At Tactics, we love writing about writing. So why let generative AI take away the fun? Well, like everyone else, we’re busy and need to keep up with new-fangled ways, so we tested the waters with ChatGPT for writing a newsletter article.
With a few prompts in the free ChatGPT 3.5, we had a draft article within minutes. But it took a bit of tweaking before we were happy to publish it under the Tactics banner.
Here’s what we did in three simple steps, examples of before-and-after content, and the lessons we learned.
1. Straightforward topic
We deliberately chose a straightforward topic (the difference between SOPs and work instructions). ChatGPT would have been trained on plenty of relevant information in the public domain and was therefore unlikely to hallucinate or fabricate an answer.
2. Outline first
We asked ChatGPT to create an outline for the article first – just like we would if we were writing the article ourselves. This allowed us to check quickly whether the generated content was on the right track.
The conversation went like this:
Tactics prompt: ‘You are a technical writer. You want to write an article explaining the difference between standard operating procedures and work instructions. Please suggest an outline for the article.’
ChatGPT: ‘Certainly! Here’s an outline for an article explaining the difference between Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Work Instructions’.
But the first outline was too long and detailed. We realised that we needed to specify a word limit for the article and asked ChatGPT to shorten its previous outline.
Tactics prompt: ‘This is too long. The article is only 600 words long. Please shorten the outline and provide word counts for each section.’
ChatGPT: ‘Certainly, here’s a more concise outline for a 600-word article on the difference between Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Work Instructions’.
3. Making the generated content our own
The generated article based on the shorter outline wasn’t bad, but too generic. We made the content more specific, eliminated repetition and exaggerated claims, and added important points that were missing.
The generated article was also written in a bland, yawn-inducing writing style. So we asked ChatGPT to give our edited article a friendlier, more casual tone, and it got creative – a little too creative!
The following examples illustrate how we added our own stamp on the content.
Editing for accuracy
The excerpts below show the ChatGPT-generated text and our edited version. Bold text indicates phrases and statements we thought were incorrect, repetitive or overstatements.
| ChatGPT default style | ChatGPT casual style | Tactics’ edited version |
|---|---|---|
| SOPs are comprehensive documents that provide a clear and standardized way of performing a task or a process within an organization. They are the go-to guides for ensuring that essential activities are carried out consistently. SOPs are typically used for critical processes and activities. They outline the “what,” “how,” and “why” of a process, leaving no room for ambiguity. | Alright, let’s start with SOPs. Think of these as your all-in-one guides for getting stuff done. They’re like the GPS for important processes in an organization. SOPs tell you what needs to be done, how to do it, and why it matters. They leave no room for guesswork. | Think of SOPs as the parent document. They are the guides that describe how essential activities are carried out consistently in the organisation. They outline the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of the main processes and show how a particular process relates to others. |
Adding substance
We know a lot about the topic, so throughout the article we replaced generalities with specifics to add substance to the information. For example:
- To clarify the relationship between SOPs and work instructions, we added a parent/child analogy to the definitions.
- In the definition of work instructions, we clarified that they typically describe linear or sequential steps carried out by a single person.
- Under the heading ‘Key differences’, we added a fourth bullet point for ‘Variability’, which is an important but often overlooked difference between SOPs and work instructions.
- We added advice about keeping SOPs and work instructions separate because it makes it easier to find, use and maintain information.
Toning down the hype
ChatGPT’s ‘casual and friendly’ style sounded glib and over the top. Rather than prompt ChatGPT for more revisions, our writer was itching to jump in at this point and take the red pen to cringeworthy analogies or bland generalities.
For example:
| ChatGPT default style | ChatGPT casual style | Tactics’ edited version |
|---|---|---|
| In summary, while SOPs and Work Instructions are both crucial in maintaining operational excellence, they serve different purposes and are designed for different levels of detail and focus. Understanding when and how to use each type of document is essential for maintaining efficiency and consistency within an organisation. | In a nutshell, SOPs and Work Instructions are like Batman and Robin – they’re both superheroes, but they have different roles. By knowing when and how to use each document, you can keep your organisation running like a well-oiled machine. | So, when should you use SOPs and when work instructions? The answer is that most organisations need both: SOPs for the overview and context, and work instructions for the detail. […]
Together, these two types of documents help build the foundation for successful and efficient operations. |
Key takeaways
The main takeaways of our first foray into AI-generated content were:
- Jump right in. There’s a whole science evolving around prompt writing, but starting a simple conversation gets you a long way.
- Critique every word: Don’t be dazzled by how well something reads. Check you can stand by every word and statement.
- Have fun playing with tone and voice, but make sure it’s authentic and appropriate for your purpose and audience. Sounding like Shakespeare or an overexcited copywriter may not help your credibility or get your message across.
In summary, using generative AI can save brain power and time. But good writing skills are essential to ensure the generated text is fit for your purpose and you make it your own before you put your name to it.
Here’s the article we wrote with the help of ChatGPT: SOP or work instruction: What’s the difference?
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