10.4 The Basics of Prompt Writing

Garbage in, garbage out (GIGO) is a common phrase used in technology sectors to emphasize the poor decisions or outputs produced when computers are given poor information and data. GIGO is relevant to your use of AIWAs in business communication, in the sense that if you give an AIWA a vague, incoherent, or overly simplistic prompt or it is trained on inaccurate, incomplete, or biased information, it will not produce quality content (Overaa, 2024; Warschauer et al., 2023).

One way to mitigate giving or receiving garbage is to provide better inputs through becoming skilled in prompt engineering. There are many methods and frameworks for writing prompts for AIWAs and suggestions continue to be refined through experimentation and practice (Cardon & Marshall, 2024; Dobrin, 2023; Hillen, 2024; Johnson-Eilola, Selber, & York, 2024; Saleem, 2024). Commonly, however, prompt writing frameworks will direct a person to include information about the context of the communication and an explicit task to accomplish.

The RACE framework (Role, Action, Context, Expectation) (Saleem, 2024) is an effective approach for creating prompts that helps you address some of the previously stated issues about AI not understanding your specific communication contexts. The RACE framework starts by clearly defining the Role, specifying the persona or expertise ChatGPT should adopt—such as a social media marketer or email copywriter. Next, the Action outlines the specific task to be performed, whether it’s crafting content, developing strategies, or analyzing data. The Context provides essential background information that helps an AIWA understand the scope and nuances of the request, ensuring a more tailored response. Finally, the Expectation defines the desired outcome, detailing what success looks like and guiding the AI in delivering a result that meets your communication goals and business objectives. By organizing your prompts with the RACE framework, you can produce content that may require less revision and help you achieve your identity, relational, and instrumental communication goals more efficiently.

Here is an example prompt using the framework. Note that Green Sleeves would be a pseudonym for the company name:

Role:
“You are a supply chain expert specializing in sustainable manufacturing processes.”

Action:
“Develop a strategy for sourcing and manufacturing eco-friendly materials for our new line of children’s clothing.”

Context:
“Green Sleeves is a sustainable children’s clothing brand that uses only eco-friendly materials like organic cotton, recycled polyester, and water-based dyes. We aim to reduce our carbon footprint and ensure ethical sourcing while maintaining high-quality, affordable products. The new clothing line should align with our sustainability goals, be scalable for mass production, and appeal to environmentally-conscious consumers.”

Expectation:
“The strategy should include recommendations for sourcing materials from ethical suppliers, options for reducing waste during the manufacturing process, and ideas for using renewable energy in production. Provide an outline for a sustainable supply chain that can meet our growth targets while maintaining Green Sleeves’ commitment to sustainability.”

Other frameworks may suggest providing AIWAs with examples of what a successful output looks like (Saleem, 2024). Be sure that if you do provide AI with sample and model communication, this is within the policy of your organization. In all conversations you have with AI, prevent privacy breaches by never including personal identifiers (e.g. addresses, social security numbers), financial records (e.g. credit card numbers, bank account numbers), proprietary information (confidential business information such as client  lists, business plans, formulas), or other sensitive information (passwords, other private or confidential records) in your prompts (Harris, 2023).

To achieve the best results from writing with AI, consider AIWAs as collaborative partners or assistants rather than static tools (Dobrin, 2023; Johnson-Eilola, et al., 2024). By engaging in iterative conversations with AIWAs, you can refine prompts and generated content to align better with your specific needs and goals. Experiment with different phrasings and specifications to yield different outcomes. As you refine your prompts, the AIWA’s ability to generate relevant and tailored content will improve, ultimately enhancing your efficiency and effectiveness.