How to make the most of AI as a partner in your work—without needing a computer science degree
If you’ve ever typed a question into ChatGPT and gotten back something between a dissertation and a Hallmark card, you’re not alone. For all its smarts, AI is still only as good as the prompt you give it—and sometimes, that’s like handing a violin to a dog and expecting a concerto.
But don’t worry. Whether you’re a seasoned user fine-tuning fundraising language or a reluctant beginner wondering if ChatGPT can write your next board report (spoiler: it can help!), a good prompt can make all the difference.
Here are five practical tips—plus a bit of gentle encouragement—to help you get more accurate, useful, and even delightful results.
As always, safety first! Never include private or proprietary information in a ChatGPT prompt and always follow your organization’s policies.
- Start with the job to be done
Before you start typing, take a second to think: What do I actually need? Are you looking for a polished email? A list of board retreat themes? A draft job description that doesn’t sound like a robot wrote it?
Instead of instructing:
“Write something to support employee retention.”
Try this:
“Write a short, engaging summary for a staff newsletter about why we value our employees, using a warm, professional tone and examples relevant to your audience.”
That gives ChatGPT a job, a tone, and a context. Like any good teammate, it does better with clear instructions.
- Give it a role and a personality
One of the most powerful (and underused) prompt tricks is assigning ChatGPT a role. You can tell it:
“You are a nonprofit HR consultant with 20 years of experience. Help me write an onboarding checklist for new employees at a faith-based senior living community.”
Or even:
“You’re a witty copywriter who understands Anabaptist values. Write an email inviting board members to an upcoming governance training.”
ChatGPT will adopt the role—and usually rise to the occasion with style and relevance.
- Add specifics, not just vibes
Being clear beats being clever. You’ll get much better output if you add key facts, context, or audience information.
Instead of:
“Write a speech about leadership.”
Try:
“Write a 5-minute opening speech for an annual all-staff meeting. The theme is collaboration. Make it inspiring but grounded—include a brief story and a call to action.”
This helps ChatGPT focus—so you don’t have to spend your afternoon deleting clichés about eagles soaring or teams rowing in the same direction.
- Refine, don’t restart
Think of ChatGPT as a thoughtful intern who occasionally misses the mark. If the first answer isn’t quite right, don’t toss it out. Instead, follow up with tweaks like:
“That’s too formal—can you make it friendlier?”
“Shorten this to under 100 words.”
“Add an example relevant to a Direct Support Professional.”
ChatGPT remembers the thread (within a conversation) and improves with guidance. No need to retype the whole prompt—just nudge it in the right direction.
- Let ChatGPT ask you questions first
This one’s a secret weapon. If you’re not quite sure how to phrase your prompt—or if your question feels too broad—try asking:
“Before you answer, what questions do you have for me that would help you give a better response?”
ChatGPT will often reply with a set of clarifying questions: about tone, audience, length, purpose, or context. Answer those, and voilà—you’re collaborating instead of guessing.
This is especially helpful when you’re tackling something complex like crafting a vision statement, troubleshooting HR policies, or writing a nuanced donor appeal. Think of it as onboarding ChatGPT to your project.
Bonus: Be kind to yourself
No one writes a perfect prompt on the first try—not even the people who build AI. The goal is progress, not perfection. Play with different approaches. Ask follow-up questions. And if all else fails, type:
“Can you help me write a better prompt for this?”
ChatGPT can even help you learn to talk to ChatGPT. Very meta, but surprisingly helpful.