What is it?

A future-focused workshop where teams envision what an AI-first version of their team would look like, then work backwards to identify the first steps to get there. Participants explore how AI could transform their ways of working, identify what should stay distinctly human, and leave with a clear vision and practical roadmap for becoming an AI-first team.

Why is it useful?

Most teams adopt AI tools piecemeal without a clear picture of where they're heading. This workshop creates that picture. By imagining the future state first, teams can make smarter decisions about which AI initiatives to prioritise today. The result is not just a list of tools to try, but a shared vision of how the team will work differently and a concrete plan to start the journey.

This workshop was created in collaboration with Ruben Hassid, one of the most trusted voices in practical AI education. Ruben has a knack for making the overwhelm of AI disappear, breaking down complex concepts into clear, actionable steps. To stay current with how AI is evolving, subscribe to his free Substack "How to AI".

Target Audience

• Consultants helping clients design AI-enabled operating models
• Leadership teams shaping the future direction of their organisation
• Department heads reimagining how their function operates
• Team leads who want to transform how their team works
• HR and L&D professionals planning workforce transformation

Workshop Objectives

• Envision what an AI-first version of your team could look like
• Identify specific ways of working that AI could transform
• Define what should stay distinctly human in your team's work
• Create a shared vision that the team can align around
• Map the first practical steps to start the transformation

Summary

Duration: 120 mins
Group Size: 8-16 people
Format: In-person, highly interactive

Materials Needed

• Whiteboard or flip chart paper (at least 5 sheets)
• Sticky notes in three colours (e.g. blue, green, pink)
• Markers for each participant
• Current State Mapping Template (one per small group)
• AI-First Possibilities Reference Sheet (one per participant)
• What Stays Human Worksheet (one per participant)
• AI-First Team Vision Template (one per participant)
• Timer or phone for keeping time
• Blu-tack or tape for posting work on walls

Process

Step 1: Opening and Framing (10 mins)

Goal: Set the right tone for the session by clarifying what "AI-first" means and what this workshop is (and isn't) about.

Activity:

1. Welcome participants and introduce the focus: "Today we're going to imagine the future. Not science fiction, but a realistic picture of what our team could look like if we fully embraced AI in how we work."
2. Clarify what "AI-first" means: It doesn't mean AI does everything. It means AI is the default starting point when we approach tasks, problems, and decisions. Humans remain central, but AI is woven into how we work.
3. Name what this workshop is NOT about: "This is not about whether AI will replace anyone. We're not here to discuss headcount or restructuring. We're focused on how we work, not who works here. The question is: how could AI make our work better, faster, or more impactful?"
4. Share a brief example of an AI-first way of working. For instance: "Instead of starting a strategy document from scratch, an AI-first team might have AI generate the first draft from meeting notes and past documents, then humans refine and add judgement."
5. Quick warm-up: Ask each person to share their name, role, and complete this sentence: "One task I do regularly that I wish I could hand off to an assistant is..."
6. Capture these on a flip chart. They'll be useful reference points throughout the session.

Debrief Questions:

• What patterns do you notice in the tasks people mentioned?
• How many of these could AI potentially help with today?

Step 2: Mapping the Current State (15 mins)

Goal: Create a shared picture of how the team works today, so there's a clear baseline to transform from.

Activity:

1. Split into groups of 3-4 people, mixing roles where possible.
2. Give each group a Current State Mapping Template and a stack of blue sticky notes.
3. Explain the exercise: "Before we can envision the future, we need to be clear about the present. Map out how your team works today."
4. Groups brainstorm across four categories:
   • How we gather information: Where do insights, data, and knowledge come from?
   • How we create and produce: What do we make, write, design, or build?
   • How we make decisions: What choices do we make and how?
   • How we communicate and collaborate: How do we work together and share information?
5. One activity or process per sticky note. Groups should aim for 3-4 items per category.
6. Give groups 10 minutes to complete their mapping.
7. Quick share: Each group highlights one process from each category that they think is most ripe for transformation.

Debrief Questions:

• Which category has the most activities?
• Where do you spend the most time? Where is there the most friction?
• Which processes haven't changed in years?

Step 3: Exploring AI-First Possibilities (20 mins)

Goal: Expand participants' thinking about what AI-first ways of working could look like across different areas.

Activity:

1. Distribute the AI-First Possibilities Reference Sheet to each participant.
2. Walk through the four transformation areas with examples:
   • AI-first information gathering: AI monitors, summarises, and synthesises information continuously. Humans receive curated insights rather than raw data.
   • AI-first creation: AI generates first drafts, options, and variations. Humans refine, select, and add judgement.
   • AI-first decision-making: AI analyses options, models scenarios, and flags risks. Humans make final calls with better information.
   • AI-first collaboration: AI captures, summarises, and distributes knowledge automatically. Humans focus on high-value conversations.
3. For each area, give one concrete "before and after" example relevant to typical team work.
4. Individual reflection (5 minutes): Each person reviews their group's current state map and notes which activities could be transformed using AI-first approaches. They can write ideas on green sticky notes.
5. Return to groups. Each person shares their top 2-3 transformation ideas. Groups discuss and identify the 5 most promising transformations across all categories.
6. Groups post their green sticky notes next to the relevant blue sticky notes on their current state map.

Debrief Questions:

• Which transformation ideas came up in multiple groups?
• Which ones surprised you?
• What's the difference between using AI as a tool versus being AI-first?

Step 4: Defining What Stays Human (20 mins)

Goal: Identify the distinctly human elements that should remain central to the team's work, even in an AI-first future.

Activity:

1. Distribute the What Stays Human Worksheet to each participant.
2. Explain the importance: "An AI-first team isn't an AI-only team. Some things should stay distinctly human. Knowing what these are helps us transform with intention, not just adopt AI everywhere because we can."
3. Present five categories of distinctly human value:
   • Judgement calls: Decisions that require ethics, values, or contextual wisdom
   • Relationship building: Trust, empathy, and human connection
   • Creative direction: Vision, taste, and meaning-making
   • Accountability: Owning outcomes and taking responsibility
   • Culture and values: Defining who we are and how we behave
4. Individual work (8 minutes): Each person identifies specific activities or responsibilities in their work that should stay human, and explains why.
5. Return to groups. Groups discuss their individual responses and identify the 3-5 most important "stays human" elements for their team.
6. Each group shares their top "stays human" element with the room and explains why it matters.

Debrief Questions:

• Were there any disagreements about what should stay human?
• How do you know when something should stay human versus be transformed?
• What happens if we get this wrong?

Step 5: Envisioning the AI-First Team (25 mins)

Goal: Create a vivid, shared picture of what the AI-first version of the team looks like in practice.

Activity:

1. Explain the visioning exercise: "We're going to fast-forward. Imagine it's 18 months from now. Your team has successfully become AI-first. What does a typical week look like?"
2. Stay in groups. Give each group a fresh sheet of flip chart paper.
3. Groups create their AI-first team vision by answering these prompts:
   • Monday morning: How does the week start? What has AI already prepared for you?
   • A typical task: Pick one common activity. Walk through how it happens in the AI-first version.
   • Decision-making: How does an important decision get made? What role does AI play?
   • Collaboration: How does the team work together? How does information flow?
   • What's better: What's improved compared to today? Time saved? Quality? Focus?
   • What's still human: What have you deliberately kept human? Why?
4. Groups have 15 minutes to build their vision. Encourage them to be specific and concrete, not abstract.
5. Gallery walk: Groups post their visions on the wall. Everyone spends 5 minutes walking around and reading other groups' visions silently.
6. Debrief together: What common themes emerged? What was different? What excited people?

Debrief Questions:

• Which elements of the visions feel achievable in 18 months?
• Which feel like a stretch?
• What would need to be true for this vision to become reality?

Step 6: Roadmap to AI-First (20 mins)

Goal: Work backwards from the vision to identify the practical first steps the team can take.

Activity:

1. Distribute the AI-First Team Vision Template to each participant.
2. Explain the approach: "We've got the destination. Now we need the first steps. You're going to create a personal roadmap based on what you can influence."
3. Walk through the template sections:
   • My vision summary: One paragraph describing what the AI-first version of your work looks like
   • What stays human: The 2-3 things you'll deliberately keep human
   • First transformation: The single most impactful change to make first
   • Quick wins: 2-3 small changes you could make in the next 30 days
   • Barriers to address: What might get in the way and how you'll handle it
   • First step this week: The specific action you'll take to start
4. Individual work (10 minutes): Participants complete their templates.
5. Pair up participants. Each person has 3 minutes to share their roadmap and get feedback. Partners should ask: "Is this specific enough? What's the very first thing you'll do?"
6. Bring the room back together. Ask for 3-4 volunteers to share their first transformation and first step.

Debrief Questions:

• What patterns do you see in the first transformations people chose?
• What barriers came up repeatedly?
• How can you support each other in making these changes?

Step 7: Close and Commit (10 mins)

Goal: Lock in commitment and create momentum for the transformation to begin.

Activity:

1. Bring energy back to the room. Remind participants: "You've done something important today. You've created a picture of the future that doesn't exist yet. Now the question is whether you'll build it."
2. Ask everyone to stand. Go around the room. Each person states their commitment in one sentence, starting with: "To become more AI-first, I will..."
3. Each person finds a check-in partner and agrees to check in within 4 weeks to share progress. Partners exchange contact details or set a calendar reminder together.
4. Close with a final thought: "AI-first isn't a destination you arrive at. It's a way of thinking. Every time you start a task, ask: how would an AI-first team approach this? That question is the beginning of the transformation."
5. Let participants know they can take all their worksheets, templates, and the group vision posters with them.

Debrief Questions:

• None needed. End with energy and forward momentum.

Secret Sauce

• Name what this isn't early: Explicitly saying "this is not about whether AI will replace anyone" in the opening defuses anxiety and lets people engage more openly with the possibilities.
• Current state before future state: Teams often want to jump straight to the exciting future. Resist this. The current state mapping creates the foundation for meaningful transformation, not just wishful thinking.
• "AI-first" versus "AI-assisted": Keep reinforcing the distinction. AI-assisted means using AI tools occasionally. AI-first means AI is the default starting point. This mindset shift is the real transformation.
• The "stays human" conversation is crucial: Some participants will feel everything should be AI-first. Others will resist change. The "stays human" exercise forces both groups to think more carefully about where human value really lies.
• Specificity makes visions real: Push groups to be concrete in their visions. "AI helps with communication" is vague. "AI summarises every meeting and sends action items within 5 minutes" is specific and actionable.
• Watch for fantasy versus ambition: Some visions will be pure fantasy (AI that doesn't exist). Gently redirect: "What could we do with the AI that's available today?" The goal is ambitious but achievable.
• 18 months is deliberate: It's far enough to imagine real change, close enough to feel urgent. If groups drift toward 5-year visions, pull them back.
• Quick wins matter: The "quick wins" section prevents the roadmap from feeling overwhelming. Small visible changes build momentum and prove the concept.
• Four weeks for check-in: Transformation takes longer than decision-improvement or skill-building. The extended window gives people time to make meaningful progress.
• Photograph the visions: The group vision posters are valuable artefacts. Take photos before people leave. These can be shared with leadership or used in follow-up sessions.
• End standing: Having people stand for their commitments changes the energy. It feels more like a pledge than a discussion point.
• This workshop builds on the others: If participants have done the earlier workshops in this series, they'll arrive with useful context. But the workshop works standalone too.