Even when I ask ChatGPT, I get an answer that feels off…

Have you ever had that experience?

In fact, the quality of AI responses depends on the quality of your question (prompt).

This time, I’ll introduce truly useful prompt-writing techniques for work, in a Before/After format.

The Basic Structure of a Prompt

An effective prompt should include the following elements:

  1. Role definition : You are an expert in ___
  2. Background / context : Why you are asking the question
  3. Specific task : What you want it to do
  4. Output format : How you want the response to be presented
  5. Constraints : Length, tone, things to avoid

Before/After Examples

Example 1: Writing an Email

❌
❌

Write a thank-you email.

✅ After
✅ After

You are an expert in business etiquette.

Please write a thank-you email for the following situation.

[“Situation”]

  • I want to thank Director Tanaka from our client company for a dinner meeting.
  • At yesterday’s dinner, we were able to discuss a new project.
  • I want to maintain a good relationship going forward.

[Output Format]

  • Subject line and body
  • Around 300 characters
  • Polite but not overly formal tone

Example 2: Summarizing Meeting Minutes

❌ Before
❌ Before

Summarize this meeting.

✅ After
✅ After

Please summarize the following meeting notes for reporting to my manager.

[Format]

  1. Meeting purpose (1 line)
  2. Key decisions (3-5 bullet points)
  3. Next actions (with owner and due date)

[Meeting Notes] (Paste notes here)

Prompt Templates You Can Use at Work

Brainstorming a Proposal

You are an experienced marketing planner.

[Product] ___
[Target] ___
[Budget] ___ million yen

With these conditions, propose 5 ideas for SNS marketing.
Include "Overview," "Expected Impact," and "Risks" for each idea.

Code Review

You are a senior engineer.
Please review the following code.

[Focus Points]
- Possible bugs
- Performance
- Readability
- Security

[Code]
(Paste code here)

Summary

👍 Prompt Tips
  • Be clear about “who,” “what,” and “how”
  • Add examples to improve accuracy
  • Specify the output format
  • Save prompts that worked well

AI isn’t good at “reading between the lines.” The more specifically you communicate what you want, the more likely you’ll get the results you expect.

Start being mindful of your prompts today.

💬

FAQ

What is the 'Fukatsu method' for ChatGPT prompts?

AI

It is a prompt framework proposed by Takayuki Fukatsu of note, Inc. It is known as a method that dramatically improves AI response accuracy by clearly separating 'role definition', 'input text', 'constraints', and 'output format'.

Will prompt engineering remain an important skill in the future?

AI

As AI models advance (e.g., OpenAI o1), their ability to infer intent from simple instructions is improving. However, for complex tasks or when strict output requirements are needed, clear instructions (prompt design) are still important.

How can I prevent ChatGPT from making things up (hallucinations)?

AI

It helps to add a constraint like 'If you don't have the information, answer I don't know' and to include the information sources directly in the prompt (a RAG-like approach).

# ai # chatgpt # productivity # tutorial