Op-Ed | February 18, 2026
How to Get Better at AI Prompting
Introduction
We get asked this a lot in the field, so I feel it’s time to put pen to paper to explain our perspective on how to get better with AI prompting. Now as a fair warning, this article focusses purely on AI prompting for Microsoft Copilot, but it can be leveraged by all the popular Large Language Models (LLMs) out there (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.).
Executives who advocate for AI should recognize the importance of providing comprehensive AI prompting training to support staff as they adapt to, adopt, and integrate AI investments within the organization. It is evident that helping their team create and enhance their AI prompting is an essential skill.
Whether you are an executive, an intern, a seasoned professional or a first-time AI user, the following considerations will help you improve your AI prompting abilities.
Raise Awareness of Copilot Capabilities/Limitations
We always tell our clients to treat AI like a new workplace personal assistant. Before you tell it what to do (via prompts), make sure you know its capabilities. For example, Copilot comes with a lot of excellent features Out of the Box such as:
- Integration with OpenAI and Claude AI for higher response quality. So instead of one AI engine, you get three AI engines to work for you.
- AI agents you can leverage to help with your daily tasks (Researcher, Analyst, Prompt Coach, Writing Coach agent, etc.).
- Role-Based Value feature enables Copilot to respond to you based on your roles. So, the answer you get will be different to someone who works in a different department.
- Deep Integration with M365 feature will enable Copilot to work directly inside of all your Microsoft Office applications.
- Enterprise-Grade Security keeps your content safe. Using the “Work” tab while using Copilot will ensure all your prompts, interactions and results are stored and returning from content within your company while the “Web” tab will enable you to search beyond your company information as needed.
The items above are just a few great capabilities that come with Copilot. For a full list of Copilot capabilities and limitations, please visit: Enjoy an AI Assistant Anywhere with Copilot for PC, Mac, Mobile, and more | Microsoft Copilot
Be on Point!
Being straightforward is the key to getting results when you are prompting AI. Just like training a new employee, the more precise your instructions (or prompts), the more likely you will get the results you want. Instead of prompting, “Tell me about Major League Baseball,” consider specifying, “List five of the most popular Major League Baseball teams and tell me why these teams are popular in a tone that is targeted for someone who doesn’t know about baseball.” Don’t assume that AI knows what you are talking about. Provide the appropriate background, expectation, and desired level of detail, so AI has the appropriate information it needs to find, analyze, and produce information in the proper format. Just like ordering from Chipotle, say what you want and how you want it!
Use Step-by-Step Instructions
When asking for a more complex request for AI, the best thing to do is break your prompt into step-by-step instructions. Pretend you are asking someone to bake a cake for you. When given step-by-step instructions and necessary details (measurements), the chances of that person baking a delicious cake will increase considerably. Apply this same thinking to AI prompting!
For example: Instead of “Write an annual report for employee A,” try:
- Write an annual report for employee A but first, summarize all of Employee A’s current evaluation period goals.
- Second, list three major accomplishments with a short detail for each of the evaluation goals, each in its own paragraph.
- Finally, draft up next year’s goals for Employee A based on role and responsibilities, training progression, and results from this evaluation period.”
This provides structure for the response you want. Give it a try!
Keep Trying, You’ll Get Better!
As a dad to a 4-year-old, I am very lucky to hear one of her cartoon characters, Daniel Tiger telling her, “Keep trying, you’ll get better!” When it comes to AI prompting, it is often an iterative process. If the first response isn’t quite right, it is not because AI is not working. It is because it does not understand what you are asking it to do. Keep trying by refining your prompts. Each time, provide additional information, rephrase your request, or add in the appropriate expectation of what you want the outcome to be. I promise, if you keep on trying these techniques, you will get better results each time.
Samples and Limits
If you are not getting the results you want from AI because of format or information overload, one of the quickest ways to change that is to provide examples and boundaries to your AI prompt. Doing so will significantly improve the quality of the AI’s responses in your next interaction.
For example: When using AI to write email responses for you. Instead of prompting AI with “Reply to Huy with a thank you note” Try:
- “Write a friendly thank you note to Huy in reply to his last email. Example: ‘Hey Huy, thank you for…’” Additionally, to make it sound personal, don’t use the following words (TY, Kindly, Appreciation), make the tone (“friendly,” “thankful”), or formatting preferences (thank you note vs. formal email).
Providing these details will help AI draft up emails that sound more like you vs. the typical robotic message.
Options, Options, and More Options
One of the most underutilized features with AI is the ability to provide you with alternatives and options. Have you ever gotten a response from AI, and you didn’t like the way it sounds, or didn’t make much sense to you? One of the things you can do is ask AI to provide you with alternatives or additional options. You can do this by simply adding additional AI prompts after the results come back. Use, “Can you explain this another way?” or “Give me three different options” or “how would you explain this to a non-technical person?”
These AI prompts may seem simple but using them will encourage your AI to rethink and improve its responses to your request.
You Put in What You Get Out
Just like anything in life, if you want it to get better, you need to invest your time in it. The more you engage with AI, the more you enable it to build a profile about you. Soon, it will be like your best friend, in that it can think like you, it can assume what you mean and even more scary, it may be able to finish your sentences!
So don’t get discouraged by your early interactions with AI. Apply all the lessons learned above and keep on trying. The time you put into these conversations will lead to richer and more useful outcomes in the future.
Conclusion
This article does not claim to make you a better user of AI overnight. It simply serves as a recommendation through our experience of how a user can improve over time. We recognize that AI prompting is a journey that involves curiosity and trial and error. Investing in improving your communication with AI will unlock powerful innovation.
When you are frustrated and ready to give up, just remember what Daniel Tiger would tell you: “Keep on trying, you’ll get better!” 😊
About the Author
My name is Huy H. Nguyễn, and I am a managing partner at Bayen Group. We specialize in partnering with organizations to plan and implement the Technology Enterprise Modernization Roadmap. If your organization is starting or in the process of its own Digital Transformation, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to be your guide through the Digital Transformation journey.
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