Prompt Like a Pro
Goal, context, source, expectations — the four-part prompt that gets results first time.
Stop pressAdmiral photocopies own hand
Exclusive — City desk
Prompt. Create. Save the day.
Six short missions to master core Copilot skills — before Admiral Analogue drags the office back to the fax era.
Four hundred copies. One memo. Perfection.
Not on my watch! One good prompt beats a bad memo.
Fwump!
Six short missions. Let's go.
Classifieds
Situations vacant: heroes. No experience required. Apply within.
Copilot Chat
Work data vs the web, follow-up questions, and when to ask “show me your sources”.
Copilot in Word
Draft, rewrite, summarise — and rescue a 40-page report from the Admiral's Fog of Paperwork.
Copilot in Excel
Ask questions of your data, add formula columns, chart it in seconds.
Copilot in PowerPoint
Turn a document into a deck; defuse the Admiral's 97-slide overhead-projector monstrosity.
Copilot in Outlook & Teams
Summarise threads, draft replies, catch up on meetings you heroically missed.
Profiles
Hero of the week · Most wanted
Hero of the week
Captain Copilot
- Powers
- Summarises at the speed of light, drafts with one eyebrow raised, always asks a good follow-up question.
- Weakness
- Vague prompts.
Photo: staff. Cape: own.
Most wanted
Admiral Analogue
- Powers
- Carbon paper, the 400-page appendix, Reply All.
- Signature move
- The Filing Cabinet Avalanche.
- Weakness
- A well-structured prompt.
Photo: security camera, third floor stationery cupboard.
Gadget Lab
Cut out and keep · Three tips from the workshop
The Four-Part Prompt
Goal + context + source + expectations. Say what you want, who it's for, where to look and how it should come back.
Reference a file with /
Type / in Copilot Chat to point it at a specific file, meeting or person — no more “you know, that report”.
Ask for a table
End a prompt with “present it as a table with columns for…” and watch the paragraphs fall into line.
Sports
Results and league table · Autumn season
| Pos | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Manchester Marvels | 1,240 |
| 2 | Team Leeds | 1,105 |
| 3 | Desk 4B | 980 |