To use ChatGPT well at work, keep 4 habits. Give it the 4 parts, attach the source, let it ask first, and check the sources. The 4 parts are the goal, the context, what you want back and the source. Each habit in this guide has a prompt to copy and a practice file to try it on.
We wrote the example answers on this page ourselves, to show what a good answer contains. They are not copied from ChatGPT, so its own words will differ. The habits work on every ChatGPT plan, as of November 2026.
Before you start
You need 3 things:
- A ChatGPT account. Any plan works. Free limits how many files you can upload, so attach one file at a time.
- Our practice files. Download the staff handbook and the supplier invoices. Unzip the invoices first, because you attach the PDF files, not the zip. The files belong to a made-up Singapore coffee supplier, so nothing in them is real.
- 5 minutes per habit. Each habit shows a weak prompt to compare, and a better prompt to copy.
To attach a file, click + in ChatGPT's message box and choose the file.
Habit 1: Give it the 4 parts
A short prompt gets a general answer. Give ChatGPT the goal, the context, what you want back, and the source to use. OpenAI's own prompting guide gives the same advice: be clear and specific, and give enough context.
Weak prompt, to compare
Write a message to staff about claims.
ChatGPT has to guess who the staff are, what the claims rules are, and how long the message should be. It usually writes a polite note that could fit any company.
Attach the handbook, then try the 4 parts:
Prompt to copy
Goal: a WhatsApp reminder to our [drivers] about [claims]. Context: we are a [10-person coffee supplier], and [drivers often submit Grab and parking claims too late]. What I want back: under 80 words, friendly, plain English, no emojis. Source: [section 8] of the attached handbook.
Change the parts in square brackets to your own. A good answer names the 30-day deadline, the S$30 limit for each ride, and the photo of the receipt. All 3 are in section 8.
To change the answer, ask in the same chat instead of starting again:
Prompt to copy
Make it shorter, and add that claims approved by the 20th are paid that month.
Habit 2: Attach the source, and say what to pull out
Part 4 of habit 1 is the source. This habit makes sure ChatGPT reads it. ChatGPT reads only the files you attach, or the apps you link to it, such as Google Drive. Without the handbook, it answers from general knowledge or a web search about leave in Singapore. Your rules may differ.
With no file attached:
Weak prompt, to compare
How much medical leave do staff get?
ChatGPT usually describes the legal minimum in Singapore. Your own handbook may give more.
Attach the handbook, then say exactly what you want:
Prompt to copy
From [section 6] of the attached handbook, list the [medical leave] rules a [new driver] needs to know. Give the section number for each rule.
Change the parts in square brackets to your own. A good answer lists 4 rules from section 6:
- After 3 months, 14 days of paid outpatient leave a year.
- Up to 60 days of hospital leave a year. The 14 days count toward the 60.
- Message your manager before your start time on the morning you are sick.
- Upload the medical certificate in the HR app within 2 working days, or the day is unpaid.
An answer may also list the S$40 limit on doctor's fees, which is in section 6 too. If it gives a rule that is not in section 6, it is guessing. Habit 4 catches that.
Habit 3: Let it ask first
For a longer piece of work, you know things ChatGPT does not. Ask it to question you before it writes.
Weak prompt, to compare
Write a first-week guide for a new warehouse hire.
ChatGPT usually invents a schedule, and you rewrite most of it.
Attach the handbook, then try:
Prompt to copy
I want a one-page guide for a new [warehouse hire]'s first week, based on the attached handbook. Before you write anything, ask me up to 5 questions. Then give me a short plan, and wait for my OK.
Change the role in square brackets to your own. A good answer asks about things the handbook does not say. For example, who trains the new hire, and what they do on day 1. It then lists the handbook sections it will use, such as working hours, the Saturday rota, and who to ask.
Answer the questions, then reply "OK, write it". The guide now uses your company's details.
Habit 4: Check the sources
ChatGPT can misread a document, and it rarely says so unless you ask. Ask where each point came from, and what it is unsure about.
Attach 2 invoices from the invoices folder: scan0001.pdf and dairy - pls pay.pdf. On Free, attach one, ask, then attach the second.
Weak prompt, to compare
How much do we owe our suppliers?
ChatGPT usually adds up what it finds and gives one number, with no way to check it.
Here is a better prompt:
Prompt to copy
For each attached invoice, list the supplier, the invoice number, the due date and the total. Say which file each line came from. Then tell me which figures you are unsure about.
A good answer gives one line per invoice, with the file name. We wrote this example:
scan0001.pdf: Ridgeback Green Coffee Pte Ltd, invoice RG-25-031, due 5 February 2025, S$15,434.40.dairy - pls pay.pdf: Straits Dairy Distributors, invoice SD/1243, due 22 May 2025, S$8,284.00.
A good answer also names any figure it could not read clearly, or says that it read every figure.
Open each PDF and check one line yourself. If a total does not match, tell ChatGPT which one, and ask it to read the invoice again.
Keep company files out of personal accounts
The plan you use decides whether OpenAI may learn from the files you attach.
On Free, Go and Plus, OpenAI may use your chats to train its models unless you turn it off. In ChatGPT, open Settings > Data controls and turn off Improve the model for everyone. OpenAI's data controls page explains it.
For company files, use ChatGPT Business. ChatGPT Go vs Plus vs Business compares the plans. Our free safe AI check shows which plans keep your data out of training.
Getting from personal AI to company AI takes 3 steps
You now have 4 habits that make ChatGPT's answers usable. Each habit still helps one person, one chat at a time. An AI agent does a shared job for the team, such as chasing those invoices every week. The ChatGPT comparison shows where such an agent fits beside ChatGPT.
- Personal AIOne person uses ChatGPT, Copilot or Claude for their own emails, files and meetings.
- AI set up for the teamCompany accounts that keep data safe, a staff AI policy, training so everyone uses it the same way, and shared agents. See the hands-on workshop.
- AI that does a team's jobAn agent connected to your systems, such as Xero, WhatsApp or your stock system. It does a shared job and asks before it acts. See Glimmer.
Someone has to pick the plans, write the staff rules, train the team and connect AI to the company's systems. If nobody in your company has the time, Glints does that setup with you. Book a call about setup.
Questions people also ask
What are the best ChatGPT tips for work?
Keep 4 habits: give it the 4 parts, attach the source, let it ask first, and check the sources. Together they give answers you can use.
What is the best ChatGPT prompt?
There is no single best prompt. A prompt with 4 parts works best: the goal, the context, what you want back, and the source. Then ask for changes in the same chat.
Why does ChatGPT make things up?
ChatGPT writes the most likely answer, even when it does not know. Attach the source, and ask where each point came from and what it is unsure about.
Can I use ChatGPT for work emails?
Yes. Give it the goal, who the email is for, the tone, and the facts to include. Use ChatGPT Business for anything with client or staff details.
Where to start
This week, take one message you send every week, such as a reminder to staff. Write the prompt with the 4 parts, and compare the answer with your usual message.
To put an AI agent to work on your own task in one afternoon, see our hands-on workshop. To talk about a job no single tool can do, book a call.