Five prompts for everyday work
Copy the one you need, fill in the square brackets, and paste it into whichever AI tool you use.
1 Draft from notes
Emails, memos, posts and letters you know the content of but haven't written.
Template Turn these notes into [an email / a memo / a post] for [who it's for]. Keep it under [length]. Tone: [plain / warm / formal]. Notes: [paste your notes]
Example Turn these notes into an email to a client confirming next week's visit. Under 120 words, friendly but brief. Notes: Tue 10am, bring the floor plan, park behind the building, call if late.
2 Summarise and list actions
Long threads, meeting notes, transcripts and reports.
Template Summarise this [thread / meeting transcript / document] in [five] bullet points. Then list every action: who, what and by when. If something isn't clear, say so instead of guessing. [paste it]
Example Summarise this email thread in five bullets, then list the actions with an owner and a date. Mark any action that has no owner.
3 Rewrite for an audience
The same message for a customer, a boss, a new starter or the public.
Template Rewrite this for [audience]. They know [what they know] and care about [what they care about]. Keep [what must not change]. [paste it]
Example Rewrite this update for customers who don't know the technical terms and want to know if their order is late. Keep the dates exactly as they are.
4 Plan a week or a project
Turning a pile of tasks and a deadline into a plan you can follow.
Template Help me plan [my week / this project]. Goal: [the outcome] by [date]. Fixed commitments: [list]. Things to fit in: [list]. Give me a plan by day, and flag anything that won't fit.
Example Help me plan next week. Goal: the quarterly report done by Friday. Fixed: Monday 9 to 12 training, Wednesday 2pm dentist. Fit in: three client calls, invoices, a newsletter draft.
5 Check my work
A second pair of eyes before something goes out.
Template Here is my [draft / plan / proposal]. Act as [a careful reviewer / the person who will read it]. List what's wrong, missing or unclear, most important first. Don't rewrite it. [paste it]
Example Here's my proposal for a new client. Act as the client's finance manager. What would make you say no? List the top five problems.
Four habits that make any prompt better
- Say who it's for and what good looks like. Vague in, vague out.
- Ask for one change at a time, in the same chat, until it's right.
- Read every answer before you use it. You're the one sending it.
- Leave out anything on the never-paste card.
ai.donnaruma.us/library/prompt-starter