More than 800 million people are using ChatGPT each week, and one in five people use it for work, but most are barely tapping into what it can actually do.
I hear people say they use it to summarize articles or write emails faster, and that’s fine. But I’ve found that the real benefit comes when you use prompts to help you think. Not to replace your thinking, but to sharpen it, organize it, or speed it up when your brain is already juggling too much. It’s easy to underestimate how much mental space gets wasted just preparing for a meeting. That’s where prompts come in. They give you structure without slowing you down. I’ve been collecting the kinds of prompts that help with focus. Some of these might sound simple, but when you’re in the middle of a busy day, a good prompt can be the difference between momentum and burnout. I’ll share a few I’ve used and why they work.
Prompt: Help Me Prioritize These 10 Tasks Based On Impact, Deadline, And Visibility To Key … More. getty
Prompt: Help Me Prioritize These 10 Tasks Based On Impact, Deadline, And Visibility To Key Stakeholders
I have never loved Gantt charts. I’m sure they work wonderfully for project managers, but for many people like me, they can seem overwhelming. That is why this is such a great prompt. This one is great when your list feels never-ending and every task looks urgent. Instead of spending energy figuring out what to do first, you paste in your list and let the system help you rank it. I’ve found this especially helpful during weeks where everything feels like it is due yesterday. It helps me see what really matters based on who’s watching, what’s due right now, and what will move the needle.
Prompt: Turn This Idea Into Three Talking Points I Can Use In A Meeting. getty
Prompt: Turn This Idea Into Three Talking Points I Can Use In A Meeting
Part of developing our curiosity is to create interesting conversations that allow others to explore ideas they hadn’t considered. This prompt helps create interesting directions to take a meeting. You might have pages of notes or a vague idea you want to bring to a meeting, but it’s not clear how to frame it. This prompt gives you three focused bullets you can actually say out loud. It forces clarity. If you tend to ramble or over-explain under pressure, this gives you something solid to lean on.
Prompt: What Are The Most Common Assumptions People Make About This Topic, And Which Ones Should I … More. getty
Prompt: What Are The Most Common Assumptions People Make About This Topic, And Which Ones Should I Question?
Part of my research regarding curiosity found that one of the things that inhibits it is the assumptions we make. But, how do you know what people assume? This is a prompt I use when something feels stuck or when I’m about to launch something new. It pushes you to look at how you’re thinking and what others might be thinking. I’ve used this when creating new courses, writing articles, and advising teams. It brings to the surface the things you’re assuming are true but haven’t really examined.
Prompt: Design A 30-Minute Team Workshop That Builds Psychological Safety. getty
Prompt: Design A 30-Minute Team Workshop That Builds Psychological Safety
Another factor I found that inhibits curiosity is fear. You don’t need to run a full-day offsite to help people feel more comfortable speaking up. This prompt gives you a short, focused plan that includes a script, one simple activity, and a few questions to close it out. I’ve shared this with people who want to create trust but don’t have time or budget for formal training. It works especially well when a new team is forming or after something disruptive has happened.
Prompt: Summarize The Pros And Cons Of These Three Strategic Options So I Can Present Them Clearly … More. getty
Prompt: Summarize The Pros And Cons Of These Three Strategic Options So I Can Present Them Clearly To My Team
With so much data available, I run into a lot of people who tell me they are burned out with data overload. It can be overwhelming at times to decipher what things mean and which options are best. When you’re deciding between options, this prompt helps you frame the choice cleanly. You enter the three directions you’re considering, and it returns a summary you can use to brief others or make the call yourself. This has helped me organize everything from writing projects to consulting proposals. It cuts down on second-guessing and speeds up alignment. Remember that AI can’t know all factors affecting decisions, so it helps to continue to dive down more deeply with what impacts the options and use critical thinking to evaluate any option AI provides.
Prompt: Create A Personal Learning Plan Based On These Three Areas I Want To Improve. getty
Prompt: Create A Personal Learning Plan Based On These Three Areas I Want To Improve
There’s so much content out there that people often get stuck before they start. Often we don’t know what we don’t know, and ChatGPT can point out some of those things. I like this prompt because it turns general goals into a plan you can actually use. You name the three things you want to get better at, and it gives you recommendations that might include articles, habits, or quick wins. It’s a good way to add structure to personal development without over-committing.
Prompt: Rewrite This Feedback Message So It Is Constructive And Motivating. getty
Prompt: Rewrite This Feedback Message So It Is Constructive And Motivating
I tend to write quickly and forget the niceties. This one is very helpful to me. I’ve used this prompt when I was about to send a message and wanted to make sure it wouldn’t land wrong. You paste in what you’ve written, and it sends back a version that’s clear, firm, and respectful. It keeps the message direct but avoids coming across as critical or unclear. This works especially well for feedback conversations where you want the other person to leave feeling capable, not discouraged.
Prompt: Create A Weekly Schedule That Includes Deep Work And Collaboration Time. getty
Prompt: Create A Weekly Schedule That Includes Deep Work And Collaboration Time
If you ever feel like your week is full but nothing important is getting done, this one helps reset your calendar. You enter your general availability, and it gives you a layout that protects space for uninterrupted work while still allowing time for collaboration. It’s helped me block time for writing, prep, or quiet thinking during seasons where meetings tend to take over.
Prompt: Give Me A Framework To Review Why This Project Failed And What To Do Next. getty
Prompt: Give Me A Framework To Review Why This Project Failed And What To Do Next
I like this one a lot because some of the best lessons come from failure. After a setback, it’s tempting to either move on too fast or spend too long dissecting what went wrong. This prompt gives you a middle ground. It offers a structure that’s focused on learning and future steps. I’ve used this when something didn’t go the way I expected, and it helped me see what to change next time without going in circles.
Prompt: Suggest Five Behavior Nudges That Reinforce A Mission In Everyday Work. getty
Prompt: Suggest Five Behaviour Nudges That Reinforce A Mission In Everyday Work
Mission statements sound good, but the real test is whether anyone can see them in action. The same is true of codes of ethics. Enron had a great one, on paper, but if we don’t practice what we preach, what good are these statements. This prompt takes your company’s mission and returns small behavioural cues you can integrate into meetings, communication, or recognition. I’ve used this to advise leaders who want their teams to live the mission instead of just repeating it. These nudges make it easier to create consistency without forcing anything.
Why These Prompts Work. getty
Why These Prompts Work
Each of these prompts has helped me or someone I’ve worked with make progress faster. They reduce the pressure of trying to think through everything on your own. They also support better conversations, stronger priorities, and clearer decisions. You might not use all ten. You just need the right one at the right time. Don’t forget that ChatGPT likes to tell you how smart you are or how great your decision is, and sometimes you are not so smart and your decision is not so wonderful. These prompts give you insight, but remember they are not always perfect. Try them. But, use common sense to ensure you use them wisely.
Feature Image Credit: Getty
By Dr. Diane Hamilton
Find Dr. Diane Hamilton on LinkedIn and X. Visit Dr.’s website. Browse additional work.
