck and overwhelmed by the time it was taking. I suggested they could simplify the process by using AI to turn what would typically be days of ‘back and forth’ work into something manageable in much less time. To them, that still felt like a radical idea, so for me, it raises an important question: What matters — the hours spent working, or the outcome of the work?
Working from Home: Where Does the Real Value Sit?
For many of us working from home, with AI now present and available, this question has become more relevant than ever. Do we really want to spend seven hours a day on tasks that we can freely offload or slavishly try to create something that isn’t our specialism?
For example, I’m a skilled consultant, facilitator, and mentor. I enjoy those things; they give me energy, and I can deliver results. Give me spreadsheets, ‘web copy’, or the like, and not only does my joy vanish in a cloud of smoke, but — let’s be honest — the quality isn’t great. I’m prone to overthinking, avoiding and not the best outcome that others then might have to work on. It’s not a great use of my time or others.
AI offers a powerful alternative. It allows me (and us) to “outsource” these tasks in a way that’s not only efficient but also objective (meaning, in many situations, the quality is instantly better than I might create).
Imagine getting the same (or better) outcome in half the time and then using the rest of the day to focus on the things you’re passionate about.
This shift in mindset could be transformational for someone working remotely, managing their own time and output. Rather than clocking hours and staying busy for the sake of it, the real value lies in achieving meaningful outcomes and enjoying the freedom that comes with working smarter, not harder.
The truth is, AI isn’t coming to take our jobs — but the people who learn to use it well will gain an edge (they’ll be the ones who take our jobs). It’s not about cutting corners; it’s about recognising that some tasks, especially those outside our area of expertise, can be handled more effectively with the help of AI. This frees up our time to do what we do best, without sacrificing quality.
Over the past year or so, I have valued AI as a helpful (and, again, objective) ‘co-worker’ of sorts.
As AI evolves, it’s no longer just about generating text. You can also start to iterate on visual content. In the world of consulting, training, and NGOs — where much of the work is driven by visually-based slide decks or reports — using AI to provide constructive, objective feedback can significantly improve the final product. It helps to lift the quality of work, whether it’s words or visuals, while freeing up your own mental space for the more valuable aspects of the task.
For example, a colleague was developing a toolkit and asked me to review the slides. I had some feedback but struggled to articulate exactly what was off and how to provide constructive guidance. So, I downloaded the slides, input them into AI, and asked for feedback focused on specific areas that weren’t sitting right with me. AI gave me clear, objective feedback that I could then use to shape my own response. This saved me hours of frustration and allowed me to offer my colleague actionable (helpful) advice.
The Anatomy of a Perfect Prompt
So how do we make the most of AI in our daily work? It starts with knowing how to give clear instructions. The key to getting the outcome you want is crafting the perfect prompt.
Here’s a breakdown of how to do that:
1. Context: Set the scene for what you’re trying to achieve.
Example: “I’m creating marketing copy for a new online course aimed at remote workers.”
2. Task: Clearly state what you need.
Example: “I need a short, engaging paragraph to introduce the course.”
3. Specificity: Include any important details or constraints.
Example: “Focus on the benefits of flexibility and time management, and keep it under 100 words.”
4. Tone and Style: Describe the tone you’re aiming for.
Example: “Keep the tone friendly and conversational.”
5. Examples (Optional): Provide examples to guide the AI.
Example: “Similar to how this course on Udemy is introduced.”
By framing prompts this way, you can turn vague ideas into clear, actionable results in seconds. AI helps you focus less on the process and more on the value of the work being done.
It’s OK to Work Smarter
The bottom line is that AI is a tool — one that’s here to stay.
Yes, it might end up wiping us all out but, not now — now, it’s useful.
We can either resist it or embrace it.
Personally, I see it as a way to enhance the quality of my work, streamline the tasks I don’t particularly enjoy, and focus on the things that truly matter.
The value of our work should be measured by the outcome, not the hours we’ve clocked.
So, let’s start using AI more meaningfully and make the most of the time it gives us back.
Oh, and by the way, just so you know — this post was written in part by AI, and then refined by me. That’s how I treat these things. I use AI to start me off, but I don’t ever rely on it to do the entire job. For example, when I’m writing something that others will read or learn from, or if I’m planning a training course, I use AI to help establish the foundation — the base on which I can build.
What I’m suggesting isn’t that we should outsource everything to AI but that the machine can do the more repetitive, shallow work or work that we might not have specialisms in — leaving the more creative work to us humans. Sometimes, creative work can be sparked by bouncing ideas off AI, which then acts as a gateway for us to channel our creativity and add real value.
