The Most Important AI Skill for C-level Executives
My friend who leads the design team at a tech company in the Netherlands,was telling me about something hilarious that happened recently.
His director sent a company-wide email warning everyone not to use AI for crafting emails, especially sensitive ones.
Now, the director is 100% correct: there need to be controls around AI in the workplace. But here’s the kicker… the whole email screamed AI-generated! 🤯
You see, just like my friend, I have noticed that whenever a c-level executive uses AI to craft a message, post, or email, it is almost always obvious.
Why is that?
Leaders are often poor at prompting.
A typical C-level executive or director is used to passing instructions with the bare minimum of detail, like:
“Let’s get the memo for the new office chair done by midday.”
“Send an email to the vendor telling them we are not continuing with the service.”
“I need the report by Thursday.”
“Please can you review this?”
AI, however, thrives on context and detail.
For example, a director might type into Chatgpt:
“Draft a memo for the office chair.”
Someone who knows AI prompting would rewrite it like this:
“Draft a memo for the new office chair (Solaka 743) that cost £110. The memo should be under 150 words, direct, professional yet simple, and all text should be aligned. This is an internal memo.”
The difference in output? Night and day.
If you are struggling with prompting, whether you are a C-level exec or not, try this:
The 3C Framework: Clarity, Context, Constraints.
Every perfect prompt follows this formula:
Clarity – Be direct about what you want.
Context – Tell the AI the story behind your request.
Constraints – Set boundaries: word count, tone, format, etc.
💡 Try this: Take your last vague prompt, rewrite it using the 3C framework, and watch the AI output transform instantly.
