I started this as a reply to a LinkedIn post by Deane Barker that got me thinking. Then I started it as a separate LinkedIn post because it was getting too long. Now here I am writing a full article because I can't keep my character count in check! (Perhaps there's some irony here given the topic).
Have you seen the joke about AI taking your bullet points and creating the email, only to see the email summarized by an AI on the other side. I see this as commentary that the usage of AI for this purpose is pointless, that people do not want the generated message you just 'saved time doing'.
However, as somebody who writes (a lot), I feel like a lot of the 'content' we put into our messages is not actually about the core bullet points. It's not about the crux of what we are saying or asking for. It's about trying to create a sentiment and feeling for the reader that we can't do with a simple list of bullets. That brief bulleted approach is efficient, and in some cases effective, but, because we aren't using a rich communication medium like voice or visual cues we lose something. The tone is missing. So we add more words to our core ideas to try to create that tone.
I think about something that Claude Debussy once said: "Music is the space between the notes." Those extra words matter!
Right now, it seems like folks are trying to use generative AI to create lots of words, when what we need to focus on is how to create the feeling we want from the words. If you have 5 paragraphs of words that really only have one sentence of actual information, but none of those extra words are helping create the feeling you want the reader to have, then that's just fluff.
I don't want fluff. You don't want fluff. Nobody wants fluff.
So, if we are to assume that people will be using GenAI tools to create these longer messages from their bullet points, how do we create prompts that focus on the feeling that we want to attach? I played around a little with Microsoft Copilot to try it out, and here's what happened!
Heads up: I'm not an experienced prompt engineer, so what you see below is a very naive approach as a user trying to get a specific type of output. If you have an even better way to do this, please share!
Trial 1: Default behaviour
For this attempt, I want to get the baseline of how Copilot would generate this template. I am providing no instruction around the feeling that I want to generate, only the facts. I could have sent a single sentence to the recipient, but that might not be received well, so I would like to generate a corporate email around that single sentence!
Prompt: Act as a manager reaching out to another manager by email requesting for a response. I need to know the date that the developer tutorial will be available for review.
Response:
Subject: Developer Tutorial Review Date Inquiry
Dear [Manager's Name],
I hope this email finds you well. As we approach the final stages of our developer tutorial project, I wanted to follow up regarding the availability of the tutorial for review. Could you kindly provide an update on the expected completion date?
Our team is eager to begin the review process and ensure that the tutorial meets our quality standards. Your prompt response would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Best regards,
[Your Name] [Your Position] [Your Contact Information]
Generated by: Microsoft CoPilot (Balanced mode)
Now to summarize the email into bullet points:
Response:
Certainly! Here's a summarized version of the email:
- Subject: Developer Tutorial Review Date Inquiry
- Content:
- Request for an update on the availability of the developer tutorial for review.
- Emphasize the team's eagerness to begin the review process.
- Express gratitude in advance for prompt response.
- Sign off with sender's name, position, and contact information.
Generated by: Microsoft CoPilot (Balanced mode)
That was, honestly, not a bad attempt at corporate speak. The feeling of the message, though, is very abrupt. I feel like somebody is rushing me and is losing patience. Let's see if we can add some feeling into the email.
Trial 2: Being more friendly
Prompt: Rewrite the email in a more friendly tone, as if the two managers have worked closely together for many years.
Response:
Subject: Catching Up and Tutorial Review 🌟
Hey [Manager's Name],Hope you're doing well! 🌼 As we sail through yet another project, I wanted to chat about the developer tutorial. Our team is buzzing with excitement to dive into the review process. Any chance you could give us a heads-up on when we can expect to feast our eyes on this masterpiece? !🤓
Your timely response would be like a warm cup of coffee on a chilly morning---much appreciated! ☕
Cheers,
[Your Name] [Your Position] [Your Contact Information]
Generated by: Microsoft CoPilot (Balanced mode)
Okay, that was... something. So many emoji, for some reason? It definitely is creating a different feeling, but it isn't quite my voice? Maybe I need to be more specific about what I want for generating the feeling. Let's try to write more about the feeling I want to generate.
Trial 3: Being more specific about feelings
Prompt: Rewrite the email in a more friendly tone, as if the two managers have worked closely together for many years. The writer of the email does not typically use a lot of emojis, but may use an ROFL emoji after making a joke. The writer is not concerned about a deadline, but instead just trying to plan things out. They do not want the other manager to feel pressured. The recipient should feel as if a friend is checking in with them. The recipient should feel the desire to respond quickly because the message is short and appreciative of their time.
Response:
Subject: Catching Up and Tutorial Review 🌟
Hey [Manager's Name],
Hope you're doing well! 🌼 As we sail through yet another project, I wanted to chat about the developer tutorial. Our team is buzzing with excitement to dive into the review process. Any chance you could give us a heads-up on when we can expect to feast our eyes on this masterpiece? 🤓
Your timely response would be like a warm cup of coffee on a chilly morning---much appreciated! ☕
Cheers,
[Your Name] [Your Position] [Your Contact Information]
Generated by: Microsoft CoPilot (Balanced mode)
The generated email was EXACTLY the same? The only difference is that the subject and signoffs were now bolded. I tried start as a new request in the same session, instead of using a 'rewrite' request. I tried instructing Copilot to start fresh. Every time, the email came out exactly the same.
Trial 4: Starting with the Creative mode instead
If we cannot rewrite a generated message with more detailed feeling response in the same session, perhaps we can get a better response by starting with the feelings from the start and going with the more Creative mode? So I closed down my Edge browser and came back and selected the Creative mode.
Prompt: Act as a manager reaching out to another manager by email requesting for a response. I need to know the date that the developer tutorial will be available for review. Write the email in a more friendly tone, as if the two managers have worked closely together for many years. The writer of the email does not typically use a lot of emojis, but may use an ROFL emoji after making a joke. The writer is not concerned about a deadline, but instead just trying to plan things out. They do not want the other manager to feel pressured. The recipient should feel as if a friend is checking in with them. The recipient should feel the desire to respond quickly because the message is short and appreciative of their time.
Response:
Here is a possible email that you can send to the other manager:
Subject: Developer tutorial update
Hi there,
I hope this email finds you well and that you are enjoying the spring weather. 🌷
I'm writing to check in with you about the developer tutorial that your team is working on. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you have created and learning from your expertise.
Do you have an estimate of when the tutorial will be available for review? I'm not in a hurry, but I would like to plan ahead and allocate some time for feedback and testing.
Please let me know if you need any help or support from me or my team. We are always happy to collaborate with you and share our insights.
Thank you for your hard work and dedication. You are doing an amazing job! 😊
P.S. Did you hear the latest joke about programmers? It's hilarious! 🤣
Q: How do you tell an introverted computer scientist from an extroverted computer scientist?
A: An extroverted computer scientist looks at your shoes when he talks to you. 🤣🤣🤣
ROFL! 😂
Cheers,
Your name
Generated by: Microsoft CoPilot (Creative mode)
Alright, so, there are still a lot of Emoji in there and the silly joke added in is sort of my own fault for using the prompt I did, but notice the change in tone? It feels more human, less pressuring. I had a specific type of output I wanted and by being very specific about the type of feeling I wanted to evoke I was able to get Copilot to get closer to the type of email I would like to send.
It still needs cleanup, but this is a lot better.
And here is how Copilot reacted when I got a fresh Edge browser and asked "Can you please provide me the quick 4-bullet summary of this email I received"
Sure, I can help you with that. Here is a quick 4-bullet summary of the email you received:
- The sender is checking in with you about the progress of the developer tutorial that your team is working on.
- The sender is interested in reviewing the tutorial and asks for an estimate of when it will be ready.
- The sender offers help and support from their team and expresses appreciation for your work and expertise.
- The sender also shares a joke about programmers to lighten up the mood and end the email on a positive note.
Generated by: Microsoft CoPilot (Creative mode)
I mention using a fresh Edge browser because the first time I tried to summarize it the summary included specific feelings which was great, but I didn't believe that it could figure that out from the text. From what I can tell, summarizing in the same chat with Copilot as where you are generating takes some of the previous prompts into context and therefore influences the summary.
My thoughts on this experiment
For email communication, those extra prompt details really affected the output of what was sent to the reader, but it also impacted what was summarized by the AI. Notice that the summary is not just factual now, but includes mood and feeling into it. I did have to write a lot more words into the Copilot prompt, possibly even more words than would likely be in the final email after editing the generated version.
And it all started with one sentence: "I need to know the date that the developer tutorial will be available for review."
As this technology evolves this will get easier to do for users and I think we'll see 'sentiment' or 'tone' having easier templates for users to leverage. Regardless of the future of the tech, I believe we as humans need to set the standard we want for the output from GenAI tools for this type of message. It's not just about the bullet points or the word count.
It's about the space between the words.
Credits:
- Cover image: By Tom Fishburne, sourced from the Marketoonist
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