The F in CRAFT: Focus on What Matters

Your AI Isn’t Broken—Your Output Format Is

You’ve got the Context, you’ve set the Role, you’ve defined the Action—but your AI outputs still fall flat?

Chances are, you forgot the Format.

Why Format Matters in AI (and Leadership)

We’ve all seen it:

❌ You ask ChatGPT to “explain something”—and it hands you a 600-word essay. ✅ But what you really needed was:

• A 5-bullet summary

• A step-by-step guide

• A slide outline

Without clear format, AI delivers what it thinks you want—not what’s actually usable.

If you don’t shape the output, the output shapes you.

Format Turns Ideas into Usable Outcomes

AI isn’t just an idea machine—it can be a production partner. But only if you tell it how you want the results delivered.

Ask for:

✅ Bullet lists ✅ Comparison tables ✅ Decision matrices ✅ Slide outlines ✅ Checklists ✅ Roadmaps ✅ Scenario trees

Think:

• Who will consume this?

• In what setting?

• What format makes this immediately useful?

Real-World Example

❌ Weak Prompt: “Summarize the customer feedback.”

✅ Strong Prompt: “Summarize customer feedback into a two-column table: Column 1 = recurring issues, Column 2 = recommended fixes. Format for a slide deck.”

The result? Clarity. Usability. Actionability.

Leaders: Format Drives Focus

AI can speed you up or slow you down. The difference is often in whether you define the shape of the answer, not just the content.

📌 Before you prompt:

1️⃣ Who’s the audience?

2️⃣ What’s the use case?

3️⃣ What format supports the next step?