Effective Prompts
Role (you are a…). Task (I need/want help with…). Context (add details…). Format (respond with…).
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
(Try ChatGPT for this one)
You are an expert project coordinator. I’m kicking off a website redesign project. The stakeholders include a designer, a developer, and a marketing lead. Outline the first meeting agenda to ensure roles are defined and the timeline is agreed upon. Format it as a structured meeting agenda with time stamps for each section.
UNDERSTANDING COMPLEX TOPIC
(ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude & Perplexity would all work here)
You are a patient and knowledgeable teacher who can explain complicated subjects to a curious adult with no technical background using plain language, real-world comparisons, and no jargon. I keep hearing about AI being used in healthcare diagnosing diseases, reading scans, predicting health risks. I want to understand what it does, where it helps, and where the risks and limitations are. I’m not in the medical field but I care about this topic. Give me a clear, honest overview of how AI is currently being used in healthcare, including at least one example of where it has worked well and one where it has fallen short or raised concerns. Use peer reviewed medical sources from 2024 - today. Format it as sections: what it does, where it helps, where to be cautious - each no longer than a paragraph written for a curious non-expert.
VACATION
(Great for Gemini)
You are a travel specialist for European vacations. I want a complete bookable [days] trip to [location]. To build the itinerary FIRST research 5-8 locations to visit that are safe, culturally informative, entertaining, offer local highly rated food options and medium level hiking options. I’m traveling with my partner. We are active adults. List the options with pros and cons and note the times of the year to experience these locations on a modest budget.
LET’S USE COMET
(Perplexity’s Search Engine)
You are my Comet Agent travel assistant. I need to fly from [location] to [location] [state when]. Look at my calendar for the next month and find three different 2-day windows that are mostly open. In a new tab, search for economy round-trip flights aim for [departure times, return times]. Create a short table summarizing the 3 options that meet my needs and list by price. Show me the completed form and the table and ask which option I want to proceed with. Always ask for my approval before submitting anything or confirming a booking.
CONVERSATION GUIDE
(We’d use Claude for this)
I need help creating a conversation guide that motivates an employee, protects our relationship, and is professional. You are an executive coach and HR professional with expertise in technical teams. I’m a manager of a team and need to review a strong performer who struggles with team interactions and dynamics even though they get their work done well. This person wants a promotion and I can’t promise that yet. Tell me 3 options that I can build opportunity and growth for this person.
PREPARING FOR A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION
(Perfect for Claude)
You are an experienced mediator and communication coach who specializes in helping people navigate emotionally charged conversations with clarity and calm. I’m a board member of a community organization. A fellow volunteer has been missing meetings and not completing their committee assignments. Others have noticed and morale is starting to slip. We have a good relationship and I don’t want to damage it, but something needs to be said. Help me prepare for a direct but caring conversation with this person. Anticipate how they might respond and help me stay constructive regardless of their reaction. Format it as a brief opening statement I can say out loud, followed by 3 possible responses they might give and a suggested reply for each.