A POSSIBLE SESSION FOR YOUR TEAM
Sample course outline — adapted after a planning conversation.
AI Basics
Practice turning rough notes into a customer email and a useful task list. Learn to ask a follow-up question and check the answer before using it.
Proposed: one 90-minute facilitated session.
Proposed: a laptop and a team-approved text AI tool. Tool and access requirements agreed during planning; practice uses pasted fictional text.
This example is a starting point. Scope, timing, tools and deliverables are agreed together before a session.
WHO IT SERVES
Is this your next step?
Small-business owners and team members who have little or no experience with AI.
Before the session
- Comfort typing and using a web browser. No coding or prior AI experience needed.
PRACTICE & TAKEAWAYS
Work you can try.
What you will practice
- Write a prompt that includes a task, relevant facts and a requested format.
- Revise a draft with one specific follow-up instruction.
- Find unsupported details and missing information before using an answer.
What you can leave with
- A reusable email prompt and reviewed sample email.
- A task list drawn from fictional meeting notes.
- A short checklist for safe inputs and checked outputs.
PROPOSED AGENDA / 90 MINUTES
From first example to review.
Open each section for the exercise, output and review check. All practice uses fictional or anonymized material.
01Choose a safe first task15 min
Purpose. Start with useful work that is easy to check.
Learning outcome. Identify suitable sample information and information to keep out of a chat.
Explain or demonstrate. Compare a fictional appointment note with a record containing private customer details.
Hands-on practice. Mark which fields in a supplied fictional customer record are needed to draft an appointment email; omit the rest.
Your output. A minimal set of safe sample facts.
Review check. Only facts needed for the email remain; private identifiers are excluded.
Prerequisites. Basic browser use.
Proposed time: 15 minutes, including the explanation, practice and review.
02Draft a customer email30 min
Purpose. Give AI enough context to write a usable first draft.
Learning outcome. Write and refine an email without adding a promise.
Explain or demonstrate. Show a task + facts + tone + format prompt, then request a shorter version.
Hands-on practice. Use the fictional repair-shop notes below to draft an email. Ask for a warmer or shorter revision.
Your output. An email prompt and a revised draft.
Review check. The draft preserves both offered times, requests a choice and invents no booking or price.
Prerequisites. Safe sample facts from section 1.
Proposed time: 30 minutes, including the explanation, practice and review.
03Turn notes into next steps25 min
Purpose. Make rough notes easier to act on.
Learning outcome. Extract actions and distinguish unknown owners or dates.
Explain or demonstrate. Convert a short meeting note into action, owner and due-date columns.
Hands-on practice. Use these fictional notes: Lee will count stock Friday. Sam will draft the window sign; no deadline agreed. Someone must ask the landlord about sign rules.
Your output. A three-row task list with unknowns marked.
Review check. All three actions appear; no owner or date is invented.
Prerequisites. Ability to start an AI conversation.
Proposed time: 25 minutes, including the explanation, practice and review.
04Check and save a useful pattern20 min
Purpose. Make review part of everyday use.
Learning outcome. Correct an unsupported detail and save a reusable prompt.
Explain or demonstrate. Compare an answer with its source, sentence by sentence.
Hands-on practice. Swap drafts with a partner. Check source facts, missing information and tone. If your draft has no error, correct this seeded flaw: “Your Tuesday appointment is confirmed.” The source only offers a choice of two times. Then save a prompt with placeholders.
Your output. A reviewed draft and a three-step input, facts and approval checklist.
Review check. Partner can trace each factual claim to the notes and identify who approves the final email.
Prerequisites. Draft and task list from earlier sections.
Proposed time: 20 minutes, including the explanation, practice and review.
TRY A REPRESENTATIVE EXERCISE
Draft an appointment email
Fictional practice material
Fictional Cedar Repair notes: customer Jordan asked about a tune-up. Available appointments: Tuesday at 10 a.m. or Thursday at 2 p.m. Ask which works. No price or completion time has been agreed.
Example prompt
Using only these notes, write a friendly email under 80 words to Jordan. Offer both appointments and ask Jordan to choose. Do not invent a price, completion time or confirmed booking. Notes: Cedar Repair can offer Tuesday at 10 a.m. or Thursday at 2 p.m. for a tune-up.
Illustrative expected output
One acceptable example, not a guaranteed AI response.
Hi Jordan, We can offer a tune-up appointment on Tuesday at 10 a.m. or Thursday at 2 p.m. Which time works for you? Thanks, Cedar Repair
Check the result. Both times match the notes. The email asks for a choice and does not claim the booking is confirmed.
BEFORE WE MEET
What your team provides.
- Choose one everyday writing or organizing task to discuss.
- Confirm an approved tool and whether each participant can sign in.
- Share tone preferences; fictional practice material is supplied.
Use approved, anonymized examples or fictional material. Do not share confidential records or credentials in a planning inquiry.
ADAPT IT TO YOUR WORK
Choose a useful focus.
- Use retail, service or office examples.
- Spend more practice time on emails or task lists.
- Use instructor demonstration and paired practice when individual tool access is unavailable.
We confirm the audience, business task, time and tool access during planning.