Ask for a plan before the work
To direct a big job, ask for a plan and a checklist first. Read that plan. Do not let the chat do the work until you say the plan is the one you want.
Next step: copy the first prompt that matches your task. Fill in the brackets. Send only that.
A prompt is the message you paste. An approval gate is a stop you control. A checkpoint is a pause after one phase. School pages teach. They do not do the homework. Follow your teacher's rules.
How to do it
- 1 Say what done looks like. Write one sentence for the finished job. Add the facts only you know, and name what the chat must not invent.
- 2 Ask for a plan and a checklist. Tell it to stop after the plan. A checklist is the list of pieces, in order, with what you will check at each one.
- 3 Read it before you praise it. Look for missing facts, extra work you did not ask for, and a last step that tries to finish the whole job.
- 4 Send the plan back edited. Cut steps, add a fact, or say what is out. Then go to the approval gate. Do not say 'go ahead' on a plan you skimmed.
Work
A weekly update your boss will read
You have three real wins and one delay. You want a short update, not a speech.
Do not write the update yet.
Job: a weekly update my boss can read in one minute.
Facts: [win 1]. [win 2]. [win 3]. Delay: [what slipped, and the new date].
Do not assume other projects, numbers, or praise I did not type.
Give me a plan and a checklist only. Use 4 steps or fewer. For each step, say what you will write and what I should check. Then stop.School
A study plan, not the homework
You have a test on two chapters. The chat can plan how you study. You still do the reading.
This is for learning. Do not write anything I will turn in. Follow my teacher's rules.
Do not quiz me yet and do not summarize the chapter for me to paste into an assignment.
Job: a 3-day study plan for [class] on [topics].
Facts: the test is [date]. I have [minutes] each day. I already understand [what you know]. I am stuck on [what is hard].
Give me a plan and a checklist only. Each day should say what I read, what I try in my own words, and what I check. Then stop.Life
A weekend trip that stays inside the budget
You know the dates, the people, and the money. A price is not real until you see it on the airline or a map site.
Do not book anything and do not invent prices.
Job: a Saturday-Sunday plan for [city] with [who is going].
Facts: dates [dates]. Budget [amount]. We must [must-do]. We will not [limits].
A price is only a guess until I see it on the airline, the hotel, or a map site.
Give me a plan and a checklist only. Separate travel, food, and the one event. Say what I must check before each piece. Then stop.Common mistakes
- Asking for the finished email, essay, or itinerary in the same message as the plan.
- Pasting no facts, then hoping the plan will match your life.
- Saying the plan looks fine because it is long.
- Treating a fast first draft as better. Fast is not finished.
More in this section: Approve the plan before it continues · Break a big job into phases
Practice on a real task: Write a weekly status update · Plan a trip
Last updated · All director guides
Where this comes from
- Anthropic, “Trustworthy agents in practice” (April 9, 2026). Anthropic says an agent plans, acts, looks at the result, and repeats until the job is done or it needs a person. In Claude Code, Plan Mode shows the plan first. You can edit it and approve it before any work starts, and you can still step in later.
- Anthropic, “Building effective agents” (December 19, 2024). Anthropic says an agent can pause for a person at a checkpoint. One pattern they describe is to write an outline, check that the outline is good, and only then write the piece.
- OpenAI Help, “ChatGPT Work and Codex”. OpenAI describes Work as an agent for longer, multi-step jobs. The help page says you can review progress, change direction, and approve important actions. If your account does not show Work, use the same stops in a normal chat.
Common questions
Why not just ask for the finished job?
A huge ask often comes back generic, or it invents facts, or the middle does not match the start. A plan is small enough to fix.
What if the chat starts the work anyway?
Reply: stop. I asked for a plan and a checklist only. Do not continue until I approve it.
Does this work if I do not have an agent mode?
Yes. In a normal chat, your message is the stop. If your account shows a mode that runs many steps, ask for the plan before you let it run.
Will this do my homework?
No. A study plan tells you what to practice. You still do the work you turn in. Follow your teacher's rules.