Part One
Foundations
What AI is, what it's good and bad at, and how to pick two or three tools that fit your work.
- Why AI at Work, Why Now
- What AI Actually Is (and Isn't)
- Choosing Your AI Tools
2026 Edition PDF eBook · 90 pages
Work smarter with AI. Get more done, at higher quality.
A practical guide to using AI in your everyday work, with no coding required. Ready-to-use prompts, printable checklists and a 30-day plan help you put AI into action without putting your reputation or your company's data at risk.
- The CRAFT method for writing prompts that produce work you can actually use
- 40 copy-ready prompts for email, meetings, reports, research, data, planning and presentations
- Verification and privacy guidance so you can check AI output and protect confidential information
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Digital download (PDF). Nothing is shipped.
Sound familiar?
AI is already in your tools. Getting useful work out of it is the hard part.
Each of these everyday frustrations has its own chapter in the book, with worked examples and prompts you can try on a real task the same day.
Emails and reports take too long to write
Turn bullet points into clear drafts, summarise long threads, and outline reports before you write them.
Chapters 6 and 8
Presentations are a struggle to prepare
Build a slide storyline with action titles, then write natural speaker notes with transitions.
Chapter 12
You're not sure how to write a good prompt
Most disappointing results come from prompts that are too short. The CRAFT method fixes that.
Chapter 4
The same manual tasks keep coming back
Turn recurring work into saved prompts, custom assistants and simple, human-reviewed automations.
Chapter 17
AI answers rarely turn into finished work
Learn to iterate on drafts like a collaborator, and to verify facts before anything goes out.
Chapters 5 and 13
The approach
Treat AI like a brilliant new colleague
The book's central mental model: a colleague who writes quickly in any style and is always available, but knows nothing about your company or clients unless you tell them, and sometimes states invented things with total confidence.
Work with AI that way and the right habits follow. Tools change monthly, so the book focuses on four skills that last:
InstructionGive context and say what good looks like
JudgementKnow where AI helps and where it misleads
VerificationCheck facts, figures and sources
Workflow redesignRebuild recurring tasks around AI
What you will learn
19 chapters in five parts, plus three appendices
Read it straight through, or go straight to the chapter that matches your day. Every chapter ends with actions you can take the same day.
Part Two · The core skill
Prompting and collaboration
The CRAFT method, seven techniques that consistently improve results, and how to iterate on a first draft.
- Prompting That Works: The CRAFT Method
- Working With AI as a Collaborator
Part Three
AI in your daily work
One chapter for each part of a working day.
- Email and Everyday Communication
- Meetings: Before, During and After
- Writing Documents and Reports
- Research and Learning
- Data, Spreadsheets and Analysis
- Planning, Projects and Decisions
- Presentations and Visual Communication
Part Four
Using AI responsibly
Why AI invents things and how to check its work, what not to paste into a chatbot, and when to disclose AI use.
- Hallucinations and the Discipline of Verification
- Privacy, Confidentiality and "Shadow AI"
- Ethics, Transparency and Fairness
Part Five
Going further
Playbooks for specific roles, an introduction to automation and agents, and a plan to make the habit stick.
- Playbooks by Role
- Automation and AI Agents
- Your 30-Day AI at Work Plan
- Future-Proofing Your Career
Appendices
Tools to keep
Reference material you'll come back to long after the first read.
- A: The Prompt Library (40 prompts)
- B: Printable Checklists
- C: Glossary
- Notes and Sources
Appendix A · The Prompt Library
40 ready-to-use prompts for the work you already do
Copy them into your own library, replace the square brackets with your details, and refine them as you learn what works. The book's copyright page permits copying these prompts for your own personal and professional use.
Communication · 7
Meetings · 4
Documents and writing · 7
Research and learning · 5
Data and analysis · 4
Planning and decisions · 6
Presentations · 2
Thinking partner and career · 5
Three prompts from the library, exactly as they appear in the book:
Prompt 10 · MinutesMeetings
From these notes produce a 5-line summary, decisions, an action table (Action | Owner | Deadline) and open risks. Flag unclear owners or dates. Notes: [paste]
Prompt 30 · Status reportPlanning
Turn these updates into a one-page status report with RAG status, progress, next steps, risks and decisions needed. Updates: [paste]
Prompt 34 · StorylinePresentations
Suggest an 8-10 slide storyline for [topic] for [audience] in [minutes]. Give each slide an action title stating its point, plus 2-3 supporting points.
Chapter 18 · Your 30-Day AI at Work Plan
Four weeks, 15–20 minutes a day
The plan is built to form lasting habits rather than a burst of enthusiasm. Each day has one action using a real task from your own work, and each week ends with a review.
-
1Days 1–7
Foundations
Check your organisation's AI policy, set up your assistant, draft real emails from bullet points, and write your first CRAFT prompt.
-
2Days 8–14
Daily work
Prepare a meeting agenda, turn notes into an action table, draft a report section, and build or fix a spreadsheet formula.
-
3Days 15–21
Thinking partner
Ask AI to challenge a plan, run a pre-mortem, build a risk register, and research a topic while verifying every source.
-
4Days 22–30
Redesign and sustain
List your most time-consuming recurring tasks, design repeatable AI-assisted processes for two of them, and measure your results.
Appendix B · Printable Checklists
Checklists for before you prompt and before you share
Short, printable lists that keep you safe and accurate: what to check before you type, what to verify before AI-assisted work leaves your hands, and how to judge what data a tool may see.
- Before you prompt5 checks
- Before you share AI-assisted work8 checks
- Data traffic lightGreen · Amber · Red
- Using an AI agent4 checks
A worked example from Chapter 4
The same request, briefed two ways
A project manager needs to tell a client about a supplier delay. The book shows how a one-line prompt becomes one that produces an email you could actually send. Results from any AI tool will vary.
Before: a typical weak prompt
Write an email to the client about the project delay.
Gives the AI almost nothing to work with, so it produces something generic.
After: the same request using CRAFT
Context: I manage the installation of rooftop solar systems for a retail chain client. Delivery of inverters for 6 of their 20 stores has slipped by three weeks…
Role: Act as an experienced client-facing project manager.
Ask: Draft an email to the client's facilities director explaining the delay and our recovery plan.
Format: Under 200 words. Subject line, short opening, a bulleted summary of impact and actions, and a clear next step.
Tone & Tweaks: Professional, calm and accountable. Do not over-apologise or blame the supplier…
Where you'll use it, chapter by chapter
EmailDrafts from points, thread summaries, difficult replies, polite follow-ups
MeetingsAgendas, tough-question prep, minutes and follow-up emails
ReportsOutlines, section drafts from your facts, executive summaries, critiques
ResearchTopic orientation, sourced research, Q&A on your own documents
SpreadsheetsWriting and fixing formulas, analysing data, spotting patterns
ProjectsProject breakdowns, risk registers, status reports, pre-mortems
PresentationsSlide storylines with action titles and speaker notes
DecisionsWeighted decision matrices, devil's advocate, stakeholder views
Chapter 16 · Playbooks by Role
Written for everyday professionals, not engineers
You don't need to write code or understand neural networks. Find your role's playbook, then borrow ideas from the others.
Managers and team leaders
Prepare one-to-ones, structure feedback, plan team priorities and write updates for senior leadership.
Project and programme managers
Project breakdowns, risk registers, status reports, change requests and lessons-learned reviews.
Sales and business development
Research prospects, prepare discovery questions, handle objections and write proposals.
Human resources
Job descriptions, interview question banks, 30-60-90 day onboarding plans and policy drafts.
Finance and accounting
Variance commentary, spreadsheet formulas, regulation summaries and process documentation.
Operations and engineering
Procedures, method statements, inspection checklists and reports written from field notes.
Customer service and support
Draft responses, summarise case history, build knowledge-base articles and analyse complaints.
Marketing and communications
Content ideas, first drafts, adapting content for different channels and headline testing.
Look inside
Preview the book
Short excerpts from inside, quoted from the book.
Contents
PART ONE
Foundations · Ch. 1–3
Foundations · Ch. 1–3
PART TWO
The Core Skill · Ch. 4–5
The Core Skill · Ch. 4–5
PART THREE
AI in Your Daily Work · Ch. 6–12
AI in Your Daily Work · Ch. 6–12
PART FOUR
Using AI Responsibly · Ch. 13–15
Using AI Responsibly · Ch. 13–15
PART FIVE
Going Further · Ch. 16–19
Going Further · Ch. 16–19
APPENDICES
Prompt Library · Checklists · Glossary
Prompt Library · Checklists · Glossary
AI at Work · p. 4
CHAPTER 4
The CRAFT method
To make good briefing a habit, use five elements that spell CRAFT:
CContext: what is the situation, background and purpose?
RRole: whose perspective or expertise should the AI adopt?
AAsk: what exactly do you want it to produce or do?
FFormat: what shape, length and structure?
TTone & Tweaks: what voice, audience and constraints apply?
Chapter 4 · p. 21
CHAPTER 2
The brilliant new colleague
Imagine a new colleague who has read almost everything ever published, writes quickly and fluently in any style, never gets tired or irritated, and is available at 2 a.m. That is the upside.
Now add the downsides. This colleague knows nothing about your company, your clients or your history unless you tell them. They sometimes state things with complete confidence that turn out to be invented.
Chapter 2 · p. 11
APPENDIX B · PRINTABLE CHECKLISTS
Data traffic light
Before you prompt
• Is this tool approved for this kind of work?
• Have I removed or anonymised confidential and personal data?
GREEN (public / general): fine for most tools.
AMBER (internal): approved tools only.
RED (confidential / personal / regulated): do not enter unless an approved tool and policy explicitly allow it.
• Have I removed or anonymised confidential and personal data?
Appendix B · p. 84
About the author
Akhilesh Kumar Singh
Akhilesh Kumar Singh is a programme and transformation leader with about 11 years of experience delivering large, multi-stakeholder projects across infrastructure, industrial and technology-enabled work.
He uses AI tools hands-on in his own work to streamline reporting, documentation and coordination. This book shares the practical approach he applies day to day.
AI at Work
The Practical Guide for Everyday Professionals
by Akhilesh Kumar Singh · 2026 Edition
- 19 chapters in five parts
- 40 ready-to-use prompts (Appendix A)
- Printable checklists (Appendix B)
- 30-day plan, 15–20 minutes a day
- Role playbooks, glossary, notes and sources
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Frequently asked questions
What is AI at Work?
A practical guide to using AI tools for everyday professional work: writing, meetings, documents, research, data, planning and presentations. It also covers checking AI output, protecting confidential information and using AI ethically.
Who is it for?
Working professionals who aren't AI specialists: managers, project coordinators, HR, sales, finance, operations, engineering, customer service and marketing roles, among others. Chapter 16 has playbooks for each of these roles.
Do I need any AI or technical experience?
No. You don't need to write code. If you're new to AI, start with Part One, which explains what AI is and how to choose your tools.
What's inside?
19 chapters in five parts (Foundations, The Core Skill, AI in Your Daily Work, Using AI Responsibly, Going Further), followed by the Prompt Library, Printable Checklists, a Glossary, and Notes and Sources.
What are the 40 prompts?
Appendix A collects 40 fill-in-the-blank prompts in eight groups: communication, meetings, documents and writing, research and learning, data and analysis, planning and decisions, presentations, and thinking partner and career. You may copy them for your own personal and professional use.
How does the 30-day plan work?
It takes about 15–20 minutes a day over four weeks: Foundations, Daily work, Thinking partner, and Redesign and sustain. Each day has one action using a real task from your work, with review days built in.
Which AI tools does it cover?
The book uses ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity as examples, but the skills apply to any general-purpose assistant. It recommends using the tools your employer approves first. The book isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any of these companies.
What format is the eBook?
A 90-page PDF. It is digital only. No printed copy is shipped.
Which devices can I read it on?
Any device that opens PDF files: Windows and Mac computers, iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, and e-readers with PDF support. You can also print the checklists.
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Start small. Practise daily. Check everything that matters.
A clear method for prompting, 40 prompts for real tasks, checklists for safe use and a 30-day plan to build the habit, in one 90-page PDF.