Humans are masters of implicit communication. We say "Can you pass the salt?" and everyone understands it's a request, not a question about ability. AI needs explicit instruction.
The Implicit-Explicit Spectrum
Let's see how moving from implicit to explicit transforms results:
LEVEL 1 - FULLY IMPLICIT: "Make this better" AI has no idea what "better" means in your context
LEVEL 2 - PARTIALLY EXPLICIT: "Make this email more professional" Better, but "professional" varies by industry
LEVEL 3 - MOSTLY EXPLICIT: "Rewrite this email to sound more professional for a law firm environment" Good, but still missing key details
LEVEL 4 - FULLY EXPLICIT: "Rewrite this email for a law firm environment. Professional means: formal but not stiff, precise legal language where appropriate, respectful tone, clear action items. Remove casual phrases, add appropriate sign-off, ensure all dates, and commitments are specific." Now AI knows exactly what you want
The Explicit Instruction Framework
The What-Why-How Method: - What: The specific task - Why: The purpose or goal - How: The approach or constraints
EXAMPLE APPLICATION: ```text WHAT: Create a project timeline for launching our new mobile app WHY: To present to investors next week and secure Series A funding HOW: - 6-month timeline broken into 2-week sprints - Include key milestones and dependencies - Highlight resource needs at each phase - Format as a visual Gantt chart description - Emphasize risk mitigation strategies ```text