12.2 Prompting for Office work
You get a usable first draft instead of a vague one.
Before:00. Getting Your Footing
A usable first draft comes from a well-shaped ask, and this topic teaches the four parts of one: goal, context, source, format. Pointing Copilot at a specific file or thread, iterating by asking for a change rather than starting again, and knowing when to stop and write it yourself complete the skill. It sits between the limits topic and the per-app topic because prompting is the same skill everywhere. The common confusion is treating a weak first answer as failure; the first answer is the start of a short conversation, not the verdict.
Work through these
Goal, context, source, format — the four parts of a good ask
A request that states the goal, the context, the source to use and the format wanted gets a usable draft. Missing any of the four is where vague results come from.
Pointing it at a specific file or thread
Pointing the assistant at a specific file or message thread grounds it in real material instead of general knowledge. This is the difference between a summary and an invention.
Iterating: asking for a change rather than starting again
Asking for a specific change to what you already have is faster and better than asking again from scratch. Treating it as editing rather than generating is the working method.
Knowing when to stop and write it yourself
There is a point where finishing it yourself is quicker than explaining what you want. Recognising that point is part of using the tool well.
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