refining-iteratively

name	refining-iteratively
category	waza
description	Drive Copilot toward a shippable draft with targeted, specific follow-ups rather than vague "make it better" prompts. Use after REVIEW, in tight loops until the deliverable passes the SHIP gate. Triggers: any refine prompt; "tighten this", "make it stronger", "fix section X".

Refining Iteratively

The difference between a 5-prompt session and a 25-prompt session is specificity.

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Quick Reference (a refine prompt names three things)

Slot	What goes in
What	Which section, which sentence
Why	Which review lens flagged it
How	Constraint that defines "right" — not just "better"

When to Use

• After reviewing-output flagged RED / AMBER.
• When Copilot's first draft is structurally right but specifics need work.
• Not when the structure is wrong — re-plan instead.

How to Use

Each refine prompt should name:

1. What to change (which section, which sentence).
2. Why it's wrong (which review lens flagged it).
3. What the right output looks like (a constraint, not just "better").

Template:

"In section 2, the second bullet attributes the decision to Priya — verify against [source]; if not confirmed, replace with 'owner TBD'."

Examples

Don't: Vague refine	Do: Specific refine
"Make it more concise."	"Cut section 1 from 4 paragraphs to 3 sentences. Keep the recommendation, drop the history."
"Make it less corporate."	"Drop 'leverage', 'synergy', 'going forward'. Use direct verbs."
"Tighten the intro."	"Intro must lead with the recommendation in one sentence, then 2 sentences of context."
"Try again."	"Section 2 invented an owner — pull the actual owner from [risk log row 4]."

Critical Rules

• Two refine passes should get you to 90%. If not, re-plan.
• Constraints, not adjectives. "Under 80 words" beats "shorter."
• Cite the lens. Tells Copilot what defect to fix.
• One target per prompt. Multi-target refines drift.
• Cosmetic-only refines are wasted prompts. Refine for substance.

Common Pitfalls

• "Make it better" — Copilot has no signal.
• Endless cosmetic tweaks while substance defects remain.
• Refining a section that's structurally wrong — re-plan instead.
• Refines that drop earlier verified content (e.g., losing a citation in a rewrite).

Anti-Patterns

• "Try again." You've taught Copilot nothing.
• Endless cosmetic tweaks. Two refine passes should get you 90% there. If not, your plan was wrong — re-plan.
• Refining without re-reviewing the result.
• Re-prompting from scratch when one targeted refine would do.

Verify After Each Refine

• Targeted defect actually fixed.
• No regression in earlier verified content.
• Citations still intact.
• Length / structure still in budget.
• Re-run the relevant lens from reviewing-output.

Related

• reviewing-output, drafting-with-copilot
• plan-before-prompt — when refines aren't enough
• shipping-the-deliverable