Think, Brainstorm & Challenge
I can use AI to generate genuinely different options, narrow them using explicit criteria, and attack my preferred idea before I commit to it.
I can use AI to generate genuinely different options, narrow them using explicit criteria, and attack my preferred idea before I commit to it.
Required: computer or phone with AI/GPT for the live prompting route. Bring your own small work task or use the starter case. Your course playbook should be open for notes.
Follow the session exercise, run only the text explicitly marked as a prompting activity, inspect the result and record evidence in your session card.
A completed session card, a checked result or decision, and an update to your Personal AI Work Playbook.
Explanations and workbook templates are not prompts. Prompting activities are labelled explicitly.
THREE BITES. ONE PRACTICAL MOVE.
What you'll practise
- Generate meaningfully different options.
- Narrow options using explicit criteria and trade-offs.
- Challenge a preferred idea before committing to it.
Use AI to widen the thinking; keep the judgement.
Try it with the supplied case
Question: What options do I have besides automating everything? Input: S0's rewriting/checking/chasing problem.
- In 12 minutes develop three materially different approaches: a standard reply template, AI-assisted drafting with human review, or a workflow that prepares and queues approvals.
- In 12 minutes choose criteria: useful time saved, factual accuracy, setup effort and human follow-up. Separate assumptions from supplied evidence; do not invent measured savings.
- In 12 minutes challenge your preferred option with Q-107's missing information. Define a small test and what result would change your mind.
Keep/check: A reasoned choice, trade-off and testable next step. A simpler template can be a good outcome. This session challenges a decision, rather than repeating conversation-steering practice.
CHALLENGE YOUR CURRENT CHOICE
Use this as your session notes and evidence. Do not paste the whole card into AI. Only text explicitly labelled Prompting exercise belongs in an AI chat.
DIVERGENCE LENSES Lens 1: __________________ Option: ______________________ Lens 2: __________________ Option: ______________________ Lens 3: __________________ Option: ______________________ Lens 4: __________________ Option: ______________________ TRADE-OFF MATRIX Objective: ______________________________________________________ Option chosen for test: ______________________________________________________ Trade-off discovered: ______________________________________________________ Uncertainty that matters: ______________________________________________________ CHALLENGE / PRE-MORTEM If this fails, likely reason: ______________________________________________________ Hidden assumption: ______________________________________________________ Missing evidence: ______________________________________________________ Revision after challenge: ______________________________________________________ PROOF One decision improved by the challenge: ______________________________________________________ RETURN TO MY QUESTION Status: answered / demonstrated / needs more evidence / outside this course Evidence or gap: Next application: