How to actually talk to AI (the only skill you need)

People worry there's a secret language you have to learn to get good answers. There isn't. If you can brief a smart new colleague, you already have the skill.

Talk to it like a new hire

A good request has three things: who or what it's for, what you actually want, and any limits. That's the same briefing you'd give a capable new colleague who knows nothing about your situation.

Instead of "Write a resignation letter," try: "Write a short, warm resignation letter to my manager Dana. I've been here six years, I'm leaving on good terms, my last day is March 1. Keep it under 150 words." Same task — night-and-day result.

The move that fixes almost everything

If the first answer isn't right, just say why — "make it shorter," "less formal," "you missed the part about X." It's a conversation, not a vending machine, and the back-and-forth is where the good stuff shows up.

• •Give it context it couldn't guess on its own.
• •Say who the result is for.
• •Tell it what "good" looks like to you.
• •Ask it to revise — don't start over from scratch.