Stop the yes-man reply
To stop a yes-man reply, ask the chat what is weak, what it would refuse, and what you might be wrong about. Agreement is not a review.
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 Do not ask if it is good. 'Is this good?' invites a yes. Ask what is weak instead.
- 2 Ask for a counterpoint. A counterpoint is the best reason a careful person would disagree. You still decide.
- 3 Ask what it would not do. If it would not send, buy, or turn in this, it should say why.
- 4 Use one critique, then edit. Pick the note that matters. Change that part. Do not collect a pile of compliments.
Work
A recommendation your boss might reject
You like your idea. You need the holes before the meeting.
Do not tell me this is a strong idea. I already like it. I need the holes.
Idea: [one sentence].
Facts: [the real constraints].
Reader: my boss, who will ask about cost and time.
Give me 3 ways this fails. For each, say the fact you used. Then say what you would not promise in the meeting. Do not end with encouragement.School
A claim you have to defend
You wrote a claim in your own words. You want it tested, not replaced.
This is for learning. Do not write anything I will turn in. Follow my teacher's rules.
Here is my claim, in my words: [claim].
Do not rewrite it into a better essay sentence.
Give the strongest objection a classmate could make. Then ask me one question I must answer in my own words. If my claim skips the reading, say that plainly. Do not praise the claim.Life
A purchase you are talking yourself into
You want the thing. You need the reasons to wait.
I want to buy [item] for [price] because [your reason].
Do not agree with me.
Give 3 reasons a careful person would wait. Use only these facts: [budget], [what you already own], [how often you would use it].
Then say what I should check on the real product page before I buy. Do not tell me I deserve it.Common mistakes
- Asking 'be honest' and then accepting the first nice paragraph.
- Telling it the answer you want before you ask for a review.
- Treating 'great question' as a sign the idea is solid.
- Approving a plan because the chat said the plan was strong.
More in this section: Approve the plan before it continues · Catch facts the AI made up
Practice on a real task: Get feedback on your essay · Compare two products before you buy
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
What is a yes-man reply?
A reply that agrees with you. It smooths over the weak part instead of naming it.
Why does the chat do that?
Helpful writing often sounds like support. If you ask whether something is good, the easy answer is yes. Ask for the failure instead.
What is a counterpoint?
The best reason to disagree. You do not have to accept it. You do have to hear it before you decide.
Is this the same as being rude to the chat?
No. You are asking for a check. Short and clear is enough.