patrickz
Before you start
Three fictional examples of the same task and a chat assistant. A spreadsheet is enough for the first version. Scheduling is optional: use a tool you already have that can run a saved prompt on a schedule (Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork can, but it needs a Copilot license and IT enablement), or set a calendar reminder to run the saved prompt yourself.
Why this lesson exists
Patrick calls this being “usefully lazy”: automate the work you repeat, not the responsibility for it. Start with a task you understand well enough to catch its mistakes.
The idea this guide practices: Copilot Cowork tutorial: build and schedule your first skill.
Do the exercise
Map the process in four parts
Pick a task you do every week, such as turning meeting notes into a draft action list. Write when it runs, what it reads, the yes/no decisions it makes and what it does. List the exceptions, then do it by hand once.
Standardize the output
Define fields such as action, owner, due date and source sentence. Use unknown for missing information. Keep the original input attached.
Test three cases
Try a normal note, one with missing dates and one with conflicting owners. Compare with your manual answer before adding tool connections.
Add a guardrail, then schedule the draft-only version
Anything that sends, deletes or changes another system waits for your approval. Save the tested prompt, schedule it (or set a reminder) and watch the first run next to your hand-done version. Record failures and keep the manual route written down.
A prompt to adapt
Replace the bracketed parts with your own details.
Design a draft-only workflow for [task]. When it runs: [schedule]. What it reads: [input]. Decisions: [yes/no rules]. Example inputs: [examples]. Specify the output fields, missing-data rules, three tests, what to do when there is no new input, the review point and the manual fallback. Do not send messages or modify external records.
What this looks like
A Monday 9:00 run that finds no new notes should report “nothing new”, not produce an empty list or re-send last week’s actions.
Check your result
Use evidence from your output. A confident explanation from the AI is not enough.
If it isn’t working
If you cannot explain the manual task, do not automate it yet. If the draft needs more correction than doing it yourself, simplify the output or improve the input.
Optional. Progress stays in this browser.
Where this came from
Adapted from the archived LinkedIn theme “Stop Working Smarter. Become Usefully Lazy.” See the post coverage and editorial method.
Prepared September 2026. Tools and interfaces change; use current official setup instructions. Session lengths are estimates.