3 Prompt engineering frameworks for leaders that work

"I asked ChatGPT to help with our strategic plan, but the output was generic and unusable."

I hear this frustration constantly from leaders who are trying to use AI tools in their work. The problem isn't the AI—it's how you're communicating with it.

Leaders who know how to effectively "speak" to AI tools are getting better quality output than generic fluff. The difference isn't technical expertise—it's understanding how to frame your requests and of course - practice. To become fluent in any language one has to speak in it as much as possible. It's the same with AI fluency, practice prompting as much as you can. 

To kickstart your practice, here are 3 prompt engineering frameworks that work very well for leadership contexts. Try them out and see if they work for you.

1. The CONTEXT-GOAL-FORMAT Framework

Instead of: Give me ideas for improving team performance.

Try: CONTEXT: Leading a remote team of 12 software engineers across 3 time zones who report feeling disconnected. 

GOAL: Improve collaboration and sense of belonging. 

FORMAT: Provide 5 specific initiatives with implementation steps and expected outcomes.

2. The EXPERTISE-PERSPECTIVE Framework

Instead of: How should I handle this difficult conversation?

Try: Analyse this upcoming performance conversation from the perspective of an executive coach with 20+ years of experience. The employee is technically brilliant but creates team conflict. Provide specific language I can use to address the issues while preserving their dignity and motivation.

3. The ITERATION-REFINEMENT Framework

Start with a basic prompt, then refine with:

"That's helpful, but could you make these suggestions more specific to our financial services industry?"

"Now focus only on the top 3 most impactful approaches and expand on implementation."

Finally, "identify potential resistance points and how to address them."

What's your experience with AI tools? Are you getting the quality of output you need, or is there a gap between expectation and reality? Contact me for supporting your teams to enhance their productivity through AI.