Longhand AI Tune-Up
Choose a real task, build an agent to help, and learn to improve it yourself. Use the roadmap below to find your next skill and put it into practice.
Before you begin
Get your AI workspace ready.
Follow the setup guide for Claude or ChatGPT, with screenshots and simple checks to confirm you’re ready.
Open the workspace prep guide
The AI Formula
↖ Hover, tap, or focus any segment to see what it does.
Collaborative framing
How might we
Open the problem as a possibility. This invites exploration before the team locks into the first solution.
Action
VERB
Name the exact work to perform: rewrite, compare, summarize, prioritize, design, or build.
Definition of done
OUTCOME
Describe the observable result you want, so the agent can tell what success looks like.
Boundary signal
without
Introduce the tradeoff you refuse to make. This turns a preference into a clear guardrail.
Rules + boundaries
CONSTRAINTS
State what must not change, what needs approval, and any limits on scope, time, tone, or risk.
Source cue
based on
Tell the agent to ground its answer in the material that follows instead of relying on default assumptions.
Sources
SOURCES
Name the files, systems, examples, research, or data the agent should use to do the work.
The 4 Gears of AI Usage
USE THE SMALLEST GEAR THAT CAN OWN THE RESULT
- 1 · ChatAnswer a question
- 2 · AssistantFinish a deliverable
- 3 · AgentsComplete an objective
- 4 · LoopsSustain an outcome
Sets direction · defines good · reviews the work · owns the outcome
AI Tune-Up
Rate your current usage and confidence in each capability. Your red and yellow ratings shape the AI Roadmap below.
Optional advanced self-assessment Safety & Governance Assume your organization has approved policies, tools, and decision rights. Rate your personal ability to apply, administer, and evidence these controls in your area.
Use the same Red, Yellow, and Green scale. A red or yellow rating adds a coaching call to your AI Roadmap because matching self-guided curriculum is not available yet. Related foundation modules may introduce relevant concepts, but do not teach the complete advanced control. These optional ratings do not change your core 12-capability score.
Need help?
Email coaches@technical-leaders.com and tell us where you’re stuck: choosing the gear, closing a capability gap, or reviewing a workflow before you trust it. A coach will help you think through the next move.