Lesson · Estimated time: 10–15 minutes
Using AI to Write Workplace Instructions
An AI tool can help you turn workplace documents into step-by-step instructions for a coworker. In this lesson, you will learn how to provide the information it needs and write a prompt, then review the draft before sharing it.
By the end, you will be able to:
- Draft instructions with AI.
- Check them against the source documents for accuracy and completeness.
- Correct errors using the source documents.
- Recognize when missing information needs to be confirmed with the person responsible for the process.
Part 1 of 5
Gather the information
Before asking AI to draft instructions, gather the information it needs about your organization’s process. Without that information, the tool may draw on general workplace practices that do not match your requirements.
The document that sets the requirements. Find the current policy, procedure, or standard that explains what employees must do. This document takes precedence if supporting notes give different instructions.
Notes on how the system works. Collect working notes, screenshots, or a colleague’s instructions to explain steps the policy may not cover, such as which button to click. Check their dates so you can identify information that may have changed.
Information about the readers. Consider what readers already know and what they need explained. A new hire may need each menu named, while an experienced colleague may need only the step that has changed.
The name of the process owner. Identify the person or team responsible for deciding how the process works, such as Finance for expenses or Facilities for room bookings. You will need to contact them if the documents leave a necessary question unanswered.
Suppose you are writing instructions for submitting expense claims and have the following sources.
Submit expense claims within 30 days of purchase. Attach an itemized receipt for each item over $25.
In the finance system, click New Claim, add each item, upload photos of your receipts, then click Submit for Approval. You have 60 days to submit.
The notes provide useful system instructions, but their deadline conflicts with the current policy. Tell the AI to follow the policy’s 30-day deadline, then confirm that the draft uses it when you review the instructions.
Part 2 of 5 · Page 1 of 2
Write the prompt
Use the information you gathered to explain what you want the AI to produce. Microsoft’s Copilot prompting guidance identifies four elements: goal, context, source, and expectations (Microsoft Learn: Write an effective prompt). You can use the same structure with other AI tools.
Goal
What should the AI produce?
Explain what the AI should produce by naming the task and the type of document you need. For example, “step-by-step instructions for submitting an expense claim” specifies a procedure rather than a summary or explanation.
Context
Who will use the instructions, and what do they already know?
Describe the readers and what they already know, along with why the instructions are needed. Employees who have never used the finance system may need each screen named. If claims are being returned because receipts are missing, include that problem in the prompt and ask the AI to make the receipt requirement clear.
Source
Which documents should the AI use?
Attach the documents you gathered and tell the AI to use only those sources. Explain which document takes precedence if they disagree, such as following the current policy when it conflicts with a colleague’s notes. This directs the AI to use your organization’s information rather than practices from elsewhere.
Expectations
What format and level of detail are needed?
Specify the format and level of detail you need. Ask for numbered steps with one main action per step, including a source reference after each so you can check it against the documents. When the sources leave necessary information unanswered, tell the AI to list a question rather than supply an unsupported answer.
Part 2 of 5 · Page 2 of 2
Compare the prompts
Incomplete prompt
Write instructions for submitting expenses.
This names the task but leaves out the readers and the information needed to describe your organization’s process. Without the deadline, receipt requirements, and system details, the AI may supply or infer instructions that do not apply.
Complete prompt
The following prompt includes all four elements, labeled so you can see how they contribute.
GoalWrite step-by-step instructions for submitting an expense claim in our finance system.
ContextThe readers are new employees who have never used the finance system. Many claims are returned because receipts are missing, so make the receipt requirement clear.
SourceUse only the two attached documents: the current expense policy and a colleague’s notes on the finance system. The policy sets the requirements; if the notes conflict with it, follow the policy. Do not add information from elsewhere.
ExpectationsWrite four to six numbered steps in plain language, with one main action per step. After each step, name the document it comes from. If a reader would need information the documents do not provide, list it under “Questions for Finance” rather than filling it in.
The final instruction asks the AI to flag missing information rather than make the draft appear complete by supplying an answer. This matters because the source documents may not cover everything a reader needs to know.
Part 3 of 5 · Page 1 of 3
Review the draft
Even a clear prompt can produce a draft containing mistakes, so check the instructions before sharing them. Confident wording and source references can make errors less noticeable, but neither establishes that the content is accurate.
Use the following four-step review procedure. This is the approach taught in this lesson, rather than an official Microsoft framework.
- Compare each instruction with its source. Find the cited passage and check whether it supports the instruction, rather than relying on the citation alone.
- Read the sources separately to find omissions. Look for each requirement in the draft, since checking only the instructions already present will not reveal missing steps.
- Correct errors using the documents. Base your corrections on the supplied information and follow the document that sets the requirements when sources disagree.
- Ask the process owner about unanswered questions. If necessary information is missing, get confirmation rather than guessing or relying on another AI response.
1. Compare each instruction with its source
Work through the draft one instruction at a time, finding the cited passage and comparing it with what the draft says. Check specific details carefully, including numbers, time limits, names, and conditions, because the AI may have added a familiar-sounding rule that the source does not support.
Draft step
Book the room in the Outlook room calendar. Bookings are limited to two hours. [Room booking guide]
Book meeting rooms in the Outlook room calendar up to 30 days ahead. Cancel any booking you no longer need so others can use the room.
Although the draft cites the guide, the guide does not limit bookings to two hours. An employee following that instruction might unnecessarily split a half-day workshop between rooms.
Remove the unsupported duration limit and use the booking window the guide provides. A duration limit is not needed to complete the task described here.
Book the room in the Outlook room calendar, up to 30 days ahead.
Part 3 of 5 · Page 2 of 3
Read the sources separately to find omissions
Once you have checked the instructions in the draft, read the policy or procedure separately to look for requirements the AI may have left out. Work through the document from beginning to end, listing each requirement and finding where it appears in the draft.
Submit leave requests in the HR portal at least two weeks before the first day of leave. Your manager approves or declines the request in the portal. Once it is approved, add the dates to your team’s shared calendar.
Draft
- Open the HR portal and choose Leave, then New Request.
- Enter your dates and submit the request at least two weeks before your leave starts.
- Your manager will approve or decline the request in the portal.
| Requirement in the policy | Where it appears | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Submit through the HR portal at least two weeks ahead. | Steps 1 and 2 | ✓ Present |
| The manager approves or declines the request in the portal. | Step 3 | ✓ Present |
| After approval, add the dates to the team’s shared calendar. | Not in the draft | ✗ Missing |
Although the draft’s instructions are accurate, they do not cover the full procedure. Comparing them with the policy shows that the employee still needs to add the approved leave dates to the team’s shared calendar.
Part 3 of 5 · Page 3 of 3
Correct errors and refer questions
3. Correct errors using the supplied information
Use the documents to make each correction rather than relying on memory or a new AI response. Follow the policy or procedure for requirements, using the system notes to supply screen and field names.
The examples above require these corrections:
- Room booking: “Book the room in the Outlook room calendar, up to 30 days ahead.” This uses the guide’s booking window and removes the unsupported duration limit.
- Leave: Add step 4: “After your manager approves the request, add the dates to your team’s shared calendar.”
If the sources disagree, follow the document that sets the requirements. For the expense instructions, this means using the current policy’s 30-day deadline rather than the 60-day deadline in the notes.
4. Ask the process owner about unanswered questions
As you review the draft, consider whether the documents leave out information readers need to complete the task. For example, the expense policy requires an itemized receipt for every item over $25, but neither source explains what to do if a receipt is lost.
Because an employee with a missing receipt needs that information to submit a claim correctly, ask Finance:
The policy requires a receipt for items over $25. What should someone do if they have lost the receipt?
Wait for the answer and incorporate it into the procedure before sharing the instructions. Otherwise, readers would have to ask for help or decide for themselves what to submit.
Questions that do not affect task completion can be followed up separately. For example, you do not need to delay sharing the instructions while asking how long approval usually takes.
Why not ask the AI?
An AI tool might suggest submitting a written explanation for the lost receipt, but the documents do not establish whether your Finance team accepts that. The suggestion may reflect practices used elsewhere, so you need confirmation from the process owner.
Agreement between two AI tools would not provide that confirmation either. Neither response establishes what your organization requires.
Part 4 of 5 · Question 1 of 5
Practice exercise
In this exercise, you will choose a prompt for writing instructions for employees who have lost their ID badge, then review the resulting draft against the two sources below. You can also consult the sources in the without clearing your answers.
Each of the five questions is on its own page. Check your answer to continue to the next question. You can try again as often as you like.
Part 4 of 5 · Question 2 of 5
Practice: compare with the source
Review the AI draft against the practice sources below. They are also in the .
AI draft: If you lose your ID badge
- Call Security at ext. 2200 on the day you notice your badge is missing. Security will deactivate it. [Security policy]
- Collect a temporary badge from Reception, bringing photo ID. Temporary badges are valid for five working days. [Security policy]
Questions for Security: None.
Part 4 of 5 · Question 3 of 5
Practice: correct the error
Review the AI draft against the practice sources below. They are also in the .
AI draft: If you lose your ID badge
- Call Security at ext. 2200 on the day you notice your badge is missing. Security will deactivate it. [Security policy]
- Collect a temporary badge from Reception, bringing photo ID. Temporary badges are valid for five working days. [Security policy]
Questions for Security: None.
Part 4 of 5 · Question 4 of 5
Practice: find the omission
Review the AI draft against the practice sources below. They are also in the .
AI draft: If you lose your ID badge
- Call Security at ext. 2200 on the day you notice your badge is missing. Security will deactivate it. [Security policy]
- Collect a temporary badge from Reception, bringing photo ID. Temporary badges are valid for five working days. [Security policy]
Questions for Security: None.
Part 4 of 5 · Question 5 of 5
Practice: refer the question
Review the AI draft against the practice sources below. They are also in the .
AI draft: If you lose your ID badge
- Call Security at ext. 2200 on the day you notice your badge is missing. Security will deactivate it. [Security policy]
- Collect a temporary badge from Reception, bringing photo ID. Temporary badges are valid for five working days. [Security policy]
Questions for Security: None.
Part 5 of 5
Job aid
Use this job aid when drafting instructions for your own workplace. It includes the prompt template and review procedure from the lesson; replace the bracketed text with details about your task and source documents.
Before writing the prompt
Gather the following:
- The current policy, procedure, or standard that sets the requirements, including its date.
- Notes or screenshots explaining how to use the system, including their dates.
- Information about what readers already know and what they need explained.
- The name of the person or team responsible for the process.
Prompt template
| Element | Template |
|---|---|
| Goal | Write step-by-step instructions for [task] in [system or place]. |
| Context | The readers are [who]. They already know [what they can do] but have never [what is new to them]. [Describe the problem these instructions should address.] |
| Source | Use only the attached [document names]. [Policy, procedure, or standard] sets the requirements; if the documents conflict, follow it. Do not add information from elsewhere. |
| Expectations | Write [number] numbered steps in plain language, with one main action per step. After each step, name the document it comes from. If readers need information the documents do not provide, list it under “Questions for [process owner]” rather than filling it in. |
These four elements come from Microsoft’s Copilot prompting guidance.
Review procedure
- Compare each instruction with its source. Find the cited passage and confirm that it supports what the draft says, checking specific details such as numbers, time limits, names, and conditions.
- Read the sources separately to find omissions. Work through the document that sets the requirements, finding where each requirement appears in the draft.
- Correct errors using the supplied information. Use the source wording to revise inaccurate instructions and remove unsupported details.
- Ask the process owner about unanswered questions. Explain what information is missing. If readers need the answer to complete the task correctly, get it before sharing the instructions.
This review procedure is the approach taught in the lesson, rather than an official Microsoft or CIPD framework.