AI does what a new colleague would do with a vague request: something generic. Brief it the same way you would brief a person. Say the result, the reader, the must-haves and the must-nots. Paste an example or the facts it needs. Ask it to list what it is unsure about.
Why AI output feels generic
"Write a customer email about our new feature" gives AI nothing about your customer, your feature, your tone or your goal. So it guesses the average email. Average is generic.
The brief that works
Use the same five parts as a task brief, plus two extras:
- Result: what you want, how long, what format.
- Reader: who, what they know, what they care about.
- Must include: the facts, the action, the date.
- Must not: words, claims or topics to avoid.
- Tone: with an example if you have one.
- Source material: paste the facts. Do not make AI guess them.
- Uncertainty: "List anything you were unsure about."
Before and after
Before:
Write an email about our new invoice download feature.
After:
Write a customer email, under 120 words, announcing that invoices can now be downloaded as PDF from the Billing page.
Reader: small business owners who asked for this. Many read on phones.
Must include: where to find it (Settings → Billing → Download), that it works for all past invoices, one link to the help article.
Must not: mention pricing or upcoming features.
Tone: warm and plain, like this line from our last email: "You asked, we built it."
At the end, list any facts you assumed.
The second prompt takes one minute longer and needs far less editing.
Give it the facts
AI makes up details when it does not have them. Paste the real numbers, names, dates and links. Then tell it: "Use only the facts above."
Ask what it guessed
"List anything you assumed or were unsure about" is the most useful line in any prompt. It turns hidden guesses into a checklist for you.
Check your brief first
Paste your prompt into the free task brief checker. It lists what a new person, or an AI tool, would have to guess.
Then check the output
A good brief gets you closer. It does not get you all the way. Check the draft against the brief before you send it. The AI work checker helps.
The same brief, for people and AI
M-Tracker tasks carry a brief with the result, the reader and the must-haves. Use it as your AI prompt. Then the finished work, AI-drafted or not, gets a first review against that same brief. No screenshots and no activity tracking.
Where M-Tracker fits
M-Tracker gives every task a clear brief and every finished piece of work a first review, in plain words, before it reaches the manager. No screenshots, no scores.
Try M-Tracker free14-day trial. No credit card. No employee surveillance.
Questions people ask
Does a longer prompt always help?
Clearer helps. Longer only helps if it adds facts or rules.
Should I tell AI to "act as an expert"?
It can help with tone. The facts and the reader help much more.
Work you can trust, without redoing it.
Your team gets feedback before work reaches you, or your client.
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