"Clear writing is a sign of clear thinking."
Sam Altman
AI Architect
- Date
How to Write Better AI Prompts in 5 Steps
posted in Business Coaching
Adam Kreek
1. Task – What do you want the AI to do?
Be clear and direct. Start your prompt with an action verb.
Examples:
- “Write a 2-minute speech on resilience for high school athletes.”
- “Summarize this article for busy executives in bullet points.”
- “Create a 5-step onboarding email sequence for a fitness app.”
Good prompts lead with clarity: write, build, list, analyze, compare, explain.
2. Context – Who, what, why?
Provide background. Describe the people, setting, and purpose. Think: who is this for, and what’s the bigger picture?
Examples:
- “I'm a product manager preparing a pitch for skeptical executives.”
- “My audience is first-time founders with no design experience.”
- “This is for a sales deck targeting mid-sized Canadian manufacturing companies.”
Context helps the AI generate responses with tone, depth, and relevance.
3. References – Show, don’t just tell
Point to examples, styles, or formats you like. Give a starting point or structure to emulate.
Examples:
- “Use a tone similar to Simon Sinek’s TED Talk.”
- “Format it like the Apple website: clean, minimal, persuasive.”
- “Follow the structure of this book summary [paste example].”
AI performs better when it knows what “good” looks like.
4. Evaluate – Ask what could be better
End your prompt with a quality check. Ask the AI (and yourself):
- “What’s missing or unclear?”
- “How could this be stronger, simpler, or more relevant?”
- “If this was for your most important client, what would you change?”
This triggers improvement loops. You’re not just generating—you’re designing.
5. Iterate – Do it again, do it better
Refine. Adjust the task, add clarity, give better references, and re-run the prompt.
Examples:
- “Now rewrite it with more emotion.”
- “Try again using simpler language and a stronger CTA.”
- “Add a metaphor that fits the tone of a TED Talk.”
Iteration turns good prompts into exceptional outputs.
Final Formula:
TASK + CONTEXT + REFERENCES + EVALUATE + ITERATE = Excellent Prompting
–––––
Adam Kreek founded ViDA to positively impact organizational cultures and leaders who make things happen.
Kreek is an Executive Business Coach who lives in Victoria, BC, near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and Seattle, Washington, USA, in the Pacific Northwest. He works with clients globally, often travelling to California in the San Francisco Bay Area, Atlanta, Georgia, Toronto, Ontario, Davidson, Saskatchewan and Montreal, Quebec. He is an Olympic Gold Medalist, a storied adventurer and a father.
He authored the bestselling business book, The Responsibility Ethic: 12 Strategies Exceptional People Use to Do the Work and Make Success Happen.
Discover our thoughts on Values here.
Want to increase your leadership achievement? Learn more about ViDA Executive Business Coaching here.
Want to book a keynote that leaves a lasting impact? Learn more about Kreek’s live event service here.
Other popular blog posts:
Discover the ViDA Values Framework, a structured approach to defining and living your core values. Read this
After 18 years and thousands of speeches, here’s what Kreek has learned about motivating any audience—without the fluff. Check it out
Most people set goals the wrong way—here’s how CLEAR goals are better than SMART goals, and how they can help you achieve more, with less frustration. Learn more