A better prompt starts with better context.

Describe the decision

Before asking for a summary, decide what you need to do with it. Preparing for a customer meeting calls for different information from updating a project sponsor. Tell the assistant who the work is for, what decision it supports and what a useful result looks like.

Use the right material

Point to the approved documents or notes available in your work environment. Explain which material is current and which is background. Do not assume the assistant can access a file merely because you know it exists; access and product capabilities depend on your environment.

Specify a useful shape

Try: “Using these meeting notes, draft a follow-up with decisions, actions, owners and unresolved questions. Mark missing owners as unassigned. Do not invent dates.” This makes the review easier because the structure reflects the work you need to complete.

Keep the review in the workflow

Check names, amounts, commitments and dates against the source before sharing. When the result misses the point, refine the context and output requirements. Save the pattern once it is useful, then adapt it to the next task rather than treating a prompt as a permanent recipe.

Microsoft sources and further reading

• Microsoft: Microsoft 365 Copilot