are you managing people with at least as much guidance as you give to AIs?
As AI models get better and better, you – the user — benefit more from context-rich prompts that lay out the principles and qualities of the solution you want the AIs to deliver. In other words, err on the side of saying too much about what you want, even if your sense of what you want isn’t totally clear. (As an example, last week I offered a model for an AI prompt when you want the AI to act as your career coach.)
In reflecting on this since, I realized yet again that I made big mistakes as a CEO in my management of partners, vendors, and clients - the big group of Other Organizations that surrounded my organization. Too often, even with a costly, haggled-over contract and scope of work signed, I hadn’t given that Other Organization the baseline level of guidance that I now give to an AI when I want a recipe for dinner or feedback on a piece of writing. I was often disappointed in these Other Organizations. But a truth of the matter is I didn’t lead them well. My prompts were thin or withheld.
My regret now takes the form of a recommendation (to you and to future me): tell the people you’re working with what you want and expect from their participation in the relationship with you. Don’t assume that they’ll deliver how you want and what you want because they are [well-known, expensive, award-winning, from the community, whatever].
I offer this recommendation even more energetically if it scares you a little to imagine saying something to a vendor or project lead on your own team like: “I’d like you to perform like a wise, seasoned industry veteran who still seizes chances to try new approaches. I want to feel like I’m in good hands AND know that I’m not missing efficiencies. I want your work to be creative, compliant with the law, and adaptable - please don’t give me something that is hard-coded and expensive to make small adjustments to.”
-eric
