By Mike Hastie
How to Get the Best Out of Chat GPT in the Workplace — And What Most People Don’t Realise
AI is no longer a futuristic idea — it’s a present-day tool that’s reshaping how we work. Among the frontrunners is ChatGPT, a powerful assistant that’s become an everyday companion for knowledge workers, creatives, and business leaders alike. But while many use it, few truly know that it is all about leveraging ChatGPT for best results.
Here Mike Hastie (that’s me) from Mike Hastie Digital Media looks at how to unlock ChatGPT’s full potential at work — and what a surprising number of people still misunderstand about it.
1. It’s Not Just for Quick Answers — It’s for Thought Partnership
Most people treat ChatGPT like a smarter Google: ask a question, get an answer, move on. But its true strength lies in dialogue. Think of it less like a search engine, more like a brainstorming partner, editor, strategist, or sounding board.
Try this:
Instead of asking, “What’s a good marketing strategy for a product launch?”, say:
“Act as a marketing strategist. Here’s the product and our goals. What would a full campaign look like across different channels, and what are some low-budget options?”
💡 Tip: Give ChatGPT context, constraints, and goals. The more you feed it, the more useful and tailored the output.
2. Use It to Break Through Mental Blocks, Not Just Tasks
Struggling to start a report? Can’t decide on how to word an email? ChatGPT is great at unsticking you. It helps you move from blank page to first draft — fast.
Use cases people overlook:
- Writing difficult emails (e.g., giving feedback, making an apology, requesting a raise)
- Creating first drafts of reports, briefs, or presentations
- Rewriting long texts into bullet points or vice versa
3. You Can Train It On You
One of the most underused features is providing examples of your own work. Feed ChatGPT a few of your previous emails, reports, or your writing style, and ask it to match your tone. You can even teach it about your business or workflow.
Example prompt:
“Here’s how I usually write newsletters. Can you draft one on [topic] in the same tone and structure?”
The result? Outputs that feel like you wrote them — not a robot.
4. ChatGPT Is Not Always Right — But It’s Always Useful
A lot of people get disillusioned when ChatGPT gives a wrong answer, makes something up (a “hallucination”), or misses the point.
Here’s the key: Don’t treat it as the final decision-maker. Treat it as a very fast, smart assistant. Your job is to steer it, edit, verify facts, and make judgment calls.
✅ DO: Use it for idea generation, structure, wording, and drafts.
❌ DON’T: Copy-paste its responses without thinking critically.
5. Use Systematic Prompts — Like a Framework for Leveraging Chat GPT
If you do similar tasks often (e.g., writing reports, summarizing meetings, drafting strategies), build a reusable prompt structure.
Example:
“Summarize the following meeting notes into: Key Takeaways, Action Items, Deadlines. Keep it concise and use bullet points.”
Even better — save these as templates or snippets to use repeatedly.
6. It’s a Secret Superpower — If You’re Willing to Experiment
The real magic happens when you play. The workplace version of “prompt engineering” is simply asking better questions, pushing the AI with clarifying follow-ups, or iterating on responses.
People who get the most out of ChatGPT:
- Ask follow-up questions
- Refine the tone or structure
- Challenge its assumptions
- Feed it better input (data, examples, formats)
Final Thought: AI Won’t Replace You — But Someone Using It Might
The employees who thrive in the next few years won’t be those who work harder, but those who work smarter — and that means learning how to co-pilot with AI.
ChatGPT isn’t just a tool. It’s a multiplier. Once you understand that, and learn to use it not just to get answers, but to shape your thinking, your communication, and your productivity — you’ll never work the same way again. For more information there is a good article on TechTarget – READ
