What “workslop” looks like
AI can feel fast.
But then we fix it. And fix it again.
That messy output is what many people call “workslop.”
It looks polished, but it is thin, off, or wrong.
So the goal is not “use more AI.”
The goal is use it with guardrails.
Rule 1: We never paste private data into a tool we do not control
5 Acidity Fighting Remedies From Your Kitchen and Herb Garden. This is the biggest mistake.
Do not paste:
- Client names and files
- Contracts
- Health info
- Payroll info
- Private team chat logs
- Anything you would not post online
Instead:
- Remove names
- Replace with “Client A”
- Summarize the facts first
- Use your company tool if you have one
Rule 2: Give the AI a job, not a wish
“Write a proposal” is a wish.
“Draft a 1-page proposal with these sections” is a job.
Try this prompt shape:
1) Role
- “You are a project manager.”
2) Task
- “Draft a kickoff email.”
3) Inputs
- Bullet points of facts
4) Output rules
- “Use short lines.”
- “Keep it under 150 words.”
- “Use a friendly tone.”
- “Include 3 next steps.”
You will get less fluff right away.
Rule 3: Use AI for first drafts, not final truth
AI is great at:
- Starting a draft
- Turning notes into a clean doc
- Making options
- Rewriting for tone
- Summarizing long text (with care)
AI is not reliable at:
- Exact facts without checking
- Legal or tax calls
- “What happened” in a real event
- Numbers it did not get from you
So we use AI like a smart assistant, not a judge Asian Vegetables You Can Grow in Your Organic Garden.
The 3-pass review that saves us
When AI writes something important, do 3 fast passes.
Pass 1: Facts
- Are names right?
- Are dates right?
- Are numbers right?
- Does it claim things we did not say?
Pass 2: Fit
- Is this for the right reader?
- Does it match our brand voice?
- Does it match the goal?
Pass 3: Sharp
- Remove filler
- Shorten long lines
- Add real detail
- Add one clear next step
This takes minutes. It can save hours.
Make a “prompt pack” for your team
Most teams waste time because every person starts from zero.
Build 10 prompts you use all the time, like:
- Meeting notes → action list
- Customer email reply
- Simple project plan
- Job post draft
- Social caption drafts (3 options)
- FAQ answers for your site
- Policy rewrite into plain language
- Interview questions for a role
- SOP checklist draft
- “Turn this into a 5-slide outline”
Keep them in one shared doc.
Use “constraints” to cut errors
Constraints are simple rules that guide the output. Broadway Is In Full Swing In December.
Examples:
- “If you are not sure, write ‘I’m not sure.’”
- “Do not guess numbers.”
- “Use only the facts in the bullets.”
- “Ask for missing info as a list.”
Even better:
- “Create a table of assumptions.”
- “Create a risk list.”
- “Create a QA checklist.”
Now AI shows its gaps instead of hiding them.
Stop using AI for the wrong jobs
If you use AI for these, you will get burned:
- Legal wording you will sign
- Medical advice
- Tax filing choices
- Security settings
- Anything that could hurt a person or cost big money
Use AI to prepare questions for a pro instead.
A simple workflow that actually works
Try this flow for writing:
- You write raw bullets
- AI makes a clean draft
- You add real examples
- AI tightens the language
- You do the 3-pass review
Now the human owns the truth.
AI just helps with speed.
One more small safeguard
Put this line at the top of your team’s AI doc:
“AI can write fast. We still check.”
Then keep going.
