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TABLE 2-8: PROMPT PATTERNS THAT CAN BE COMBINED INSIDE DIFFERENT TASKS

Pattern When it helps Its brief structure

Limited questions, then a summary of
Ask before Ambiguity would
understanding, then confirmation, then
acting change the result.
execution.

Extract, then The source is long, or Facts and evidence, then review, then
transform accuracy matters. drafting the output.

Generate, then Brainstorming and Vary the alternatives, then apply criteria,
evaluate alternatives. then select and develop.

Options, then criteria and weights, then
Compare under Decisions with trade-
missing data, then a conditional
constraints offs.
recommendation.

Question, then quotation or page, then
Answer from Claims need to be
answer, then what the source does not
the source traceable.
support.

Opposing Reducing sycophancy Strongest objection, then its effect, then the

reviewer and over-confidence. deciding data, then any change of decision.

Managing a Multi-Turn Conversation
A conversation is not a reliable external memory. The system may understand nearby
references, but it can forget a constraint or read “revise it” as applying to a version you did

not intend. Name the important outputs: “Draft 1”, “the criteria list”, “Option B”. When you
ask for a revision, state what must stay fixed and what should change.

After several rounds, ask for a short status summary: the objective, the decisions, the
constraints, the current version, and the open questions. Review that summary yourself,

then use it as the starting point for the next stage. Do not rely on context persisting
indefinitely, and do not leave an important decision buried in an old message.

If a conversation becomes crowded with corrections, start a new one with a clean brief and

the correct material. A fresh start is not a loss of context; it may be the way to remove
conflicting instructions. Keep approved outputs in a separate file, not only inside the
conversation.

Three Complete Templates and Why Each Element Is There
▣ Practical example: an executive summary template
Task: summarize the attached report in 220 words.

Purpose: help the operations manager decide on an action in a short meeting.

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