A solicitor tried an AI chat tool once, got American English back, couldn't see how to change it and never used AI again. The fix would've taken 10 seconds: 1 standing instruction to write British English. Most people who give up aren't short of ability. Nobody showed them that AI needs briefing, the way a capable new member of staff does. What you type is called a prompt, and this page covers the 101, or starting level: 6 wins that need no technical background.
| First win | What you do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Treat it as a new hire | Share what you'd tell someone brilliant, widely read and new to your firm, who's short on common sense. | A 1-line request gets a bland answer, and that's no reflection on you. |
| Write a proper brief | Use AIMED, my checklist. Act: who it should be. Instruction: what to do. Method: the steps. End-goal: who it's for and why. Distil: tighten the draft after reading it. | Each part moves the answer from generic towards something you'd sign. |
| Pick the right jobs | List your week's tasks and ask of each: would this save real time, and how bad would a mistake be? | Big savings with fixable errors come first. Where an error would be serious, a person reviews everything or AI stays out. |
| Check what comes back | AI can invent a case, a figure or a source and sound completely sure. When facts matter, ask for its sources and open them yourself. | You're answerable for the work, whoever drafted it. |
| Protect what you type | Find the setting that stops your conversations training the tool, and turn it off. | That's only a start, so decide what stays out altogether, including anything confidential. |
| Keep what works | Save a good prompt, leave gaps for whatever changes, such as [CLIENT] or [DEADLINE], then test it on another case. | Yes, you could've written the 1st one yourself by now. The saved version repays you on every job after. |
The address at the end, aiefficiencymena.com, is my sister domain for the Middle East and North Africa.
None of this is technical. These are the habits you'd use managing anyone new: clear direction, a sensible choice of job, a look over the work and a note of what succeeded. About 80% of your everyday use will stay at this level.
I run the workshop in 3 lengths to fit your diary: a 1-hour lunchtime session, a 2-hour afternoon, or 3.5 hours that work through all 6 on your own jobs. Whichever you choose, everyone leaves with at least 1 tested prompt saved for reuse. Once this feels ordinary, the next step is the 201 skills. Not sure where your week goes? Start here.