16 AI prompts for everyday work

Copy-paste prompts for email, meetings, documents and planning. They are plain text, written for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot. Each one tells you when to use it, what data to keep out, and what to check before the result leaves your desk.

How to use these

1. Copy a prompt and replace every [BRACKETED] part with your facts. The more real detail you give, the less the AI guesses.
2. Each prompt builds in the parts of the Brief card that its task needs: task, audience, context, example, format, checks, and ask-me-first.
3. Where a prompt says "ask me questions first", keep that line and answer the questions. You can add it to any prompt. If you have a good example of what you want, paste it in too.
4. Before you paste, read the data note. Green: go, in any tool your work allows. Amber: make it safe first (swap names, companies and figures for [CLIENT-1], [COLLEAGUE-1], [AMOUNT]), and use only the AI tool your work approves, on a work account. Red: never paste it.
5. Treat every answer as a draft. Do the one-line check, then send it as your own work.

---

A. Email and messages

1. Make my draft shorter and clearer

Use it when: you wrote an email or message and it feels too long or muddled.

Below is a draft message I wrote. Rewrite it so it is shorter and clearer.

Who reads it: [WHO, e.g. "my manager, who reads email on her phone"]
What I need them to do after reading: [THE ONE ACTION]
Tone: [e.g. "friendly but direct"]

Rules:
- Keep my meaning and every fact. Do not add facts.
- Put the request or main point in the first two sentences.
- Cut it to about half the length, or less.
- Use my words where they work. It must still sound like me.

After the rewrite, list any place where you changed the meaning,
even a little, so I can check it.

My draft:
[PASTE YOUR DRAFT]

Data note: Green if the draft has no names or figures. Amber if it mentions clients, colleagues or deals. Make it safe first.

Check before you use it: read the "changed the meaning" list, and confirm every fact still matches your draft.

2. Say no, or "not yet", politely

Use it when: someone asks for something you cannot do, or cannot do by their date.

Help me reply to a request I need to turn down or delay.

The request: [WHAT THEY ASKED FOR, AND BY WHEN]
Who asked: [THEIR ROLE AND HOW I WORK WITH THEM, e.g. "a peer in another
team, we work together often"]
Why I can't do it as asked: [THE REAL REASON, in plain words]
What I can offer instead: [e.g. "a smaller version by Friday", "next
month", "the name of someone who can help", or "nothing"]

Write two versions:
A. A short chat message (under 60 words).
B. An email (under 120 words).

Be warm and clear. Say no in the first two sentences, not at the end.
Do not apologise more than once. Do not invent reasons or offers I
did not give you.

Before you write, ask me up to 3 questions if anything is unclear.
Then wait for my answers.

Data note: Green. Describe people by role, not by name.

Check before you use it: is the "no" or new date clear on first read, and is every offer one you can keep?

3. Answer an email that asks many questions

Use it when: an email has five questions buried in long paragraphs, and you need to answer every one.

The email below contains several questions and requests. Do two things.

Step 1: List every question or request in the email as a numbered list,
in my words. Include ones that are only implied.

Step 2: Draft a reply that answers each one in the same order, using
only my answers below. Use a short numbered list so the reader can
match each answer to their question.

If I have not given an answer for an item, do not make one up. Write
[NEED ANSWER] in that place.

Reader: [WHO THEY ARE, e.g. "a supplier we have worked with for a year"]
Tone: [e.g. "polite and efficient"]

My answers (in any order):
[YOUR ANSWERS AS ROUGH NOTES]

The email:
[PASTE THE EMAIL, MADE SAFE]

Data note: Amber. Remove names, email addresses, account numbers and prices from the email and from your answers before you paste.

Check before you use it: compare the AI's list in step 1 with the email yourself, and fill every [NEED ANSWER].

4. One update, three audiences

Use it when: you must share the same news with your manager, your team and a client, and each needs a different version.

I have one piece of news to share with three groups. Write a version for
each one.

The news: [WHAT HAPPENED OR WHAT IS CHANGING]
Why it happened: [THE REASON]
What happens next: [NEXT STEPS AND DATES]

1. My manager: [WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT, e.g. "cost and risk"]. Under 80
   words. Lead with the impact.
2. My team, in a chat message: [WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT, e.g. "what changes
   in their day"]. Under 60 words.
3. The client: [WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT, e.g. "whether the date moves"].
   Under 100 words. No internal details.

Use only the facts above. Every version must say the same thing about
dates and decisions. If a version needs a fact I did not give you, put
[CHECK] where it goes.

Data note: Green if the news is general. Amber if it names a client or a deal. Red if it includes contract terms or confidential prices.

Check before you use it: do all three versions give the same dates and facts, and is the client version free of internal detail?

---

B. Meetings and notes

5. Get ready for a meeting in 10 minutes

Use it when: you have a meeting soon and want to walk in with a clear goal and good questions.

I have a meeting in [TIME, e.g. "30 minutes"]. Help me prepare.

Meeting: [TOPIC]
Who will be there: [ROLES, e.g. "my manager, two people from finance"]
What I want to leave with: [e.g. "a yes to hire a temp for March"]
What I know so far: [BACKGROUND NOTES]

Give me:
1. My goal in one sentence.
2. Three questions I should ask, best first.
3. Three questions or objections I may get, each with a short answer
   based only on what I told you. If you don't have enough facts to
   answer one, say what I need to find out.
4. One sentence to open with.

Keep it to one screen. Before you start, ask me up to 3 questions if
my goal or the people are unclear.

Data note: Green if you describe people by role. Amber if your notes include client names or deal details.

Check before you use it: are the answers in point 3 true? The AI only knows what you told it.

6. Find the gaps in my notes before I send them

Use it when: you took notes in a meeting and want to catch unclear points before you share them.

Below are my notes from a meeting. Do not rewrite them yet. First, check
them for gaps.

List:
1. Actions with no owner.
2. Actions with no date.
3. Decisions that are worded so two people could read them differently.
4. Numbers or names that appear twice and do not match.
5. Anything that sounds agreed but may only have been discussed.

For each item, quote the line from my notes and write one question I
can ask to fix it. Do not guess the answers. Skip a type if there is
nothing to report. Put the gaps that could block work first.

My notes:
[PASTE YOUR NOTES, MADE SAFE]

Data note: Amber. Swap people's names for roles or [PERSON-1]. Red if the meeting was about a person's pay, health or performance. Do not paste those notes.

Check before you use it: read the gaps against your memory of the meeting. Ask the people in the room, not the AI.

7. Turn a meeting into a message

Use it when: you are about to book a meeting, but a clear message might do the job faster.

I was going to book a meeting about [TOPIC] with [ROLES OF PEOPLE].
Help me decide if a written message can replace it.

The background: [WHAT IS GOING ON]
What I need from them: [e.g. "a decision between option A and B by
Thursday", "comments on a draft", "an update"]

First, tell me in two sentences whether a message is enough, or whether
a meeting is better, and why. A meeting is better if the topic needs
debate, is sensitive, or involves conflict.

If a message is enough, write it:
- Subject line that says what I need and by when.
- The background in under 80 words.
- The exact question or choice, with options labelled A, B, C.
- The deadline for replies, and what happens if no one replies.

Data note: Green for most internal topics. Amber if it names clients or includes figures. Make it safe first.

Check before you use it: if the topic is sensitive or people disagree, book the meeting anyway.

8. Speaking notes for my update

Use it when: you have to give a spoken update in a stand-up, a team call or a review, and you want it short and clear.

Turn my rough points into speaking notes for a spoken update.

Where: [e.g. "Monday team call", "monthly review with the director"]
Time I have: [e.g. "90 seconds"]
Listeners: [WHO, AND WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT]

My points:
[YOUR BULLET POINTS: WHAT IS DONE, WHAT IS NEXT, ANY PROBLEM]

Rules:
- Write it the way people speak: short sentences, no jargon.
- Start with the one thing they must remember.
- If I have a problem or a request, say it clearly, with what I need
  and from whom.
- Mark where to pause with "/".
- End with one sentence that closes the update.
- Fit the time: about 130 spoken words per minute.

Data note: Green if the points are about your own work. Amber if they include client names or figures.

Check before you use it: read it aloud once with a timer. Cut whatever pushes you over time.

---

C. Documents and reports

9. Honest feedback on my draft

Use it when: you want a second reader before a document goes to your manager, a client or a big group.

Act as a careful reviewer. Read my draft and give feedback. Do not
rewrite it.

Who will read it: [THE READER AND WHAT THEY KNOW ALREADY]
What I want the reader to do or decide: [THE GOAL]

Give me:
1. In one sentence, what you think my main point is. (If this is not
   my point, the draft is unclear.)
2. The five biggest problems, most important first. For each one,
   quote the part and say how to fix it.
3. Any claim that needs a source or a number to be believed.
4. What the reader will most likely ask after reading.

Be direct. Do not praise the draft unless it helps me decide what to keep.

My draft:
[PASTE THE DRAFT]

Data note: Green for general documents. Amber for reports about clients or deals. Make them safe first. Red for anything about one staff member, such as a review or an HR case, even with the name removed.

Check before you use it: if the AI's one-sentence summary is wrong, fix your opening before you fix anything else.

10. What does this document ask of me?

Use it when: you get a long internal document, such as a new process or a project plan, and need to know what it means for your job.

Read the document below. I am [MY ROLE, e.g. "a team lead in customer
service"]. Tell me only what applies to me.

Give me:
1. What I must do, as a list. Include the deadline for each item if
   the document gives one.
2. What changes for my team.
3. Anything that is unclear or that seems to conflict with another part
   of the document. Quote the part.

Use only the document. If something is not in it, say "not in the
document". For every item, give the section or heading where you found
it, so I can check it.

The document:
[PASTE THE DOCUMENT]

Data note: Green for internal process documents with no names. Amber for project plans, which often hold client names, budgets and supplier terms. Make them safe first. Red for contracts, NDAs and HR files. Do not paste those.

Check before you use it: open the document at each section the AI cites, and confirm the deadlines yourself.

11. Outline a report before I write it

Use it when: you have to write a report or proposal and you are stuck at a blank page.

I need to write a [TYPE, e.g. "two-page report", "short proposal"] for
[READER]. Help me plan it before I write.

The purpose: [WHAT THE READER SHOULD KNOW OR DECIDE AFTER READING]
What I have: [YOUR MATERIAL AS ROUGH NOTES: FACTS, FIGURES, OPINIONS]
Length limit: [e.g. "two pages"]

Give me:
1. The main message in one sentence.
2. An outline with 4 to 6 headings. Under each heading, write the one
   point it makes, and which of my facts support it.
3. A list of points that have no support yet, and what kind of
   evidence would fill each gap.

Do not write the report. Do not add facts. Before you start, ask me up
to 5 questions about the reader and the purpose. Then wait for my answers.

Data note: Green if your notes are general. Amber if they include client data or internal figures. Make them safe first.

Check before you use it: does the one-sentence message match what you want the reader to do?

12. Turn messy text into a clean table

Use it when: information is spread across notes, emails or a pasted list, and you want it side by side.

Turn the text below into a table.

Columns: [e.g. "Option, Cost, Capacity, Date available, Notes"]
One row for each: [e.g. "venue", "supplier", "request"]

Rules:
- Use only what is in the text. If a value is missing, write "missing".
  Do not estimate.
- Copy numbers exactly as written, with their units.
- If the text gives two different values for the same thing, write
  both and mark the cell "CONFLICT".
- Under the table, list anything in the text that did not fit a column.

The text:
[PASTE THE TEXT]

Data note: Green for public or general information. Amber for internal lists. Red for confidential prices, bank details or personal data.

Check before you use it: compare every number in the table with the source text. Copying errors happen.

---

D. Planning and decisions

13. Plan my week

Use it when: your to-do list is longer than your week and you need to decide what comes first.

Help me plan my working week.

My fixed commitments (meetings, calls, appointments):
[DAY AND TIME FOR EACH. Write personal ones as "busy".]

My tasks, with deadlines where they exist:
[LIST OF TASKS]

My working hours: [e.g. "Mon to Fri, 9:00 to 17:30"]
My best time for focused work: [e.g. "mornings"]

Do this:
1. Ask me up to 5 questions first, about how long tasks take and which
   ones matter most. Wait for my answers.
2. Then sort the tasks into: must do this week, should do, can wait,
   can hand to someone else.
3. Put the "must do" tasks into time blocks around my fixed
   commitments. Leave at least one hour free each day for surprises.
4. If everything does not fit, say so plainly and tell me what to drop
   or move, with a reason.

Data note: Green. Describe tasks in general terms. Leave out client names. Write personal appointments as "busy".

Check before you use it: are the time estimates yours, not the AI's guesses? Move the blocks into your calendar yourself.

14. Break a big task into first steps

Use it when: a project feels too big or vague to start.

I have a task that feels too big to start: [THE TASK]
The result I need: [WHAT "DONE" LOOKS LIKE]
Deadline: [DATE]
Who else is involved: [ROLES]
What I have already done: [ANYTHING, OR "nothing"]

Break it down:
1. List 4 to 7 stages, in order.
2. For the first stage only, list the actions I can do in my next two
   hours. Each action must be small and concrete, like "email the
   finance team to ask for last year's numbers", not "gather data".
3. Mark any step that depends on another person. Write the message I
   should send them first.
4. Name the one step that is most likely to cause a delay.

Before you start, ask me up to 3 questions if the result is unclear.

Data note: Green for most tasks. Amber if you describe a specific client or deal.

Check before you use it: can you do the first action today? If not, ask the AI to make it smaller.

15. Compare options against what matters to us

Use it when: you must choose between two or more options, such as tools, suppliers or approaches, and want a fair comparison.

Help me compare options. Do not decide for me.

The decision: [WHAT I AM CHOOSING]
The options: [OPTION A, OPTION B, OPTION C, with what I know about each]
What matters most, in order: [e.g. "1. cost, 2. setup time, 3. ease of
use for a non-technical team"]
Hard limits: [e.g. "budget under [AMOUNT]", "must work with our current
system"]

Give me:
1. A table: one row per option, one column per thing that matters.
   Use only the facts I gave you. Write "unknown" where I gave none.
2. Any option that breaks a hard limit, and why.
3. For each option, the strongest reason to pick it and the biggest risk.
4. The three facts I should find out before I decide.

Data note: Green for public information, such as list prices on a website. Red for confidential quotes, prices or contract terms from suppliers. For those, use relative costs, such as "B costs about 40% more than A".

Check before you use it: check each "known" fact in the table against your source. The choice is still yours.

16. Hand over a task clearly

Use it when: you are giving a task to a colleague or a new team member and want them to get it right the first time.

I am handing a task to [THEIR ROLE AND EXPERIENCE, e.g. "a new team
member in their second week"]. Help me write a clear handover message.

The task: [WHAT NEEDS DOING]
Why it matters: [THE REASON]
Deadline: [DATE]
What a good result looks like: [DESCRIBE IT, OR LINK AN EXAMPLE]
Where to find things: [FILES, PEOPLE, TOOLS, by name of folder or role]
What they can decide alone, and what they must check with me: [LIMITS]

Write the message with these headings: The task, Why, Done means,
Where to start, Ask me if. Keep it under 200 words.

Then list three questions they will probably ask, so I can answer them
in the message.

Data note: Green if you describe the task in general terms. Amber if it names clients or includes internal figures. Never include passwords or log-in details. Share access the approved way.

Check before you use it: read it as the new person would. Could they start without asking you anything?

---

What comes next

If you signed up for this pack at leverageai.io, a free 7-day email course follows: one short lesson a day, by email. Each one helps you do one AI task better, and more safely, in about 10 minutes.

Want your whole team to work this way? The AI at Work team kit lets one of your own staff run a full-day AI workshop: a script, a workbook, prompts by job, and data-safety rules your manager signs.

Jay, Leverage AI