Playbook: how to ensure success with AI

We loved this report by McKinsey on what you should do as an early adopter of GenAI.

Our top 5 takeaways:

✅Single shot prompts  

✨Multi shot prompts

🌳Tree of thoughts

Put simply, the more words (tokens) you use, the better the output than if you used a few words in a single prompt. Lets start with a simple use case:

✅ Prompt 1: Single shot prompt

"Write me a job advert for this job description [Job description added here]"

This will give you a good answer but it will be very generic and sound like everyone else who uses that model and who asks the same simple question. It doesn’t follow any prompt framework, like the one we use of role, task, format (RTF).

✨ Prompt 2: Multi shot prompt  

"Acting as a recruiter, in a professional style, write me a job advert, for this job description, in 500 words, in a non technical manner [Job description added here]."

This will give you a better job advert, however, won't generate much that is specific to you.

🌳Prompt 3: Tree of thoughts

Fast forward to a very good method. This is where the 'tree of thoughts' comes into play. Let's think about how you would train a new consultant who was writing their first advert? What would you ask them to think of? It might go like this;

1. Pick out the essential elements of a job description that you want to highlight.
2. Use the company tone and style that maintains your companies voice - for example, be more formal than casual.
3. Follow the guidelines you have been trained on, start with the company, then the role, then salary and benefits and finish with a strong call to action.
4. What has worked in the past? Use an example.
   
   

Now lets think about how to write that down for someone to follow:

"Create a compelling job advert based on the provided job description by following these steps:

1. Analyse the job description:

•    Identify the key responsibilities and requirements of the role
•    Determine the essential skills and qualifications needed
•    Highlight any unique or attractive aspects of the position or company

2. Draft an engaging introduction:

• Begin with a strong hook that grabs the reader's attention
• Briefly introduce the company and the role
• Incorporate the company's mission, values, or unique selling points

3. Outline the primary responsibilities:

• Clearly and concisely list the main duties and tasks of the role
• Use action-oriented language to make the responsibilities sound engaging
• Prioritize the most important and appealing aspects of the job

4. Specify necessary qualifications:

• List the required education, experience, and technical skills
• Include any preferred or desired qualifications that could set candidates apart
• Mention relevant soft skills and personal attributes that align with the company culture

5. Highlight benefits and perks:

• Describe any unique or attractive benefits the company offers
• Mention opportunities for growth, learning, and development within the role or company
• Emphasize the company's commitment to work-life balance, if applicable

6. Close with a compelling call to action:

• Encourage interested and qualified candidates to apply
• Provide clear instructions on how to apply and what materials to submit
• Include a positive, welcoming statement to reinforce the company's inclusive culture

7. Review and refine:

• Read through the job advert to ensure it flows well and is free of errors
• Make any necessary adjustments to improve clarity, conciseness, or persuasiveness
• Ensure the tone and style align with the company's brand and target audience

8. Add the Job description and other details here"

The main difference between a tree of thoughts prompt and a single-shot prompt is:  that the tree of thoughts approach breaks down the task into a series of smaller, interconnected steps. This allows the AI model to focus on each aspect of the job advert individually, ensuring that all essential components are addressed and well-crafted.

While a single-shot prompt can still generate a good job advert, the tree of thoughts approach encourages a more structured and thorough process, promoting better quality output and reducing the likelihood of missing important elements. By guiding the AI through each step, the tree of thoughts prompt helps create a more comprehensive and effective job advert, tailored to the specific requirements of the role and the company's needs.

This is a really great video by Patrick Storm for getting started with prompt writing, level 1 to 10. 

Check it out here

To get the best out of AI in your business, one of three things has to happen:

💪You gain prompting skills internally to make the magic happen (see step three for help) 

🤝You find a partner who can work with you to get those prompts working with your data, to give you what you need

👏You find a product that does it for you.

 Each option has its own pros and cons, here's what we think: 

 💪Gaining prompting skills internally:

Pros:

• Most cost-effective in the long run
• Tailored to your specific business needs
• Builds in-house expertise
• Allows for quick adjustments and experimentation

Cons:

• Time-consuming to learn and master

• May require ongoing training as AI evolves

• Potential for inconsistent results across team members
• Relies on employee retention to maintain skills

🤝 Finding a partner to work with:

Pros:

• Access to specialized expertise
• Faster implementation
• Can provide broader AI strategy and insights
• Scalable based on your needs

Cons:

• Potentially higher costs
• Dependency on external party
• May require time to find the right partner
• Possible communication challenges or misalignment of goals
  
  

👏 Finding a product that does it for you:

Pros:

• Often easier to implement and use
• Typically more stable and reliable
• Regular updates and improvements
• Usually comes with customer support

Cons:

• May be less flexible or customizable
• Potential for higher ongoing costs
• Might not perfectly fit all your specific needs
• Risk of vendor lock-in
• The product cannot keep up with changes