Over many years, we have all learnt how to query search engines. It’s a basic skill that many have mastered through trial and error, training and learning tips and tricks from others. A similar approach can be used for crafting the prompts that are used to receive answers from AI solutions such as ChatGPT and Copilot. However, if your prompts look like your search engine queries, you may find the results lacklustre, irrelevant or requiring extensive conversations with AI to yield helpful outcomes. This article discusses the emerging skill of prompt engineering, why is it different to search engine querying and some suggestions for levelling up your prompt engineering game.
Prompt engineering isn’t about finding information, it’s about shaping intelligence.
What Is Prompt Engineering?
Prompt engineering is the art of crafting inputs that guide large language models (LLMs) to produce useful, tailored outputs. These outputs can range from strategic plans and reports to code, designs, or creative content.
Unlike search engines, which retrieve existing content from the web, AI models generate new content based on patterns learned from massive datasets. The way you “ask” the AI matters. A well-structured and sufficiently detailed prompt can yield insightful, accurate, and actionable results.
Prompt engineering is about communicating with intelligence, not just searching for it.
Search Queries vs. Prompts: What’s the Difference?
| Feature | Search Query | AI Prompt |
| Purpose | Retrieve info | Generate insights |
| Tech | Search engines | Generative AI |
| Input Style | Keywords | Natural language |
| Output | Links | Direct responses |
| Control | Limited | High |
| Use Case | Research | Strategy, automation |
Why Should We Care?
Prompt engineering is more than a technical skill, it’s a strategic capability. Here’s why it matters:
Unlock AI’s Full Potential
Generative AI can do far more than answer questions. It can brainstorm product ideas, simulate customer personas, draft policy documents, or write code. But it needs clear, well-structured prompts to do so effectively.
Empower Non-Technical Teams
With prompt engineering, marketing, HR, finance, and operations teams can leverage AI without needing to write code. This democratises innovation and reduces reliance on IT bottlenecks.
Accelerate Decision-Making
Well-crafted prompts can generate executive summaries, competitor analyses, or scenario simulations quicky. This speeds up strategic planning and enhances agility.
Reduce Cognitive Load
Instead of sifting through dozens of search results, team members can get direct, synthesised answers. This saves time and improves focus.
Getting Started with Prompt Engineering
Prompt engineering isn’t necessarily a difficult skill to learn, but it does require a shift in mindset compared to traditional search engine querying. Unlike keyword-based searches, the prompts you engineer actively guide AI behaviour. The following principles offer a solid starting point: :
- Be Specific
Instead of “Tell me about AI,” try “Summarise the top three AI applications in logistics for mid-sized Australian companies.” - Set the Output Format
Ask for bullet points, tables, executive summaries, or potentially scripts. - Define the Role
Frame the AI’s perspective. For example, “Act as a CFO advising on AI investment.” - Iterate
Refine prompts based on the output. It’s a conversational process.
Continuous Improvement
Once you had a been through a conversation and ultimately arrived at the results you are looking for, think about how you could have improved your original prompt to reduce the number of conversations required to optimise the result. Often, this means just creating a longer, more detailed prompt, with more instructions. Sometimes the result will be a lengthy prompt consisting of multiple paragraphs or pages.
Prompt Re-Use
There may be times when you think “wow that’s a great prompt”, or even just part of your prompt is something that you think you will use time a time again. Contemplate whether you want to start taking some notes about specific prompt elements that work well for you. Some people store these in a “prompt library”, ready to cut and paste them into their other prompts. This can be as simple as a Word document, Excel sheet, OneNote notebook or whatever works well for you.
An example of this approach could be a standard phrase to add to your other prompts, such as “Use a professional tone. Don’t use jargon. Write in a business style. Don’t use em dashes. Suggest to me any follow up questions I should ask on the topic.”
If you wanted to find out about the latest advances in AI, cut and paste the additional information into your original prompt, such as:
“Tell me about the latest advances in AI in Australia from the perspective of a business leader. Use a professional tone. Don’t use jargon. Write in a business style. Don’t use em dashes. Suggest to me any follow up questions I should ask on the topic.”
Think of prompt engineering as a dialogue with a very smart assistant. The clearer your instructions, the better the results.
Building a Prompt-Savvy Culture
Forward-thinking companies are already training staff in prompt engineering. Some are creating centralised internal libraries of reusable prompts and prompt elements for tasks like report writing, customer service, or compliance checks.
You might consider:
- Hosting workshops on prompt design
- Creating prompt templates for common business tasks
- Encouraging cross-functional teams to experiment with AI tools
- Including prompt engineering in onboarding and professional development programs
This isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about unlocking creativity and strategic thinking across your organisation.
The Future of Work Is Prompt-Driven
As AI becomes embedded in every business function, the ability to communicate effectively with machines will be as important as communicating with people. Prompt engineering is the bridge between human intent and machine intelligence.
For business leaders, this is not just a technical shift, it’s a leadership opportunity. By embracing prompt engineering, you empower your teams, accelerate innovation, and position your company at the forefront of the AI revolution.
Final Thought
Prompt engineering is not a passing trend, it’s a foundational skill for the future of work. Whether you’re leading a startup or a multinational enterprise, understanding how to guide AI effectively will be key to staying competitive.
If you haven’t already, start experimenting. Ask your teams to try crafting prompts for real business challenges. You’ll be surprised at how quickly they begin to think differently and how AI becomes a true partner in innovation.
